On this page I have gathered a little bit about the connection between Wales and Norway. Most of the stuff I have gathered from other Web Sites and put together here, and some of it I have written myself.

Petter Solberg and Phil Mills showing off their national flags outside the Norwegian Church in Cardiff. Another good example on strong Welsh/Norwegian connections.         

Samfunnet ble startet i Juni 1995 etter restaureringen og flyttingen av Den Norske Kirken til dens nye plassering i Cardiff Bukt.

Den første President var Roald Dahl.

Til 1959 var kirken en aktiv sjømannsmisjon og for over 90 år hadde Norske sjømenn i tillegg til landbaserte Nordmenn som bodde og arbeidet i Cardiff og Wales forøvrig, benyttet kirken, som både et treffpunkt og et sted og be.  Siden 1974 imidlertid, da kirken var de-kommisjonert, minket deres antall, og folk hadde eldet eller hadde flyttet vekk. Men deres avkom, ofte av Welsh-Norsk avstamning, bodde fremdeles  i Syd-Wales. Endel av dem startet å møtes, og Welsh Norwegian Society var en virkelighet!

Nå til dags organiserer Samfunnet begivenheter som forelesninger og filmer med en Norsk innflytelse, i tillegg  til å feire tradisjonelle Norske høytider, slik som Jul,  17  Mai og midt Sommers Aften (st Hans).

Hvis du er interessert, er Samfunnet en vennlig og aktiv gruppe som ønsker  alle velkommen. Det holder vanligvis sine månedlige møter  19.30 den tredje Onsdag i hver måned på den Norske Kirken , Cardiff Bukt. Samfunnet mottar mer enn gjerne din forespørsel på Tel. 029 20454899.
(Peter Birger Petersen)

The Society was formed in June 1995 after the restoration and re-location of the old Norwegian Seamen's Mission Church to its new location in Cardiff Bay. The project was organized by the Norwegian Church Preservation Trust whose first president was Roald Dahl.

Until 1959 the church had been an active seamen's mission and for some 90 years Norwegian captains, sailors as well as landbased administrative staff had lived and worked in Cardiff, many of whom settled there for good. For the following 15 years these Norwegians and their families continued to come together under the umbrella of the church. Since 1974, however, when the church was de-consecrated, their numbers decreased, people had aged or had moved away. But their offspring, often of Welsh-Norwegian descent, were still living in South Wales. Eventually, some of them felt that the surviving bonds between Wales and Norway ought to be strengthened in response to an increasing interest in Norway and things Norwegian in the area.

Nowadays, the Society organises events like lectures and films with a Norwegian flavour, as well as events to celebrate traditional Norwegian festivals, such as Christmas, Norway's Constitution Day on 17th May and Mid Summer's Eve.

If you are interested in Norway or have family connections with Norway, the Society is a friendly and active group and welcomes new members. It normally holds its monthly meetings at 7.30pm on the third Wednesday of each month at the Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. The administrator will be happy to attend to your enquiry at Tel. 029 20454899.
(Peter Birger Persen)

Editor's note: An example of the Society's members is their present president, Peter Birger Persen, born in Cardiff in 1929 of the Norwegian sea captain, Paul Birger Persen, and a Welsh/Swedish mother. He personifies the historic links between Wales and Norway. Another Norwegian offspring of this era, who became a 'South Walian', was Ellen Gjertsen, who was born in Swansea in 1923 of a Norwegian father and a Welsh mother. He managed the Lars Knutsen & Sons ships' chandlers in Swansea. Norwegian surnames are still current in the South Walian population, such as Olsen, Petersen, Hassel, Arentsen, Dahl, Eide, Lund, Brekke, Hegstad, Anderssen, Berntsen, Christensen, Eriksen, Gundersen, Hansen to mention but a few. Although they are not all members of the Welsh-Norwegian Society, the latter represents their past history of origin.

Webhosts note: The proprietor of Ashgrove Inn, Thor, is born in Norway. His father, Gerhard Fredrik, grew up in Wales.His best "Butty" was the one year older Roald Dahl.  Thor's Grandfather, Fritz Mowinckel moved to Cardiff in 1912, and lived at Penhill House, Llandaff Road until the early 1930's. Most of that time he was a Consul to Norway. So, in fact, Thor is 3rd Generation in Wales! He has lived in Coelbren, Powys since 1997.

Programme of Society Events - 2008


The automn and spring program of 2008/2009 will be announced shortly!

And EVERY DAY, all year, Welcome to The only Norwegian Pub in Wales!

It will be a lot of events after Summer Holidays, watch this space!
Contact: President Peter Persen: 029 20753818.

 

                                                 

                                                                                                            

CARDIFF's NORWEGIAN CHURCH
Its history as a former Norwegian Seamen's Mission Church
in Wales/UK, and now an Arts Centre.
Harbour Drive, Cardiff Bay, CF10 4PA

Edited by Herbert E. Roese.
contact: heroese@ukonline.co.uk

.
in 1872 - Cardiff's Norwegian Church - in 1958
(1872 photo by courtesy of the BHAC Archive, 1958 photo by courtesy of Peter Persen.)

"A place where people have come together for over 100 years.
A cosmopolitan meeting place where people
from all over Scandinavia found refuge for a little while
from the hustle & bustle of everyday life"

The original sign in Norwegian which hung outside the church

When in 1849/50 the British Government of the day passed the Navigation Act, Norway's trading history was significantly affected. It meant that better and faster sailing ships were required and that classification and insurance became the key to trading. Then, in October 1853 the Crimean War between Russia and Turkey broke out which was to last until February 1856. Britain and France joined on the Turkish side and needed extra shipping space for the transportation of war materials. The Norwegian merchant fleet, which had been brought up to the latest standards due to the Navigation Act, was ready to pick up the extra trade. Out of this event grew an ever more powerful merchant navy in Norway, which sailed to all corners of the globe. As a result, thousands of Norwegian sailors were absent from home for long periods of time and their families were worried about the lack of pastoral and social care. This resulted in religious missions being set up in numerous ports throughout Europe. Eventually, Norwegian Seamen's Missions sprung up in many far-flung places world wide. For example, 8 in Asia, 26 in the Americas, 5 in Africa, 47 in Europe. Of course, these numbers changed constantly depending on the economic development of ports which was subject to the vagaries of world trade.

The Port of Cardiff was one of the major coal exporting ports at the time, in fact the third largest in the world after London and Liverpool. By 1913, the year of the port's greatest success, 10.5 million tons of coal were exported, primarily in Norwegian vessels. Not surprisingly, therefore, Cardiff was also one of the first cities to have a Norwegian sailors' church. Under the auspiced of Carl Herman Lund from Oslo the Church was built in 1868 between the East and West Docks, on land donated by the Marquis of Bute;

it was consecrated in December of that year. During the following years the church was extended several times. In 1883 and 1894 the reading room was enlarged and in 1885 a gallery and bell-tower were added. It was the third time that major changes altered the appearance of the building. In early Cardiff trade directories the church was described as 'The Norwegian Iron Church' because it was clad in corrugated iron sheets. This was a pre-requisite for building it, stipulated by the harbour authorities who wanted a building that could easily be taken apart and moved if necessary. It became a very busy and world famous meeting place for Scandinavian sailors. A review from 1916 by Pastor Aarseth records that between 1867 and 1915 the number of visiting sailors to the church rose from 7,572 to 73,580 seamen per annum (see "Cardiff's Norwegian Heritage", The Welsh History Review, Vol.18, No.2, Dec.1996). The "little white church", as it was known amongst sailors worldwide, was like a magnet to the Scandinavian ship crews when their vessels edged into the West Dock at the end of their long journeys. It meant so much to them that serving sailors would periodically re-paint it or while they were waiting to change ship. It was the oldest surviving church in Britain to be founded by the Norwegian Seamen's Mission and was the centre of Scandinavian religion, culture and tradition. The Church was first and foremost a seamen's mission, but it was also a home-from-home for sailors, where they could read newspapers and magazines from home, write letters to their loved-ones, relax and chat with their friends. A cup of coffee and a plate of typically Norwegian waffles was always theirs for the asking.

...

Paintings of Norwegian Ships of the period
Three-mast barque 'Justø', built 1873 ...... Steamer 'Bravore', built 1916
captained by Peder Bertin Persen.....................................captained by Paul Birger Persen
(Courtesy of Peter Persen.)

As the export of coal from Cardiff docks declined Norwegian ships had to turn elsewhere for trade. Consequently, in 1959 the mission's work was discontinued, last seamen's priest being Per Konrad Hansen and in the 1960s, the Norwegian Seamen's Mission decided to withdraw its patronage from the church altogether. The local congregation and other Lutheran organisations funded its continued use by the resident expatriate community. It remained under local control until financial constraints caused total closure and de-consecration in 1974. Without maintenance, the building fell into disrepair and was vandalised, particularly the stained-glass windows. To avoid the total destruction of the church, i.e. to make way for the planned road to Atlantic Wharf, the Norwegian Church Preservation Trust was established to save the building and integrat it into the redeveloping docks. The Trust, in partnership with a Norwegian Support Committee based in Bergen, raised £250,000 in Wales and Norway and in 1987 the old church was dismantled and stored for reassembly. Some of the Church's original furniture and one stained-glass window could also be rescued and kept in a safe place. The pulpit, one side-window, the chandelier and the model-ship were eventually recovered and returned to the church.

. .

The building itself was re-erected on its present site, overlooking the bay, which was provided by Grosvenor Waterside of Associated British Ports (ABP). In April 1992, Cardiff's Norwegian Church was re-opened by Princess Martha Louise of Norway, and in 2006 the Norwegian Church Preservation Trust was transferred to Cardiff County Council, under the management of the Cardiff Harbour Authority. Today, the building is used as an art centre and coffee shop under its new name: The Norwegian Church Arts Centre.

Nowadays the Norwegian Seamen's Mission has become a worldwide organization, serving the religious needs of Norwegian sailors and Norwegian emigrants living abroad under its new name: The Norwegian Church Abroad. It still has its main office in Bergen, Norway and is a charitable organisation supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway and the Norwegian Government. Sjømannsmisjonen is also a member of ICMA and the Council of Nordic Seamen's Missions. Looking back, it is rather interesting to note that the Norwegian Seamen's Mission work in Wales began in 1866, when a Pastor Lars Oftedal came to Cardiff. His first service took place on board the "Korsfareren" of Grimstad. He held services in Swansea, Barry, Cardiff as the central location, Newport, Bristol and even Gloucester collectively known to the Seamen's Mission as 'the Bristol Channel Stations'. Oftedal's term of office ended in April 1868.

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The Roald Dahl Connection


Portrait of Ronal Dahl by John Kent; it hangs inside the church

Roald Dahl, the internationally famous author, was born on the 13th September 1916 of Norwegian parents in Villa Marie (now 32 Fairwater Road), Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales. His junior school days were spent in Cardiff and afterwards he attended a private school in Derbyshire. At the age of 13 he went to a public school. Instead of entering university when he turned 18, Dahl joined an expedition to Newfoundland. On his return he took a job with Shell, working in London (1933-37) and in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (1937-39). During World War II he served in the Royal Air Forces in Libya, Greece, and Syria. He was shot down in Libya, wounded in Syria, and then posted to Washington as an assistant air attaché to British Security (1942-43). By now he was a wing commander and worked until 1945 for British Security Co-ordination in North America. His experiences during these years were to serve him well for his following career as a writer.

He was best known for his children's books (e.g. "James & the Giant Peach" in 1961, "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" in 1964, "Witches" in 1973, and "Matilda" in 1988) and adult horror stories (some very controversial) but he also tried his hand at film script writing. His stories became particularly popular when adapted for television.

Dahl spent his early childhood and schooldays in Cardiff, where his family worshipped at the Norwegian Seamen's Church in Cardiff Docks; both he and his sisters were christened at the Church. Much of his childhood is told in his autobiographical novel "Boy".

His father Harald, from Oslo in Norway, co-founded the successful partnership of the ship-broking company of Aadnessen & Dahl in Cardiff where he had settled in the 1880s. The company kept offices in the ports of Newport, Swansea and Port Talbot. Both Harald and his wife were buried in the Old Church at Rhadyr Cheyne, as well as Roald's younger sister who died tragically at a very early age.

In the mid 1980's when the Norwegian Church Preservation Trust was set up to rescue the then derelict church, Roald Dahl became it's first president. Sadly, he died on 23rd November 1990, before the reconstruction was completed. The Norwegian Church Preservation Trust was established in 1987 to rescue the "Little White Church" and to raise funds to dismantle and re-erect this waterfront landmark at the heart of Cardiff's historical docklands.