Harald Grytten

Harald Grytten (5 December 1938 – 19 December 2025) was a Norwegian philologist and historian.

Early life and education Grytten was born in Ålesund, Norway on 5 December 1938. He had a Master's degree in Nordic History from the University of Bergen from 1973 with the main thesis An examination of the spoken language on Midøya...

Professional life From 1973 to 1993, Grytten was director of the Ålesund's Museum. He was a known expert on Ålesund's and Sunnmøre’s history, and has published several books about the city of Åalesund, its people, and the surrounding region. Through his work as a museum curator, was key in the rediscovery of Aalesund’s Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) architecture and art that characterizes the city’s center after it was rebuilt in the wake of the Alesund fire of 1904.

Grytten was a well-known communicator with a hands-on approach to history. For many years, he led an urban public history movement in which he taught history in public - atop of a wooden stool - and informally told people about the town's history. His commitment to these city walks and the sharing local history gave Harald Grytten the status of a well-known cultural personality. In 2004, Grytten received the Communication Award in Møre og Romsdal. The prize is awarded by the Norwegian Communications Association's of Møre og Romsdal. His weekly articles on the local Newspaper “Nytt i uka”, continue his tradition of directly telling about the city’s History from “the Top of the Wooden Stool”.

Death Grytten died on 19 December 2025, at the age of 87.

Honours Awarded the Møre og Romsdal fylkes kulturpris (Cultural Prize of the County of More og Romsdal) in 1991. On Grytten's 50th birthday, in 1988, he was honored with the publication of the history of his life's work Festskrift til Harald Grytten: Ålesund i mitt hjerte. In 2008, he received the Nors Kulturarvs year prize In 2010, he was appointed Knight of the 1st class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav "for his significant efforts for Norwegian cultural heritage". In 2013, a sculpture representing Grytten was inaugurated in Ålesund. The statue is entitled "The Wanderer", and it was sculpted by Olav Leon Roald In 2019, he received the annual prize for Relevance in Culture, in Ålesund.