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Norway
Research Outline
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Norwegian Search Strategies
Records At The Family History Library
The Family History Library Catalog
Archives And Libraries
Biography
Census
Church Records
     General Historical Background
     Information Recorded In Church Records
     Locating Church Records
     Records At The Family History Library
     Records Not At The Family History Library
Civil Registration
Court Records
Emigration And Immigration
Encyclopedias And Dictionaries
Gazetteers
Genealogy
History
Land And Property
Language And Languages
Maps
Military Records
Names, Personal
Nobility
Periodicals
Probate Records
Social Life And Customs
Societies
Other Records
Comments And Suggestions

SOCIETIES Look this term up in the glossary.

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 of this outline.

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, please contact the president or vice-president, who can direct you to the lag that has information about the area in Norway that your ancestors came from:

President
Marilyn D. Somdahl
10129 Goodrich Circle
Minneapolis, MN 55437
Telephone: 612-831-4409
Vice-President
Marilyn Sorensen
4468 Arden View Court
St. Paul, MN 55112
Telephone: 651-633-1329
Internet: www.hfaa.org/bygdelag
The Vesterheim Genealogical Center (see below) can help you find out if there is a society for the area your ancestors came from.


Genealogical SocietiesLook this term up in the glossary.

The major genealogical society in the United States that emphasizes Norwegian research is:

The Vesterheim Genealogical Center
Norwegian American Museum
415 West Main Street
Madison, Wi 53703
Internet: www.vesterheim.org
For more information, see the “Periodicals” section of this outline.

Many societies have collections that could provide information on Norwegian ancestors. For example, The Norwegian-American Association in Northfield, Minnesota, has a file known as the "Rowberg" file. Andrew A. Rowberg started this file in 1914, using articles about Norwegian Americans Norwegian-American newspapers. The articles include 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 in scrapbooks. Reference cards indicate volume 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 periodical.

This information is available on microfiche in the Author/Title section of the Family History Library Catalog under "Rowberg, Andrew A." (computer number 0756368). It is listed in the Subject section under:

NORWEGIAN AMERICANS - UNITED STATESNORWEGIANS - UNITED STATES

It is also listed in the Locality section under:

UNITED STATES - MINORITIESUNITED STATES - OBITUARIESUNITED STATES - NEWSPAPERSUNITED STATES - GENEALOGY

The main genealogical society in Norway publishes the periodical Norsk Slektshistorisk Tidsskrift (Norwegian Family History Periodical). For more information, see the "Periodicals" and "Genealogy" sections of this outline.

The address of the society is:

Norsk Slektshistorisk Forening
(Norwegian Family History Society)
Pox 59 Sentrum
0101 Oslo
Norway
Telephone/Fax: 47-22-42-2204
E-mail: nstgen@online.no
Internet: http://home.sol.no/~nstgen/
(The society is open only Monday and Thursday from 11:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.)
Another publication with information about genealogy and data in Norway is DIS-NORGE. The association DIS-Norge has several local branches throughout Norway that represent the following places: DIS-Salten Slektshistorielag in Bodø, DIS-Finnmark in Vadsø, DIS-Troms in Tromsdalen, DIS-Nord-Trøndelag in Steinkjer, DIS-Sør-Trøndelag in Trondheim, DIS-Hordaland in Bergen, DIS-Rogaland in Hommersåk, DIS-Akershus in Fetsund, DIS-Møore og Romsdal in Alesund, DIS-VEstfold in Husøysund, DIS-Østfold in Kråkerøy, DIS-Telemark in Skien, DIS-Haugaland in Haugesund, DIS-Aust-Agder in His, DIS-Vest-Agder in Kristiansand S, DIS-Oppland in Lillehammer, DIS-Hedmark in Hamar, and DIS-Sogn og Fjordane in Gaupne.

The association DIS-Norge was founded on 12 January 1990. In 1996 its membership was 2,300, a number that grows daily. The primary goal of this association is to provide a common forum for anyone in Norway who is interested in using computers for genealogical research. The web site address for DIS-Norge gives an English summary.

DIS-Norge (Computer processing in genealogy)
Posboks 29 Bryn
01611 Oslo
Norway
E-mail: disnorge@online.no
Internet: www.sn.no/disnorge

Historical SocietiesLook this term up in the glossary.

Norwegian historical societies can be valuable sources of information. Similar societies exist in countries where Norwegian emigrants settled. These societies often collect information about Norwegian immigrants. Some may have information about specific Norwegian individuals. Many societies have special book and manuscript collections for Norway that may be difficult to find in libraries and archives. (See the reference to bygdelags above.) Other historical societies that may be of interest include—

Sons of Norway, International Headquarters
1455 West Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55408-2666
Phone: 1-612-827-3611
Fax: 612-827-0658
Internet: www.sofn.com
Norway Office:
(Sons of Norway)
Markensgt. 39
4601 Kristiansand (S)
Norway
Phone: 47-38-02-46-46
Fax: 47-38-07-14-40
Landslaget for Lokalhistorie
(Local history society for Norway)
Egil Nysæter
Nordåsgrenda 102
5046 Rådal
Norway
Phone: 47-55-23-91-95
This organization publishes the periodical Heimen (the Home) (FHL book 948.1 H25he; computer number 0004149).

Norsk Lokalhistorisk Institutt (Norwegian Local Historical Institute)
Folke Bernadottes vei 21
PB. 4017 Ullevål stadion
N-0806 Oslo
Norway
Phone: 47 22 02 26 06
Fax: 47 22 23 74 89
Norsk Lokalhistorisk Institutt coordinates the work of most of the local historical societies in Norway. It can give information and addresses for most local historical societies in Norway.


Locating Records at the Family History Library

Records of societies are usually described in the Author/Title section of the Family History Library Catalog under the name of the society. They are also listed in the Locality section under:

NORWAY - SOCIETIESNORWAY, [COUNTY] - SOCIETIESNORWAY - GENEALOGYNORWAY, [COUNTY] - GENEALOGYNORWAY, [COUNTY], [PARISH] - GENEALOGY

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