Rovang Schoolhouse

Rovang Schoolhouse. Heritage Park, Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. , Overview , In the mid-19th century, a group of Norwegian immigrants who followed the state church in Norway wanted to create a system of schools associated with the church. Congregation members wanted to send their children to public schools to learn English and American culture. In a compromise, students attended these schools for two weeks several times per year for lessons in religion and the Norwegian language.

. Built in 1879 near Nordness, Iowa, southeast of Decorah , . Served as a Lutheran parochial school for Norwegian immigrants and their descendants for around 40 years , . LC5992 , Luther College Collection

, Norwegian immigrants brought traditions with them, including recipes, handcrafts, music, and language. They had to adapt some traditions because of differences here in the United States. A good example of this was the Norwegian tradition of teaching religion in schools., In Norway during the 19th and 20th centuries, the Lutheran Church was the state church, which meant that the government and the church were united. Public records of births, marriages, and property were kept by local churches, and schools taught the four Rs - reading, 'riting, 'rithmatic, and religion. In the United States, the First Amendment to the Constitution established the separation of government and religion. For some Norwegian immigrants, this posed a challenge. , In the 1860s, a group of Norwegian immigrants in Iowa who followed the state church in Norway tried to develop a system of schools associated with the church. They wanted to teach all of the subjects, including religion and the Norwegian language, as a way of maintaining their Norwegian identity. This movement, led by pastors, was not popular with many congregation members, who preferred to send their children to the “common” or public schools to learn American culture and to speak English. , Both sides accepted a compromise. Students attended these parochial schools two weeks at a time several times per year to learn Norwegian and attend religion classes. Students ranged in age from six to their early teens, when they were confirmed in the Lutheran Church. Religious instruction in the Norwegian language continued in many Norwegian-American Lutheran church congregations well into the 20th century. , Use of the Norwegian language in America declined throughout the 20th century with growing fear of immigrants, stricter immigration laws, and emergency orders issued by states during World War I. In 1918, Iowa's governor banned the use of foreign languages in public, in the workplace, and over the telephone. The number of books and periodicals printed in Norwegian declined. , Following World War II, most church services and meetings of cultural organizations, such as Sons of Norway, were held in English, but some remained bilingual. Between 1940 and 1960, less than half of second-generation Norwegian Americans learned the Norwegian language. Few speak it today. , [other photo captions] , . Report card in Norwegian, 1905.