My Mom has this postcard from 1911 (we think) and we are currently in Norway but our Norwegian friends were not able to translate the postcard.
If anyone here has any clues as to what it says, would love if you could let me know!
We are finishing up our trip in Oslo today, so if there is anywhere we should go where someone might be an expert in the different dialects, we’d love that information too. Tusen takk!
by Notabouttheravioli
4 comments
To add: the person who wrote it was from the Heidal area in Gudbransdalen.
It starts with
Jeg har mottaget dit brev. Godt at høre at alle er friske. Det samme kan jeg…
I received your letter. Good to hear that all are healthy. The same can I…
I don’t have time to decipher the rest😅
The biggest challenge here for me is to interpret the handwriting. For what it’s worth, it is written in old Norwegian, which was heavily influenced by Danish. It’s different from our modern written language, although entirely understandable, provided that we’re able to read the words. This is my attempt, but i cannot guarantee i get it all right:
At the top, the letter it is dated 11th of February 1911. Then it goes:
«Jeg har mottaget dit brev. Godt at høre at de alle er friske. Det samme kan jeg bekrefte (?). Tiden gaar til dugnad (?). Gangen vi hadde nu paa og huger taal (?). For sammen nu er paa skal <no clue> öst for gamle Olsen. Pladsen du faar er all den vi kan Hige formingen (?). Ting og det er billig ved du <no clue>. En god mann til at <no clue>. Vi skal ikke <no clue>. Vær alle hilset. O.M. Lien»
Unfortunately I have had to guess and assume a bit, which leaves us with a letter that doesn’t really make a lot of sense. My translation is:
«I have received your letter. It’s good to hear that everyone is well/healthy. I can confirm the same (meaning everyone on the authors side is also healthy). Our time goes to dugnad (dugnad is a phenomenon deeply rooted in Norwegian culture and refers to a collective effort of voluntary/communal work, typically between neighbours, friends and family. The idea is that we help each other out when needed, and in return you get help when you need it). «Gangen vi hadde nu paa og huger taal» i have no idea if this is correct, but it could mean that they helped build someone’s hallway or perhaps a path/road.
«For sammen nu er paa skal <no clue> öst for gamle Olsen» seems to mean that they are going somewhere together east of «Old Olsen». That could refer to a person, a place or a farm perhaps.
«Pladsen du faar er all den vi kan Hige formingen (?)» The place you are getting is all that we can give (i think) and that it’s cheap. Then there’s something about a good man, i think they are referring to a marriage.
Of the final sentence, all i can understand is «vi skal ikke…» which translates to «we won’t…»
«Vær alle hilset» translates to give everyone our best/say hi to everyone from us.
Finally it is signed O. M. Lien I think.
This doesn’t help a lot, i know, i struggle with understanding the writing i’m afraid. If we’re able to interpret it then I could help you further
Edit: u/suckit2me provided some more clarity here that made far more sense. There was no dugnad, there was “en dag ad gangen” which means they were taking one day at the time, and that they were waiting for summer. For context, Heidal is up in the mountains where it was likely extremely tough winters, especially without modern technology.As pointed out by u/plingeling, the reference to Gamle Olsen is something about a school.
Have you tried dumping it on ChatGPT/Copilot?
This is what I got:
That postcard is a gem —over a century old and brimming with character. It’s dated Concordia, February 11, 1911, and written in Norwegian cursive. Here’s a rough breakdown of the message’s tone and meaning:
🇳🇴 Snapshot Translation & Interpretation
• The writer seems relieved and happy to have received a letter (“Jeg har mottaget dit Brev glad…” = “I received your letter happily”).
• They mention good health among loved ones and talk about how time passes (“tiden gaaer dog…”), with subtle philosophical overtones about pauses and progress.
• The phrases “Sommer Aasa” and “gamle Obion Pladsen” might refer to seasonal places or nostalgic locations.
• There’s a more serious tone near the end: references to “Krig foringer” (war consequences) and “stilling til den vi har nu” (the position we are in now).
• The closing lines send greetings and mention the sender’s name: O. M. Lien, and the recipient seems to be Herr O. Haugin from Overly, M. Dak, which likely refers to Overly, North Dakota in the U.S.
🧠 Historical Context
• This postcard predates both World Wars, but the writer may be alluding to past or brewing conflicts in Europe.
• Norwegian immigrants in the early 1900s often settled in the Upper Midwest of the U.S., including North Dakota—this seems to be a letter from someone in Norway to a friend or relative who had emigrated.
✨ Curious Finds
There’s something deeply poetic about tracing human connection across borders and time through a simple handwritten note. If you’d like, I could help reconstruct a more polished translation or even explore who O. M. Lien and O. Haugin might have been.
Want to dive deeper into the handwriting quirks or uncover more about Concordia?
Comments are closed.