Ivar matlaus
Encyclopedia
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The book café is operated on an idealistic and collective basis, and specializes in underground and non-profit literature. Books and literature can be purchased at Ivar Matlaus, but it is also acceptable to read the materials at the café without paying. It is a popular place for people who spend their time at UFFA
UFFA
UFFA is an anarchist youth house in Trondheim, Norway. The house provides a location where youths are free to hang out, spending their time by attending concerts, playing Foosball and socializing with their friends...
and also a general meeting place for people who live in the Svartlamon
Svartlamon
Svartlamon is an alternative district which describes itself as "a gathering of houses in a little place called Lademoen north east of the center of Trondheim, a city in Norway". Most of the houses were built at the end of the 19th century or the beginning of the 20th century...
. Ivar Matlaus wishes to strengthen their interest in political activism and work. They want to be an info center for things happening around the world and a place where it is possible to retrieve information about important political issues.
History
The Ivar Matlaus Bokkafe was founded in 1982 as part of UFFAUFFA
UFFA is an anarchist youth house in Trondheim, Norway. The house provides a location where youths are free to hang out, spending their time by attending concerts, playing Foosball and socializing with their friends...
. UFFA is politically active and predominantly anarchist in view; they oppose racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
, sexual discrimination and capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
. UFFA has, among other things, participated in anti-racist demonstrations and demonstrations against the NATO summit in Åre
Åre
Åre is a locality and one of the leading Scandinavian ski resorts situated in Åre Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 1,260 inhabitants in 2005. It is however, not the seat of the municipality, which is Järpen. 25% of the municipal industry is based on tourism, most notably the downhill...
. In contrast to the attitude of Marxist UngMob/Blitz
Blitz (movement)
Blitz is an anarchist, communist and socialist youth community in Oslo, Norway, founded in 1982. The group has often been criticized for their use of violent methods of political protest.- The house :...
Environment in Oslo, UFFA has locally been less militant than Blitz has been in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
.
The Ivar Matlaus Bokkafé, which supports UFFA objectives, is located two places in Trondheim (Norway). One of the café’s branches is located at the UFFA youth club – and when the original house burned to the ground the branch was moved to the newer UFFA-house. Another main café is located at Svartlamon.
Name
The café is named after a Norwegian anarchist named Ivar Mortensson-EgnundIvar Mortensson-Egnund
Ivar Mortensson-Egnund was a Norwegian author, journalist, theologian, researcher, translator, writer, philosopher and advocate of nynorsk . He was born in Alvdal North Østerdal...
, who among other things, lectured the Norwegian people about politics, religion and social issues. One of the lectures he held was named “Matløysa i Noreg”. Translated to English it means “The foodshortage in Norway”. After this lection he was called “Ivar Matlaus” – or “Foodless Ivar” in English.