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• 1 2024-03-15T22:00:38+00:00 The Bygdelags 1 Bygdelagenes Faellesraad (Council of Bygdelags) coordinates activities of the various groups. They were very active in the Eidsvoll centennial celebrations in 1914, and the Norse-American Centennial in 1925. plain 2024-03-15T22:00:38+00:00 The bygdelags -- local history clubs for Norwegian immigrants and their descendants organized by region of origin -- were important forces in organizing the Eidsvoll Centennial (1914) and the Norse-American Centennial (1925). These two events, while mostly similar, were celebrated in two completely different environments: pre-World War I and post-World War I.

  1914 Eidsvoll Centennial

  The 1914 Eidsvoll Centennial commemorated the hundredth anniversary of Norwegian independence from Denmark. This celebration, that took place months before the outbreak of War War I, was symbolic of ethnic revivalism. In all, those who were considered white ethnically were openly accepted in the larger culture. The focus of this celebration also emphasized the maintenance of a culture. Unlike at the 1925 Norse-American Centennial, Norwegian was the predominant language. The celebration, and the years leading up to it, intensified the expansion of the Norwegian language. For example, in 1908, Prof. Eikeland at St. Olaf published the first American Norwegian textbook, Norsk grammatik: Med eksempler og opgaver for skolen og til selvstudium. During this time, there was also an increase in ethnic fraternal societies increasing recruitment. 
   

  1925 Norse American Centennial

  The Stavangerlaget first proposed the idea of the Norse-American Centennial officially during a general meeting of the bygdelags in 1915, but meaningful action wasn’t taken until a committee was appointed in 1919 to begin planning for the Centennial celebration. This early committee consisted of leading members of various bygdelags, including Rev. L. P. Thorkveen of Gudbrandsdalslaget, Prof. J. Tanner of Romsdalslaget, and Marius Hagen of Solørlaget to name a few. During the Centennial celebration, each bygdelag had its own meeting during the first day, which was called Bygdelag Day.
  
  
  
  Sources to explore:
  The Bygdelag Movement by Odd Lovoll in Norwegian-American Studies, Vol. 25
  "The Pride of the Race Had Been Touched:" The 1925 Norse-American Immigration Centennial and Ethnic Identity by April Schultz in Norwegian-American Studies, Vol. 33