Vest-Agder fylke, which was called "Lister og Mandal." until 01 January 1919, is Norway's southern - most county, with the Lindesnes lighthouse on the Lindesnes peninsula being the southern-most point in Norway.  From the coast there are six valleys that stretch north into the county: Audnedalen, Lyngdalen, Kvinesdalen, Mandalen, Sirdalen, and Otradalen (which continues into Aust-Agder where it is called Setesdalen).      Vest-Agder has Norway's warmest and sunniest climate.  It is protected from the strong Atlantic winds, and the Gulf stream and the warm winds from the Skagerak sea make the county one of the most popular summer vacation areas in Norway.      In the 1500's Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods.  Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for ship building.  As the Netherlands developed in the 1700's it began to suffer from a severe labor shortage, and many families from Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder emigrated to the Netherlands.       In the 1800's emigration to the USA started.  One of the most important causes of this emigration was the emergence of steamships.  While Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder had historically had very strong positions in the manufacture and repair of sailing ships, the change to steam resulted in very hard times for this industry.  Emigration to the USA was a means of escaping from the high unemloyment that followed.

1. Genealogy organizations

Vest-Agder bygdelag is an association of Norwegian-Americans whose ancestors came from Norway.  See also the Agder lag, which covers Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder.

Vest-Agder local history associations (list of mailing addresses only)
 
 

2. Vest-Agder resources

Census records

• Vest-Agder census records & more (listed by municipality) from the Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen. You can also search nationwide by going to the Digitalarkivet home page or by using the links below.
• 1664-1666 Census for Lister deanery I from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen.
• 1664-1666 Census for Lister deanery II from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen.
• 1801 census - Vest-Agder from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen.
• 1865 census - Vest-Agder from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen. Also available at The Norwegian Historical Data Centre (RHD) at the University of Tromsø
• 1875 census (incomplete) from The Norwegian Historical Data Centre (RHD) at the University of Tromsø.
• 1900 census - Vest-Agder from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen. Also available at The Norwegian Historical Data Centre (RHD) at the University of Tromsø
• Other Vest-Agder census records (none currently online) from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen.

Other records

• Tax lists from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen.
• Military rolls from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen.
• Church registers from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen.
• Emigration records from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen.
• Probate registers from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen.
• Fire assessment registers from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen.
• Citizenship (Borgerskap) records from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen.
• Other records from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen.
• The Digital Inn from Digitalarkivet at the University of Bergen.
• 1886 Matrikkelen from The Norwegian Historical Data Centre (RHD) at the University of Tromsø
• 1950 Matrikkelen from Dokumentasjonsprosjektet

 
 
• See also Vest-Agder kilder from the web site Slektshistoriske kilder 1500-1900 from the Norwegian genealogy organization DIS-Norge. This web site has extensive links to various genealogy databases for each fylke in Norway. (In Norwegian with some English).

Bygdebooks

• Vest-Agder bygdebooks is a list I have made of the bygdebooks that cover various areas in Vest-Agder.

LDS Family History Library online catalog

• The LDS Family History Library online catalog has many resources listed from Vest-Agder. The link is to the "Place search" page of their web site, where you can search for information about specific places, clerical districts and parishes.

To make your search a little easier, I have created a list of clerical districts and parishes in Vest-Agder.

3. Vest-Agder kommuner (municipalities)

4. Vest-Agder maps

Large map of Vest-Agder from the NORWAY LIST Web Site. (The kommune names are underlined).
 
 
 

5. Vest-Agder genealogy query pages

Slektsbiblioteket Queries is a new and very promising Norway query page.

Slektsforskerbasen from DIS-Norge (in English)

[email protected] mailing list archives is another often overlooked resource. You can search the archive to find out if others are researching the same families or places in Norway, and then contact them.
 
 
 

6. Vest-Agder museums

Setesdalsbanen railway line was built in 1896 to link the Setesdal valley to the coastal town of Kristiansand.  Today the railway line is a museum.

Vigeland museum (the Gustav Vigeland Gallery) in the community of Lindesnes is a great place to visit in order to become more familiar with the background of the man who created Norway's greatest tourist attraction, the Vigeland Park in Oslo.  In addition to information about Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943),  the gallery also has information about his brother,  Emanuel Vigeland (1875-1947), who was also a well-known artist, known for his Church art, glass painting and for his mausoleum, decorated with fresco paintings at Slemedal in Oslo.

Kvinesdal attractions is a web page from the Kvinesdal Tourist Information office, and includes information about:

Lindesnes Fyr (the Lighthouse of Lindesnes).   In 1655 the first lighthouse of Norway was built here, on the southernmost point of mainland Norway. The lighthouse of today was built in 1915. An old fort, a restaurant and a gallery are to be found close to the lighthouse.
 
 
 

7. Miscellaneous Vest-Agder web sites

Ancestors and Descendants of Nils Kitelsson Borteli Bjørndal, by W. D. Bjorndahl, has information about Nils Kitelsson Borteli Bjørndal who was born in Borteli, Åseral, Vest-Agder, lived on the Bjørndal farm in Hornnes, Aust-Agder, and then moved to Edinberg, North Dakota in 1882.

From Norway to America...Our Family - by Sharon Turner, has information about her Vest-Agder ancestors, as well as information and photographs from Vest-Agder.

Ancestors and Relatives of Ken Larson - his web page says it all: "32 Generations of Norwegians...uff da!"

Seeking My Norwegian Roots by David L. Johnson has information about his ancestors from Borhaug, a small community in Vest-Agder.

History of Anneke Jans and some of her descendants by Virginia Garrison Magee, has information about her ancestor, Anneke Jans, who was born about 1605 in Flekkeroy, Vest Agder.  She immigrated on 21 March 1630 to New Amsterdam, in a party of colonists sailing for America aboard the ship Eendracht.

Genealogical site for Kjell Skagestad has information about farm names in Vest-Agder from the communities of Holum, Halse, Søgne, Laudal, Grindheim, Vigmostad, and Sør-Audnedal.  In addition you can find a map and names from Mandal community, and much more on this web site.

Flekkefjord - the mythical center of the universe has lots of information about Flekkefjord.

Welcome to Farsund has photographs and information about Farsund and Lista.