Hanska rolls out red carpet for Norwegian dignitary

Ellen Vollebaek gets a slice of home

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

HANSKA -- Ellen Vollebaek, wife of the Ambassador from Norway to the United States said she didn't know just what it would be like to visit a small American town with a strong Norwegian heritage.

It seemed she wasn't disappointed while touring Hanska -- Minnesota, a community of more than 400 in southern Brown County -- Friday afternoon.

"I didn't know what to expect," Vollebaek said while touring Hanska. "It's very fascinating. The people have fantastic hospitality. It's great to talk to them about their trips to Norway."

A native of Bergen, Norway's second-largest city with about 250,000 people, Vollebaek was greeted at the stabbur, a hand-crafted wooden building in the city park, by 22 Hanska Community School students who each gave her flowers and spoke Norwegian greetings.

Vollebaek was impressed with the stabbur, a traditional Norwegian farm building, and had an interesting suggestion.

"It's like things we have in Norway, plus it has a balcony, which must have been from the influence here," she said. "How about giving speeches from the balcony?"

After Vollebaek toured the stabbur, Hanska City Clerk Arni Smesmo told the story of how some Hanska residents were upset that some cedar trees were removed to make room for the building in the park. The issue of handled by building a deck around the stabbur with wood from the trees.

The wooden building, built several years ago, still smelled like fresh cut wood. Before long, it will be covered with a glaze that will make it glare in the sunshine.

Hanska was dressed in its patriotic finery with American and Norwegian flags adorning Main Street.

"It's quite an honor to have her (Vollebaek) visit here," Hanska Mayor Ron Frederickson said.

Vollebaek said she and her husband Knut have visited a good share of America, having driven from California to New York. They have visited Minnesota the most, this being her fourth visit here.

The couple studied at the University of California at Santa Barbara before he joined the foreign service.

Vollebaek and her entourage visited Hanska Furniture & Floorcovering before they ate dinner at The Troll Hus Cafe in downtown Hanska. Lefse prepared by Alicia Helling of Hanska was on the table as an appetizer. Butter, brown sugar and cinnamon was available to enjoy on the lefse.

A large wall mural of a Norwegian fjord was painted in a restaurant.

After eating, the group crossed the street and visited Alicia's (Helling's) Beauty Shop, Hanska Husfliden (clothing store) and Little Lefse Shop all rolled into one stop.

The restored charm of the Hanska Community Center was next. Vollebaek read the historical marker outside the 90-year-old structure that was built before Prohibition as an alcohol-free place for youth to go at a time when there were 13 bars in downtown Hanska.

Smesmo explained that high school basketball games were played in the community center before a high school gymnasium was built. Nowadays, the building is often used for wedding dances, lutefisk suppers and theater productions.

On Saturday, the Vollebaeks will be the guests of the Sons of Norway Heritage and Cultural Fair and Banquet at Minnesota State University. The free fair runs from 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

A banquet follows the fair at 6:30 p.m. in the MSU Ballroom. His Excellency Knut Vollebaek is the featured speaker. The Hanska Community will be represented as well, putting on the the "Syttende Mai" show they perform every year.