The Danish Immigrant Museum
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The Danish Immigrant Museum An International Cultural Center Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Protector ® Your visit to THE DANISH IMMIGRANT MUSEUM is a Journey . A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT January 2008 did we do to deserve this”? As my four grandparents Dear Friends and immigrated separately to this emerging nation, I speculate what their Supporters of thoughts must have been. Certainly The Danish their feelings must have been mixed. Immigrant Museum, Probably immense sadness at leaving family knowing they may never n calendar year 2008, The Danish see them again. I suspect there was IImmigrant Museum celebrates its anxiety at how they would cope in the 25th anniversary. Over the past 25 new world probably not knowing the years, much has been accomplished. language. There must have been great anticipation as to what opportunities A tremendous thank you goes to the Marc L. Petersen, President many dedicated people, volunteers and they would fi nd. The questions and staff, who have made this possible. Pat speculation could go on and on, but challenges of the future, we must yourself on the back as without you we all know courage had to be a have a fi rm foundation upon which there would be no national museum strong part of the constitution of the to build. We need both your fi nancial in the heart of the continent. Our immigrant striking out to a new life in and volunteer support. Certainly Danish heritage would not have been an unfamiliar world. membership renewal and recruitment preserved to the extent it is today The immigrant experiences of the is a key way to assist. So too are the without you! past must be preserved! Yet as we volunteer efforts to support various It is appropriate to refl ect briefl y on look at the next 25 years, we need museum activities. Another vital area what has been accomplished. Much not only refl ect on the immigrant of needed support is fi nancial. Give persistence and perspiration was experience, but our focus needs to thought to including the museum expended on making the institution expand to include many other aspects in your estate plans. Finally annual the fi ne place it is today. I think our of our heritage. Our Danish heritage giving and multiple year pledges are forbearers would be proud of the work has made numerous signifi cant the backbone of the entire museum that has been done across the country contributions to a better world. Danish operation. I ask, as we move forward to bring this effort to fruition. Being Americans have made wonderful in the immediate future, we all try a native of the Danish Villages area contributions. Those stories also to strengthen the foundation of (Elk Horn and Kimballton) having need to be told. “Across Oceans, our national museum. Only with a lived there for the fi rst 18 years of my Across Times, Across Generations” strong secure underpinning, can this being, I can’t help but speculate what appropriately indicates some passion of passing on our culture to some of the “old” Danish pioneers of challenges of the past, but also points current and future generations be these villages would say if they were us in a direction to the future. Our accomplished. In whatever way you able to visit the area for a day. I would task to capture this new mission will can contribute, please do so! Your envision the harness maker, the Danish be complex and diffi cult. The task efforts will be making our quest to baker, feed and drug store owners, will continue to require the efforts of preserve our heritage easier for all grocer, veterinarian, hardware dealer so many dedicated people. Another who will follow us. Give thought to and physician all shaking their heads aspect needing further concentration the role you could possibly play in and marveling that there is a national is the method by which we bring these making our tomorrow stronger and museum commemorating those stories to people and places. Virtual more substantial. simple, hardworking, good folks who museum technology and traveling sought to become Americans. I’ll bet exhibits are some of the ways the Sincerely, many “old” humble Danes around the Danish story may be told in the future. Marc Petersen country would react similarly – “What Obviously, as we look to the 2 • The Danish Immigrant Museum A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR negotiating, purchasing, moving summer issue of our America Letter, from Denmark and reconstructing a “I believe the Danish American Danish Windmill, the location along community, whether museum Interstate 80 and the proximity to members or not, owe the Lauritzens a Danish American institutions like great debt of gratitude.” the headquarters of The Danish The other person I want to Brotherhood in America located acknowledge is Gunnar Horn, a in Omaha, and Dana College and long-time English teacher at Benson Grand View College were compelling High School in Omaha; though a reasons; the committee decided to man of modest means, his estate gift recommend Elk Horn as the place. was the seed for our Holger Danske Twenty-fi ve years ago, we had Endowment. Today, our endowment nothing but a dream. Over the years, is over 1.2 million dollars. That Dr. John Mark Nielsen, the dream has taken form, so that growth has happened because many, Executive Director today we are an institution with like Gunnar Horn, have realized wenty-fi ve years ago, on a almost 5 million dollars in assets. that it is our endowment that will Tcold night in February 1993, Many, many have been responsible help to assure our museum will a committee named by the Danish for our success. First of all, you, our have the resources to support future American Heritage Society to members, are primarily responsible. annual budgets. After collecting investigate sites for a museum Since our founding, over 15,000 and conserving our artifacts and celebrating the Danish experience in members and donors have supported sharing through our programming, the United States met in Elk Horn at our efforts to establish a museum and continuing to grow endowment is the invitation of the community. As have watched us as we have grown. our highest priority. I invite you to a junior member of the committee, I We are deeply grateful to each and consider providing for the museum remember the night well. every one of you. in your estate. Should you have Over 400 people assembled in While it is dangerous to identify questions concerning this or other the high school gymnasium along names as one runs the risk of ways in which you might support our with then Governor of Iowa Terry not identifying an individual or museum, please contact us. Branstad to make a case for why individuals one should, I must We continue to have ambitious Iowa and the communities of Elk recognize again the family of Consul dreams for The Danish Immigrant Horn and Kimballton should be Bruce R. Lauritzen and the Lauritzen Museum. No institution can thrive the site of a national museum. Corporation. Their generosity has without a vision for the future. This The obvious enthusiasm, the enabled us to retire a debt of 1.6 we have been sharing in exhibits, demonstrated community effort in million dollars. As I wrote in the 2007 on our website, and as we travel the country. Your membership support and your contributions are a daily affi rmation of our work. On The Danish Immigrant Museum behalf of the staff, we thank you and rededicate ourselves to carrying shares the legacy and continuing forward the mission to share “the legacy and continuing infl uence of infl uence of Danish culture Danish culture as realized in the experiences and contributions of as realized in the experiences Danish immigrants, their descendents and contributions of Danish and Danes living in America.” immigrants, their descendents and Sincerely, Danes living in America. Dr. John Mark Nielsen The Danish Immigrant Museum • 3 A HISTORY OF SUCCESS 1979 – The concept of establishing a 1990 – Construction of Phase I of 2003 – The 20th Anniversary of the museum devoted to the preservation the Museum began. The Elk Horn- Museum was celebrated with a year of the rich traditions and culture Kimballton Arts Council presented long series of special events that brought to America by Danish Bedstemor’s Hus to the Museum for included the grand opening of the immigrants and the stories of the its continuing preservation. new Family History and Genealogy Danish-American experience was Center in its location on Elk Horn’s born at Dana College. The vision 1991 – Members celebrated a Main Street during the annual was further defi ned by delegates of Rejsegilde (raising the traditional Tivoli Fest in May. In October, the Danish descent to a Scandinavian Danish construction wreath). celebration culminated with open Immigrant Conference meeting in houses and a gala dinner. Decorah, Iowa. 1993 – 450 persons attended a festive 2004 – Two Danish graduate students dinner held in the completed Phase I 1980 – In response to endorsement are the fi rst interns, as the Museum building to mark the 10th Anniversary of the concept by the Dana College initiates an internship program with of the founding of The Danish Board of Regents, Arnold Bodtker, Aalborg University, the Danmark- Immigrant Museum. president of the Danish American Amerika Fondet and The American- Heritage Society, appointed a Scandinavian Foundation. The 1994 – The permanent exhibit, Across committee to explore the idea of Museum partners with the National Oceans, Across Time, was completed creating a national museum. Museum of Denmark and the in time for the Grand Opening of the Nordic Heritage Museum of Seattle, 1981-82 – During these years the Museum in June.