In 2025, Norway marked a significant anniversary: «Crossings 200.» It has been two centuries since the sloop Restauration set sail from Stavanger in 1825, marking the beginning of the first organized mass emigration from Norway to North America.
For a country that today is known for its wealth and welfare state, it can be easy to forget that Norway was once a nation people were desperate to leave. By looking back at our history of emigration, we find striking parallels to the immigration Norway experiences today.
The Great Exodus
Between 1825 and the early 1900s, roughly 800,000 Norwegians left their homeland. In Europe, only Ireland had a higher rate of emigration per capita. They left a society characterized by rapid population growth, lack of available farmland, and strict religious and social hierarchies.
They sought “The American Dream”—cheap land (through the Homestead Act), religious freedom, and a chance to vote. While some returned, the majority settled in the US Midwest, particularly in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.
A Nation of Immigrants
Fast forward to 2025, and the roles have reversed. Norway has transformed from a country of net emigration to a destination for people worldwide. Today, immigrants and Norwegian-born children of immigrants make up over 20% of the population.
While Norway has always had some immigration—from Hanseatic traders in the Middle Ages to Swedish construction workers in the 1800s—modern immigration shifted gears in the late 1960s with the arrival of labor migrants from countries like Pakistan and Turkey.
Following the EU expansion in 2004, labor migration spiked again, making Poland and Lithuania the top countries of origin today. Additionally, global conflicts have brought refugees from Vietnam, the Balkans, Syria, and most recently, Ukraine.
The Mirror of Integration
What is fascinating is how the human experience of migration remains consistent across centuries. When we study how Norwegians behaved in America, we see a reflection of modern immigrants in Norway.
- Clustering: Just as Somali or Polish immigrants might settle in specific neighborhoods in Oslo today, Norwegian emigrants clustered tightly together in the US. They built their own churches, established Norwegian newspapers, and created “bygdelag” (societies for people from specific Norwegian regions) to maintain a sense of belonging.
- Language and Culture: Norwegian immigrants in the US held onto their language longer than many other groups because they lived so close together. They maintained food traditions—like lutefisk and lefse—which became symbolic markers of identity, much like how food culture is a key identity marker for immigrant communities in Norway today.
- Transnationalism: Today, we talk about immigrants living with “one foot in each country.” This was also true for the “America travellers” of the past. They sent letters home (the 19th-century version of WhatsApp), sent money to family members, and often planned to return.
Identity and Acceptance
However, there is a stark difference in reception. Norwegian immigrants in the 19th-century US were generally welcomed as “ideal” immigrants—white, Protestant, and Northern European. They were placed near the top of the racial hierarchy of the time, often at the expense of Indigenous peoples who were displaced to make room for settlers.
Today’s immigrants in Norway often face a more complex path to acceptance. While many integrate successfully through work and education, challenges remain. The definition of “who is Norwegian” is constantly evolving, much like the definition of “who is American” evolved to eventually include the Norwegian settlers.
The Lesson of 2025
As Norway celebrates “Crossings 200,” it serves as a powerful reminder that migration is a timeless process. Whether it is a crofter’s son from Gudbrandsdalen seeking land in Dakota in 1880, or a software engineer from India seeking opportunities in Oslo in 2026, the fundamental drive is the same: the desire for a better life and a safer future.
Understanding our own history of leaving helps us better understand those who are now arriving. We have been on both sides of the journey.
This post is based on a lecture by Terje Mikael Hasle Joranger, research director at the Norwegian Emigrant Museum. The lecture was held for Oslo Guide Course students on February 5, 2026.
Main photo: A rare find, this is plate no. 20 from William G. Wall, and Henry L. Megarey’s important 1825 Hudson River Port Folio. Source: Wikipedia.
