About Norway House
Norway House in the Upper Midwest has as its mission the preservation and promotion of an appreciation and understanding of the American-Norwegian experience and its relationship to modern Norway.
The Vision
The vision is to create Norway House, a bridge between Norway and the United States, a bridge that will link the best of the American-Norwegian community--past, present and future--with the best of Norway—past, present and future.
- Norway House will be a permanent place for showcasing and exchanging accomplishments, activities and ideas in the areas of art, culture, education, business, science and the environment.
- Norway House will be a meeting place for American-Norwegian institutions and organizations.
- Norway House will be a place for hosting myriad of events, including meetings, seminars, lectures, recitals, presentations and social gatherings.
- Norway House will be the location for the Royal Norwegian Consulate General serving the Upper Midwest states.
- Norway House will architecturally and functionally link America’s Norwegian heritage with contemporary Norway and America.
- Most important, Norway house will link the peoples of America and Norway more closely together.
Midwest: Center of Norwegianness
Norwegians came to the United States in several waves. In all, about 900,000 Norwegians emigrated to America. With the exception of Ireland, no other country saw a larger percentage of its population emigrate to the United States. The Norwegian immigrant chose to settle in agricultural areas and formed a large percentage of the population of the Upper Midwest. That is not to say that Norwegians did not influence both the east and the west coasts of North America, but the Midwest formed the heartland of Norwegian America.
Minneapolis: Capitol of Norwegians in U.S.
Within this area, the undisputed capitol of Norway in America is Minneapolis, Minnesota. Nearly one million of the state’s almost five million inhabitants report some degree of Norwegian ancestry. This is the largest number of Norwegian Americans in the United States. The surrounding states of Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, North and South Dakota also report significant numbers of their citizens who indicate Norwegian ancestry. In fact, North Dakota reports that Norwegian Americans make up the largest percentage of its population.
Norwegian American Institutions
If one were to scribe a circle around the Twin Cities with a radius of 450 miles, it would include most of the major areas of Norwegian American settlement and activities in the Central United States. Within this area are located five of the six major Norwegian Lutheran Colleges – Augsburg, Augustana, Concordia, Luther and St. Olaf; the headquarters of Sons of Norway International; the former fraternal life insurance company known as Lutheran Brotherhood; and various departments of Scandinavian and Norwegian language at state universities and private colleges in the upper Midwest.
Importance of Norway House
Norwegian Americans have always expressed pride in their heritage. Festivals and gatherings to celebrate and share Norwegian heritage are to be found throughout the areas of the United States where Norwegians settled. While all of this activity would lead one to believe that it is relatively easy to be in touch with one’s Norwegian American roots, and that since Minneapolis is the home of the Norwegian Consulate General in the Midwest, it is noteworthy that many of the resources of each of the entities mentioned are scattered. It would be of significant benefit if there were a central crossroads location for contact with Norwegian Americans and Norway.
This page last modified
05/08/07