Decorah Posten: An Early Trumpet Call for Nordic Fest

Source: By Orf3us (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Decorah has a rich history of immigrants and their descendants from Norway. One of the ways this history beautifully manifested itself with the nearly 100 years (1874-1972) of publication of the Decorah Posten, a Norwegian language newspaper founded by Bynhild Anundsen, an immigrant from Skien, Norway. 

The Decorah Posten had a wide circulation among Norwegian Americans in the Upper Midwest. Historical pieces of the Decorah Posten era are now a part of the collection at the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum there. 

The later years of publication of The Decorah Posten coincided with the early years of Nordic Fest, which started in 1967. 

The late Gary Svenson, one of the Nordic Fest co-founders recalled to his daughter the critical role the Decorah Posten played in reaching an audience passionate about celebrating its heritage. 

"Thanks to the Decorah Posten helping spread the word, Nordic Fest was able to connect with nearby immigrants who saw this new event as an opportunity to celebrate their heritage. This was an important transformation from when I was growing up, when my parents spoke in Norwegian only in secret and at home. Nordic Fest represented a new beginning for them  and so many immigrants who could now demonstrate their pride publicly, building on the many strengths for doing so already present in Decorah," Gary said.

What memories of the Decorah Posten do you have, either directly or through your family?