UW-Green Bay receives rare ‘Viking House’
Reconstruction is scheduled for, Oct. 23-27
Green Bay, Wis. — UW-Green Bay is to become the new permanent home for a one-of-a-kind Norwegian Viking house. The house will have its grand opening Saturday, Oct. 28 from 3 to 5 p.m., with an official ribbon cutting at 3:30 p.m. Games, demonstrations, crafts and more will be available for all ages. Festivities will be adjacent to the Wood Hall parking lot, 2380 Wood Hall Drive, UW-Green Bay.
This unique replica is being donated by Owen and Elspeth Christianson, who have been studying Scandinavia’s Viking Age for more than 40 years. Owen Christianson is currently coordinating the reassembly of the house with UW-Green Bay’s Digital and Public Humanities students. The students are also preparing a catalog of the house to make available to anyone wishing to build their own.
The Christiansons will give a presentation about the house and their reasons for donating, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Fort Howard Hall of the Weidner Center. The event is sponsored by the
UW-Green Bay History Club and the campus community and public is welcome to attend.
The house, hand-built by the Christiansons, will provide hands-on learning experiences for members of the Green Bay community and beyond. UW-Green Bay aims to teach and engage in the day-to-day experiences of 11th century Viking life through explorations of crafts, customs and cuisine.
“The possibilities are endless,” Sherman says. “Students often describe themselves as hands-on learners and that they love acquiring applied skills in their college classes. Through Owen and Elspeth’s donation, we will be able to offer pre-industrial heritage skills to all students and community members who sign up for classes on campus.”
For more information regarding the grand opening, upcoming events, or Viking House details please email shermanh@uwgb.edu or visit www.facebook.com/UWGBVikingHouse. or http://www.uwgb.edu/viking-house/.
About the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a comprehensive public institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs to 7,158 students. The University transforms lives and communities through exceptional and award-winning teaching and research, innovative learning opportunities and a problem-solving approach to education. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
1759 ### (Press Release written by UW-Green Bay student Joshua Fields)
