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The Valdres Samband is an organization of emigrant descendants from the Valdres Valley of Norway and those interested in its history and culture. Valdres is approximately 100 miles northwest of Oslo. It is the oldest 'bygdelag' in America having been organized in 1899. This web site serves to provide resources for those who are interested in their Valdres heritage.
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In 1904 Andrew Veblen (founding father), wrote:
"One of the chief aims is to gather, preserve and impart knowledge of Valdris and people of Valdris origin; to serve as a bond between them and to keep alive their common traditions, to foster knowledge of their ancestry and cherish a filial interest in the beautiful ancestral home of the race. By the operation of natural causes the language of our fathers will be forgotten among our descendants a very few generations hence. But the sentiment and interest that called the Samband into being need not die with the language. They should endure as long as there is Valdris blood to transmit; and to keep them alive and perpetuate them is a special function of the Valdris Samband."
Articles eight and nine of the Grunnlov (constitution) specified that the Samband should gather and publish material about Valdres, the people and their work. Today's Internet serves as a vehicle to further the collection, preservation, and dissemination of information as dictated by the Articles. The Internet has also proved to be a valuable resource for people searching for their roots. The 'bygdelag' is alive and well - and growing!
The future of the Valdres Samband depends on your contribution to the lag. In the 1929 Yearbook of Bydelagenes Fellesraad, Veblen wrote:
"...we must nurse knowledge and relationships among Valdrises of the younger generation... I will not go into detail on how this will be done. This must be worked out by those who assume the work; but there must be publishing, and most in English. It will require much work, but it will bring those who do it many pleasant contacts."
The following is a list of recent additions to our web. Whenever we update our web, we'll put a notice here. Every month we'll remove the oldest items. The most recent changes are listed first, and each item is linked to the page with the updated content.
July 30, 2003
- Members updated!
- Guestbook archived as of June 30, 2003.
- Update on 2004 Stevne in Valdres, Norway
History of our Web Site:
April 10, 1999 - We now have our own URL! We have officially obtained our own unique URL. You can reach us by typing www.valdressamband.org in your browser address line.
June 6, 1997 - Valdres Samband Homepage Goes On-line!
May 23, 1997 - Valdres Samband Obtains Space For Their Homepage!
