Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject Urban and Regional
Planning, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, course: Urban Studies
Senior Thesis, language: English, abstract: Garrison Keillor's comedic
portrayal of the typical Minnesotan as a Scandinavian with unique
accents and customs in everyday life compared to the ordinary American
is not entirely fiction. The dominance of Scandinavian influence in
Minnesota continues to remain a solid belief. Legacies of Norwegian and
Swedish immigrants still pervade the social, political, and physical
landscape of this state. This paper looks to understand how these first
ground breakers of the city created their communities and rooted
important institutions and buildings. In the urban environment of
Minneapolis and St. Paul, strong remnants of Scandinavian influences are
especially seen. We might draw lessons of knowing one of the first
ethnic stories in the history of this area. How did the lives of early
Scandinavian immigrants influence the residential urban villages,
architecture, and commercial districts of the city and what does this
information tell us about the struggles of new ethnic groups.