Norway Societies
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Norway Societies There are several societies and organizations in Norway that may have information of value to your genealogical research. Most local communities in Norway have a genealogical and historical society of some type. Many of these groups publish books and periodicals. For more information, see the "Genealogy" and "Periodicals" sections. There may also be some societies in the country your ancestor immigrated to, especially in the United States. You may find it helpful to join one of these societies and support their efforts. The bygdelags (community societies) in the United States are made up of descendants of people who emigrated to North America from Norway. Presently there are 32 affiliated lag (societies). Every lag seeks to preserve and strengthen bonds with its home district or community of origin in Norway. You may find it helpful to join and support one of these societies. For information about these bygdelags go to:
Genealogical Societies[edit | edit source]The major Genealogical society in the United States that emphasizes Norwegian research is: The Norwegian American Genealogical Center(NAGC) (see below) can help you find out if there is a society for the area your ancestors came from. Formerly know as: Vesterheim Genealogical Center and Naeseth Library (VGC/NL)
E-Mail: genealogy@magcnl.org
Obtain membership from: Norwegian American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library 415 W. Main St. Phone: (608) 255-2224 Fax: (608) 255-6842
The Center is open to the public Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm, and on Wednesday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. Please telephone ahead if you want a researcher to work with you.
Norwegian American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library (NAGC & NL) is now publishing Norwegian Tracks,an informative genealogy newsletter printed 3 times per year, detailing information about new NAGC & NL acquisitions and other items of help to genealogists. This publication is sent to members only.
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum[edit | edit source]523 W. Water St. Decorah, Iowa 52101
Phone: (563) 382-9681 Internet: http://vesterheim.org/index.php E-Mail: info@vesterheim.org
For more information, see the "Periodicals" section.
Many societies have collections that could provide information on Norwegian ancestors. For example, The Norwegian-American Association (http://www.naha.stolaf.edu/) in Northfield, Minnestota, has a file know as the "Rowberg" file. Andrew A. Rowberg started this file in 1914, using articles about Norwegian Americans from Norwegian American newspapers. The articles included obituaries; wedding and birth announcements, and information about weddings, anniversaries, promotions, honors, Norway visits, and other events. Short articles are mounted on cards, and longer articles are mounted i scrapbooks. Reference cards indicate volumes and page numbers to these scrapbooks. Each article gives the newspaper's name and date of issue. This file also refers to biographical information in a number of Norwegian-American periodicals. This information is available on microfiche in the Author/Title search of the Family History Library Catalog under "Rowberg, Andrew A.". It is listed in the Subject search under NORWEGIAN AMERICANS - UNITED STATES NORWEGIANS - UNITED STATES
it is also listed in the Place search under:
UNITED STATES - MINORITIES UNITED STATES - OBITUARIES UNITED STATES - NEWSPAPERS UNITED STATES - GENEALOGY
The main genealogical society in Norway publishes the periodical Norsk Slektshistorisk Tidsskrift (Norwegian Family History Periodical). It is Norways' oldest national association for genealogists. It was founded in 1926 and has now approximately 2000 members in both Norway and abroad. Its emphasis has been on middle and upper class families. For more information, see the "Periodical" and "Genealogy" sections. The address of the society is:
Norsk Slektshistorisk Forening (NSF-Norwegian Family History Society)
Contact by mail: Box 59 Sentrum
Visit their Library: Lakkegata 19-21 (4th floor)
Phone/Fax: 47-22-05-90-00 E-Mail: sekretary@genealogi.no Internet: http://www.genealogi.no
(The society is open only Monday and Thursday from 11:00 a.m until 8:00 p.m.) Closed Holidays, during summer vacation, and the week of Christmas and Easter. If arrangement is being made ahead of time they will at times be open upon request. Here you may make use of the association's large collections of genealogy books (Bygdebøker) or Farm books. The main purpose of the society is- and has always been- to publish articles and other literature with the goal to increase the kowledge of family history and genealogy in Norway.
The members of the society will each year receive two issues of Norsk Slektshistorisk Tidsskrift, as well as two issues of the Members Magazine Genealogen. In addition to this they regularly publish new and revised edition of Hvem forsker hva i norsk genealogi (Who researches what in Norwegian genealogy) a publication that contributes to establish contact between genealogists all over the country and abroad.
For issues of Norsk Slektshistorisk Tidsskrift (Norwegian Family History Periodical) available in the Family History Library see the Periodical and Genealgy sections.
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