Sigdalslag is an association of Norwegian-Americans with roots in Sigdal, Eggedal or Krødsherad, Norway.
Sigdalslag is a fraternal organization that was formed in 1911 by Norwegian-Americans who had roots in Sigdal, Norway, or in the neighboring areas of Eggedal or Krødsherad. The purpose was to help preserve the heritage from those areas of Norway. One of the best things the early Sigdalslag did was to collect and publish short biographies of the immigrants. Books (in Norwegian) were published in 1914, 1920, 1929, 1932, 1941 and 1949.
Now in our 10th decade, the Sigdalslag is still in business and has over 300 member-units. A big part of the Sigdalslag’s mission these days is in genealogy – helping people to find their roots in Norway. To this end, the Sigdalslag genealogist maintains a substantial library that includes books and microfilmed church records. Our genealogist has also assembled a computerized list of the 5000 or so who emigrated from Sigdal, Eggedal and Krødsherad. Another major recent project of the Lag has been to translate and republish the books mentioned above. These books are a wonderful resource for these seeking to learn about the life of their immigrant forefathers.
The Sigdalslag publishes a newsletter, Sigdalslag Saga, three times a year, and holds annual meetings, usually in July.
Lag is a Norwegian word that has many meanings, one of them being “a group of people”. Besides Sigdalslag, there are 31 other lags which cover other areas of Norway. A handy source of information about all 32 lags is the web site www.fellesraad.com.
See also:
– Executive Board
– Bylaws
– Sigdalslag History
– Scholarships