Norwegian South African
Encyclopedia
Norwegian South African are South Africa
ns of Norwegian
descent. When most Norwegian emigrants moved to America
, some people also moved to South Africa
, Madagascar
, Angola
, Mozambique
, South America
and Oceania
. In 2008, only 24 Norwegians
moved to South Africa
. The number of Norwegians
in 1920 was 998 (in whole Africa
), while in 1930 it had risen to 1,107 – that is an increase of over 10%. Of 651 Norwegians
live in South Africa
and 147 in Madagascar
.
, by boat the long road to South Africa
and Kwazulu-Natal
. After arrival at Port Shepstone, the families were each awarded a lot (soil patch, parcel) and one could begin to build a house and cultivate the soil. In 1882 a party of 246 Norwegian
immigrants settled in nearby Marburg near Port Shepstone and played a large part in the development
of the area. Although a few went back home and others went to Australia
, most Norwegians
remain in this area. After a short time they began to build a church, the Norwegian Settler's Church, which is still in full operation after being extended twice. The church is also a Norwegian museum with things Norwegians brought with them from home, as for example, bunad
, tools, kitchen utensils, etc. Norwegians also put their mark on place names in the area with names like Oslo Beach and Fredheim.
Later Norwegians participated in gold-digging in Johannesburg
- and the Norwegian missionaries were among the first who established Christianity
in Zululand
.
Early in the 1900s had the Norwegians
already established Norwegian School, Norwegian Lutheran Church and Norwegian newspapers in Durban
. In line with the expanding whaling and the growing Norwegian merchant fleet, reached the Norwegian South Africa
climax towards the middle of the 1900s. The capital was Durban
. Durban
's major Norwegian ancestors were Abraham Larsen and Jacob Egeland.
Now there is a thinning in the ranks of the first and second generation immigrants - those who kept their Norwegian identity. A few years ago potetløp was held for costume-clad children at 17 May. Two years ago the Norwegian society in the years after 110 years of activity, and was a Scandinavian club. There are still gathering places such as The Norwegian Hall, the former Norwegian Lutheran Church, St. Olav's Church. There are Norwegian names in the directory, Norwegian houses and street names. And there always will be the occasional immigrant with Norwegian names and language intact, such as Rolf Larsen, the last surviving Norwegian whale hunter in Durban
.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
ns of Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
descent. When most Norwegian emigrants moved to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, some people also moved to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. In 2008, only 24 Norwegians
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
moved to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The number of Norwegians
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
in 1920 was 998 (in whole Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
), while in 1930 it had risen to 1,107 – that is an increase of over 10%. Of 651 Norwegians
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
live in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and 147 in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
.
History
In the 1890s added about 90 families, most from SunnmøreSunnmøre
Sunnmøre is the southernmost traditional district of the western Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. Its main city is Ålesund. The region comprises the municipalities of Giske, Hareid, Herøy, Norddal, Sande, Skodje, Haram, Stordal, Stranda, Sula, Sykkylven, Ulstein, Vanylven, Volda, Ørskog,...
, by boat the long road to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Kwazulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
. After arrival at Port Shepstone, the families were each awarded a lot (soil patch, parcel) and one could begin to build a house and cultivate the soil. In 1882 a party of 246 Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
immigrants settled in nearby Marburg near Port Shepstone and played a large part in the development
Land development
Land development refers to altering the landscape in any number of ways such as:* changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or housing...
of the area. Although a few went back home and others went to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, most Norwegians
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
remain in this area. After a short time they began to build a church, the Norwegian Settler's Church, which is still in full operation after being extended twice. The church is also a Norwegian museum with things Norwegians brought with them from home, as for example, bunad
Bunad
Bunad is an umbrella term encompassing, in its broadest sense, a range of both traditional rural garments as well modern 20th century folk costumes. In its narrow sense the word Bunad does only refer to garments constructed in the early 20th century very loosely based on tradition...
, tools, kitchen utensils, etc. Norwegians also put their mark on place names in the area with names like Oslo Beach and Fredheim.
Later Norwegians participated in gold-digging in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
- and the Norwegian missionaries were among the first who established Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in Zululand
Zulu Kingdom
The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire or, rather imprecisely, Zululand, was a monarchy in Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to Pongola River in the north....
.
Early in the 1900s had the Norwegians
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
already established Norwegian School, Norwegian Lutheran Church and Norwegian newspapers in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
. In line with the expanding whaling and the growing Norwegian merchant fleet, reached the Norwegian South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
climax towards the middle of the 1900s. The capital was Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
. Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
's major Norwegian ancestors were Abraham Larsen and Jacob Egeland.
Now there is a thinning in the ranks of the first and second generation immigrants - those who kept their Norwegian identity. A few years ago potetløp was held for costume-clad children at 17 May. Two years ago the Norwegian society in the years after 110 years of activity, and was a Scandinavian club. There are still gathering places such as The Norwegian Hall, the former Norwegian Lutheran Church, St. Olav's Church. There are Norwegian names in the directory, Norwegian houses and street names. And there always will be the occasional immigrant with Norwegian names and language intact, such as Rolf Larsen, the last surviving Norwegian whale hunter in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
.