Music & Culture
SALT – Sound Art Live Theatre
One of the first things you’ll probably notice when arriving in Suðuroy, is the tall black building on Drelnes – the culture house SALT.
Although the acronym behind SALT has an entirely new meaning today, the building was, in fact, a salt silo, storing and providing salt for the large salt fish industry in Tvøroyri in the 20th century.
When the fishing industry grew, so did the demand for salt. During the 1930’s the demand for salt was so great, that merchants had to find new ways to meet the need for this increased demand.
In the 1920’s and 30’s, Suðuroy was a progressive island indeed; just about half of the Faroese fleet belonged to Suðuroy. Even though only 12 – 15 % of the total population of the Faroe Islands lived on the island. An estimate of 15-20.000 tons of salt was imported in 1930.
The salt was also a victim of World War II, as it was bombed by the Germans in 1941.
SALT has a very interesting story behind it, and you can read more about it and see some old photographs here.