Skandinaven

Skandinaven was an America newspaper published in the Norwegian language. The newspaper was in operation from May 1866 until October 1941. It was published by the John Anderson Publishing Company of Chicago, Illinois. Publisher John Anderson was born in Voss, Norway, and was brought by his parents to Chicago in 1845. Anderson worked initially for the Chicago Tribune. Anderson decided in 1866 to leave the Chicago Tribune to start his own Norwegian-language newspaper. Anderson purchased the subscription lists of “Norske-Amerikanerne”, a failing Norwegian language newspaper. In time, the Skandinaven became one of the most successful and most influential Norwegian language publications in the United State.

After 1900, the company began to suffer attrition. The gradual assimilation of Norwegian immigrants into the American population resulted in a dwindling reader base. Anundsen Publishing Company of Decorah, Iowa bought Skandinaven’s subscriptions, with the intent of merging the subscription base with that of its own Norwegian language newspaper, the Decorah Posten. The last issue of Skandinaven was published on October 31, 1941.

External Links

http://www.naha.stolaf.edu/pubs/nas/volume28/vol28_02.htm http://www.anundsenpubl.com/ http://www.naha.stolaf.edu/pubs/nas/volume31/vol31_08.htm

Sources

• Øverland, Orm. “Skandinaven and the Beginning of Professional Publishing”. (Norwegian-American studies, Volume 31, p. 187.NAHA online)
• Hansen , Jean Skogerboe. “Skandinaven and the John Anderson Publishing Company”. (Norwegian-American studies, Volume 28, p. 35. NAHA online)