About the Genealogy Society of Norway
The Genealogy Society of Norway (Slekt og Data) is Norway’s largest voluntary organization for those who are interested in family history. The society was founded in 1990, and now has over 10,000 members over the whole country.
Our objectives
We aim to provide meetings and services for all those who are interested in the history of families and individuals, making it possible to research, record and share this information. We aim to promote interest in genealogy and understanding for the value family history has for our cultural inheritance and our identity.
Our contribution to society
The Genealogy Society of Norway helps its members research, record and share family history and communicate this knowledge about our past, our traditions and our customs to new generations. We make a substantial contribution towards preserving Norway’s cultural heritage along with our fellow members of The Norwegian Federation of Cultural Heritage Organizations.
Organization
The Genealogy Society of Norway is a voluntary organization with over 10,000 members who participate in one of our 18 regional societies and over 50 local groups. The Genealogy Society of Norway is run by a board elected at the biannual general meeting.
Each member belongs to a regional society of his/her choice. The regional societies and the local groups organize meetings, lectures and courses on family history related topics, often in cooperation with other local organizations. Members of the boards of the regional societies are elected annually. All the work done by the regional societies and local groups is on a voluntary basis. We have over 300 board members contributing their knowledge and their experience.
The Genealogy Society of Norway has two fulltime and one part-time employees at the head office, which is based in the headquarters of The Norwegian Federation of Cultural Heritage Organizations, along with other cultural associations. The general board, which is led by an executive secretary, helps the regional committees in their work for their members, performs administrative and clerical duties, keeps membership records, updates the society’s homepage and publishes their journal “Slekt og Data”.
Membership fees
The Genealogy Society of Norway is financed by annual membership fees, 25% of which goes directly to the affiliated regional societies.
Our associates
We are members of The Norwegian Federation of Cultural Heritage Organizations, The Association of NGOs in Norway, and The Association for Culture and Tradition; we also collaborate with the Norwegian Society for the Kven People (Norske kveners forbund). And we work in close conjunction with the director-general of the National Archives of Norway, and the regional state archives.