In 2017, the National Archives of Norway cooperated with Ancestry, MyHeritage and FamilySearch on a pilot project of transcribing Norwegian records. These partners have worked with the National Archives and have invested a great deal of time and resources making Norwegian resources more accessible at a faster pace. The first part of the collaboration included preparing searchable registers to the 1891 Norway census and a selection of church registers.
The ongoing cooperation expanded to the release of the 1900 and 1910 Norway census. These collections provide nearly two decades of relationships and family history for Norway’s entire population. With over 6.5 million records available, one can more easily find family and farm names, household relationships, years of birth, place of birth and marital status. Yet these records vary as both primary and secondary sources. For instance, census conducted on January 1, 1891, provided information on every living person in Norway at that time, as well as sailors on Norwegian ships at home ports or abroad. All records include a link to a digital image. Census conducted on December 3, 1900, use a form for each household, and provide similar information to that found in 1891, although entries for children under age 2 may include a full birth date. Over 83% of the 1900 census records have an accompanying digital image. Those records with available digital images are considered a primary source, and those without, a secondary source. The 1910 census was initiated on December 1, 1910 and was continued until completed. This collection contains an index of transcribed records and includes names, sex, residence, relationships, marital status, birthplaces and full birth dates rather than simply birth years.
In Norway, public access to census data is restricted for 100 years, thus the 1910 census is the most recent census available to the public. This was the first census conducted after the ending of Norway’s union with Sweden in 1905. In the ensuing years to follow many of the municipalities and city names associated with the previous Swedish or Danish rule were replaced, making a knowledge of Norwegian geography, increasingly important.
For Ancestry.com users, click here to access these Norwegian Census:
For MyHeritage.com users, click here to access these Norwegian Census:
1891, 1900, 1910 Census
For those without paid subscriptions to Ancestry.com or MyHeritage.com, you can still access these records through Norway’s Digitalarkivet (Digital Archives):
Collaboration with Ancestry, MyHeritage and FamilySearch is expanding. The current plan is to have all of the Norwegian church records from the period 1801 to the 1900’s searchable in the Digitalarkivet.no by the middle of 2020. Currently the work with Digitalarkivet volunteers has made it possible to complete the transcription of church books for the years 1801-1814. Now through the great efforts of Ancestry, MyHeritage and FamilySearch their work will compliment that done by DA volunteers. Current plans include the transcription of Norwegian baptismal records 1815-1929; marriage records 1815-1960, and death/burial records 1815-1927.
Watch the blog for more information on this outstanding project of cooperation.
Picture: RA, 1891 census for 1101 Egersund, 1891, p. 2
Quick link: https://www.digitalarkivet.no/ft20100208350341
