The Midwest Institute of Scandinavian Culture (Nordenfolk) was founded on July 6, 1960, under the name Wisconsin Institute of Scandinavian Culture by A. Elmer Anderson, Mrs. Kempton German (also called Mrs. K. L. German), Orville Torgerson, Ralph Gilbert, Trygve Ager, Henry Christoffersen, Gerald O. Thorpe, and Lawrence Wahlstrom. Since the earliest days of the organization, the main goal was “to promote a better understanding and appreciation of Scandinavian Culture among all people regardless of race, religion, age, or ethnic background.” The founders wanted to fill a gap in opportunities for people to learn about the history and culture of Scandinavian countries. They emphasized the importance of both historical and contemporary Nordic culture on Midwestern culture. Throughout the years, they held annual programs to celebrate holidays like Syttende Mai and retreats to encourage student involvement. To help the institute afford the costs of the organization, they opened a retail Scandinavian Shop at 16 S. Barstow St in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, alongside donations from family members and supporters.

A year after their founding, the Midwest Institute of Scandinavian Culture began their tradition of celebrating Syttende Mai, a tradition they still hold today. Alongside Syttende Mai, they have celebrated Finnish Independence Day, Midsummer, and more. The institute encouraged community interest in contemporary Scandinavian culture by inviting performance groups to get involved in local events. The organization understood the importance of student involvement and held retreats every year to educate the younger generation about their heritage. For students that could not afford to attend, they sponsored them through the Wallenberg Fund.

Their involvement extended beyond holiday programming in 1971, when they purchased 50 acres of land in Eastern Dunn County, and a few years later, they received 8 additional acres. L. Wahlstrom had the ambitious plan of creating a Nordic Center that would provide students and hobbyists with a way to study Nordic life. However, the Nordic Center was never built because they did not raise enough money and Wahlstrom refused to go into debt. After Wahlstrom’s death, Dawn Bergstrom planned to turn the land into a memorial to the original founders through signs. On May 30, 2012, the institute’s board of directors approved a resolution to enter the land into the Wisconsin Managed Forest Program and by December 29, 2022, the land was sold for $118.5k and given the name “Elk Creek Bottoms Preserve.”

As of 2023, the Midwest Institute of Scandinavian Culture has a website that continues to update their members on their activities and community involvement. On their website, they claim to “support Scandinavian Culture with Workshops, Retreats and Presentations. Projects include a local Folk Fair, Wahlstrom Nordic Workshop for college students, and a yearly Syttende Mai celebration.” To learn more about the institute, look at their website: Nordenfolk