Have you reached a dead end in your Norwegian ancestry search?
Our resident Genealogist and other volunteers, along with our extensive collection of research which is focused on Trøndelag, can help.
Trønderlag Genealogy Resources
Research Materials & Assistance
Have you tracked your ancestors back as far as you can to Norway, but are seemingly at a dead-end?
Our Genealogist, Barry Dahl, and other volunteers can assist you with your e-mail and phone requests. (Like all of our board members, our Genealogist serves in a voluntary position and honors your requests on a time available basis.)
Our collection of research materials, targeted at North and South Trøndelag, is believed to be the largest in the world (with the possible exception of the Family History Center in Salt Lake City or the Library of Congress), and is continually updated and expanded.
We also bring our entire library of research materials to the stevne each year.
If you are traveling to Trøndelag, please contact our Genealogist for a list of documents to buy and bring back. We will reimburse you for any document costs.
Research Trips
Annual Stevne
Norway Trips
Family History Center
Online Genealogy Resources
There are many available online resources, but we will list a few that our members have found particularly useful.
Trønderlag of America Facebook Group
Today, many members and visitors needing assistance go to our private Facebook group. With over 1,000 members, including members in Norway possibly living near your area of inquiry, you'll find folks willing to help with your genealogy research and much more!
Our page administrators regularly share relevant information and links to interesting articles and websites which can further help you reconnect with your Norwegian ancestry and heritage.
Join our vibrant community and see what you've been missing.
Click here to visit our group page.
United States Websites
Norwegian-American Bygdelagenes Fellesraad
This is the umbrella organization over all "bydgelags" in the U.S. Each bygdelag focuses on a specific area of Norway and often has a genealogist and helpful information.
The Norwegian-American Historical Association (NAHA)
NAHA is home to one of North America’s oldest and largest ethnic manuscript collections. Founded in 1925 on the campus of St. Olaf College, NAHA also maintains robust scholarly publishing program and holds regular events for its members and the public.
Norwegian American Genealogical Center & Naeseth Library in Madison, Wisconsin
Vesterheim - The National Norwegian-American Museum & Heritage Center, Decorah, Iowa
Norway Websites
Genealogy Society of Norway (Formerly DIS Norge)
The Genealogy Society of Norway was established on January 12, 1990, and is Norway's largest genealogical organization. While the main site is in Norwegian, there is a language switch button at the top of the landing page which will take you to the English version of their About Us and How to find your Norwegian ancestors pages.
The Digital Archives (Norwegian National Archives) (Digital / English):
The Digital Archives (Digitalarkivet) is the Norwegian National Archives' publishing platform for archive material. Digitalarkivet is free of charge and available to all.
The National Archives of Norway
The MAIN site of the National Archive of Norway. Contains genealogy information [and a hotlink to the Digital Archives]
Trønderlag List on RootsWeb
Like many organization, we had a "Rootsweb Mailing List" where individuals would post genealogy questions and individuals subscribing to the list would try to answer those questions. The archives contained posts going all the way back to July of 1980.
Unfortunately, we note that the list has been quiet since 2019 and you can no longer post.
A couple of Tronder county message boards you might try searching, though, are linked below:
Genealogical Codicil
What will happen to your family history when you are gone?
Our descendants should know what we have, where it is located and we want them to do with it. Some genealogists prepare a Genealogical Codicil. Something you should consider to protect all the years of your research. There are many ways to do this and a simple Internet search on "Genealogical Codicil" gives you many options including forms you could use.