Abstract
Drawn into the new wage economy, families were no longer able to support themselves on their farms alone. Individuals attempted work in the cities; many tried and failed for various reasons and did not want to return to the farm shamed. The workhouse was touted as a place for reform and as a societal safety net for the poorest of the poor. Individuals entering the workhouse were forced into labor and also hidden there by a society that did not want the poor to be on display in the city. Tukthuset provided clothing that masked them as human beings, basic food, and limited health services. Infectious diseases were observed at a high rate, possibly due to exposure in the poorhouse, with treatments not available before antibiotics. A great number of individuals returned to the poorhouse on multiple occasions. Once in, they could not stop the cycle; with hard labor, insufficient daily diet, and increased pathological load, the individuals were held down in a life of shame, poor health, and intense struggle likely resulting in early death. In death, their remains were used for anatomical dissection. Dissection was abhorred by society, and when applied to the workhouse inmates resulted in further destruction of their identities in death.
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Madden, G., Drew, R. (2020). Norway’s Industrial Beginnings: New Life Challenges, Recurring Poverty, and the Path to Tukthuset, Oslo House of Corrections. In: Tremblay, L.A., Reedy, S. (eds) The Bioarchaeology of Structural Violence. Bioarchaeology and Social Theory. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46440-0_7
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