From a Norwegian Reformatory School to the Editor’s Desk in New York

Growing Up with His Mother and Older Sister

In the early 1900s, it was not uncommon for fathers to be absent due to work at sea. This was also the case for Karsten Tostrup Rødder, born in Stavanger on May 7, 1901. His parents, Ivar and Jorine Rødder, had been married for just over two years and already had a daughter, Magnhild Ovidia. Karsten was named using the initials of his maternal grandparents, Karen and Torsten.

Jorine was responsible for the home and children, while Ivar was frequently away at sea – including at the time of Karsten’s birth.It wasn't until Karsten was over three months old that his father met him for the first time.

In the fall of 1903, when Karsten was two and a half years old, his younger brother, Ivar Johannes, was born. Tragically, he died of an infectious illness at just two weeks old. Jorine had to arrange the funeral on her own, as Ivar had signed on with the ship Skaatø in March 1903 and only briefly returned home about a month after the funeral. When the death notice for their son appeared in the newspaper, it was accompanied by news that one of Ivar’s crew members, Knut Ekblom, had died in an accident aboard the ship just days earlier.

Moving Between Rented Homes

The Rødder family were tenants at several addresses in the eastern part of Stavanger, which was a working-class district at the time. During Karsten’s first year, they resided at Nedre Dalgate 45. The following year, they moved to Pedersgaten 66, where they remained until Karsten was about four years old. They then relocated to Nærstrandsgate 9, though only briefly. By 1906, when Karsten was five, the family was listed as residents at Nedre Banegate 22. The annual rent for the second floor was 132 Norwegian kroner (NOK). While living there, Karsten became a big brother to Iverna Jorine, Anna Lorense, and Osmund Torstein.

Between 1906 and 1911, while the family lived at Nedre Banegate, Ivar – the family’s main provider – experienced periods of unemployment. After working as a ship’s engineer aboard the S/S Laksen until November 1907, he was out of work until mid-May 1908, when he found employment as a tinsmith at a local tin printing factory. From December that year, he was again unemployed for a time, but eventually secured short-term work on a shrimp boat before returning to the factory.

Buying a House

Despite a growing family and unstable income, Ivar managed to purchase a house at Pedersgaten 115 at the end of 1911. He paid 4,605.18 Norwegian kroner for the 42-year-old property – equivalent to roughly 355,000 Norwegian kroner in today’s currency, according to Norges Bank's historical price calculator. 

Ivar’s annual income in 1911 was 700 kroner. The following year, he earned 900 kroner as a factory worker. While renting, the family spent about one-fifth of their income on housing. After purchasing the house, they began renting out part of the property – just as the previous owners had done before them – which helped reduce their overall housing expenses.

Johannes School

Karsten began first grade at Johannes Public School in 1908, shortly before turning seven. In accordance with the law, pupils were to receive between 18 and 24 hours of instruction per week. His class consisted of approximately 30 boys, and the class teacher was 35-year-old Mathilde Wareberg. Like many female teachers of the time, she was unmarried and lived with her parents and younger brother at 5 Asyl Street (Asylgaten 5).

The children attending the school came from the eastern part of Stavanger, an area where numerous industrial enterprises had been established toward the end of the 19th century. Living conditions were cramped, and it was common for several families to share a single house. Most of the pupil's fathers worked in industry and held typical working-class jobs. These occupations involved manual labor that was often seasonal and, in some cases, hazardous. As a result, living conditions were unstable – both for the worker and for his family. Income could fluctuate significantly or disappear altogether. Several families, including Karsten’s, lived in rented housing.

The fathers of Karsten’s classmates held a variety of occupations, including day laborer, dock worker, factory worker, cannery worker, cooper, shoemaker, and carpenter. Two of his classmates, Alfred and Otto, had lost their fathers.

Karsten was a high-achieving pupil and one of the top performers in his class. In first grade, he earned an overall grade of 1.55, followed by 1.79 in the second year and 1.68 in third grade. The average grade reflected how well a pupil had met the school’s combined goals and requirements. It was calculated as the mean of individual subject grades –where 1 was the highest and 5 the lowest.

Karsten had an excellent attendance record. Over his first two years of school, he was absent only once.

Petri Public School

In April 1911, Karsten started fourth grade at Petri Public School. He shared the classroom with 31 other boys. Most were born in 1901, like Karsten, but ten of them were one or two years older and had likely been held back one or more years because they had not met the required learning objectives.

The class consisted exclusively of boys from working-class homes in the eastern part of town. Arne Evertsen lived at 15 Brattebergsgate, in one of the three apartments there. Altogether, the house accommodated fifteen people. Markus Bjørnsen resided at 12 Nedre Blaasenborg along with twenty others. This house also contained three separate living units. Three classmates – Henry, Otto, and Olav – lived on the same end of Pedersgaten as Karsten. Others lived at: 11 Blaasenborg, 7 Fjeldsmuget, 3 ABCgaten, 10 Baadegaten, 9 Mellemgaten, and 10 Kirkebakken.

Their fathers held typical blue-collar jobs of the time – factory hands, casual laborers, tinsmiths, coopers, marine engenieers, shoemakers, and ship stewards.

In the March 1912 examination, Karsten received an overall grade of 2.41. He performed best in geography and natural science, and weakest in basic mathematics. His attendance was good, but he did not stand out for good behavior or orderliness. In fact, he was given the lowest mark for behavior in the class, and the class teacher, Karl Tronstad, held a negative impression of him.

One Sunday in September 1911, about six months after Karsten had changed schools, he was caught in the act of burglary at August Iversen's canning factory near Badedammen. He was not alone; his friend Berge Ommundsen, one year older, also took part, and both boys were summoned for police questioning.

During the police interview, Karsten explained that they had first entered through an open window at one of Bjelland's factories, hoping to find money in the inspector’s office. When they found nothing and couldn’t open the drawer they believed contained cash, they tampered with a set of keys and took a tobacco pipe.They then broke into Iversen’s factory by smashing a window. Their plan was to steal sardines and make their escape without being seen, but Iversen discovered them hiding behind some crates.

Berge lived just a few houses away from Karsten. Although he was a year older, he was in a lower grade at Johannes School. His father had died two years earlier. In his own police interview, Berge confirmed the charges and admitted that he and Karsten had entered both factories intending to steal. He emphasized that he had never committed theft before or had any prior contact with the police. Karsten said the same.

Following the incident, Karsten’s teacher, Karl Tronstad, was contacted. He stated that Karsten had not “shown himself to be a good boy,” adding that he lacked diligence, behaved poorly, and was not trustworthy. In fact, Karsten had received the lowest mark for behavior in the class.

The police eventually dropped the case for three reasons: 1) it was their first recorded offense, 2) they were below the  age of criminal responsibility, and 3) neither the inspector at Bjelland nor the factory owner, Iversen, requested prosecution.

Instead of legal action, the matter was handled as a disciplinary issue within the school. Referring to § 42 of the Act on the Treatment of Neglected Children of June 6, 1896, the police contacted the school inspector to ensure the boys were punished at school. The law allowed children under the age of criminal responsibility who had committed offenses to be transferred to school authorities if deemed “neglected” – defined as lacking proper upbringing and supervision and likely to benefit from disciplinary measures such as reprimands, extra lessons, or corporal punishment. Berge was punished in October, and Karsten was given three strokes of the birch cane on November 10.

Four months later, Karsten received five additional strokes for disobedience at school. He was by no means the only one in the class; several classmates were also punished with four or five strokes for truancy, lying, and disobedience. One was sent to a reformatory school.

 Second Police Questioning, Easter 1912

During the Easter holiday in April 1912 – less than six months after his first encounter with the police – Karsten was once again questioned, this time also in connection with a theft. Police officer M. K. Birkeland wrote a report about the incident.

Karsten and four other boys – Thoralf, Arne, Bjarne and Ragnvald – had planned to break into the warehouse of the Stavanger Tin Packaging Factory, located along the ropewalk. According to the police report, they entered through a hatch in the wall. Their goal was to take small blue boxes with mirrors in the lids, but they were discovered before they managed to take anything.

All five boys were around the same age and lived in the same neighborhood. Thoralf and Karsten lived in Pedersgaten, at numbers 109 and 115, while Arne and Ragnvald lived at 25 and 35 Øvre Banegate.

Karsten was the only one in the group who had previously been in contact with the police. This new incident – combined with repeated truancy – had serious consequences for him. The Board of Guardians decided unanimously that he should be sent to the Lindøy reformatory school, located on an island outside Stavanger. This meant he could no longer live with his parents or spend time with his friends in the neighborhood.

Shortly after turning eleven, in May 1912, Karsten was sent to the Lindøy reformatory school outside Stavanger. There, he entered a new daily life – without his family or the friends he had grown up with.

The school admitted boys between the ages of 10 and 16, primarily from Stavanger and surrounding areas, but also from other parts of the country – especially Agder and Hordaland, which were neighboring counties at the time.

The placements were based on provisions in the Criminal Act and the Guardianship Act. The purpose of the stay was outlined in § 2 of the Plan for Lindøens Opdragelsesanstalt, confirmed by royal resolution on June 8, 1888:“[…] through instruction, suitable work and occupation, and, in general, an upbringing guided by Christian values, to educate such boys to become honorable and useful members of society.” Municipalities or private individuals could contact the institution directly.

The reason Karsten could no longer live at home was theft. In the pupil ledger, Director Henrik Storstein of the Lindøy reformatory school noted: “theft. – Poor company is stated to be the main reason for the admission.” This marked the beginning of a new chapter in Karsten’s life.

Schooling

During the school year from April 1912 to March 1913, the reformatory school held 253 days of instruction. Classes were scheduled either from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. In the winter months, all pupils received three hours of woodworking instruction per week.

The curriculum resembled that of the public schools in Stavanger, although the academic level was somewhat lower, as many of the boys had previously fallen behind in their education. Pupils were divided into two groups: a morning class and an afternoon class. Occasionally, these were further split into smaller groups to better accommodate the boys’ differing academic abilities.

Beyond regular instruction, reading played a central role in daily life. The school’s library held approximately 200 volumes, and many of the boys found great enjoyment in them. The stories reached beyond those who read them firsthand – boys shared what they had read with one another, sparking curiosity and a growing interest in reading among their peers.

Escape Attempts

During Karsten’s first nine months at the reformatory school, there were no escape attempts. But in early 1913, two occurred. One of them was covered in the newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad under the headline “A Novel from Lindøen.” Karsten took part in this attempt.

During Easter 1913, he tried to escape together with two older classmates: Andreas Gaard (age 16) and Gunder John Halvorsen (age 14).

According to the newspaper, five boys had planned the escape, but only three managed to get away. They lowered themselves from the second floor using bedspreads, took a small boat, and sailed toward Stavanger at dawn. There, they seized a sloop, set course for Åmøy, and attempted to acquire another boat. Suspicion arose among the local residents, who alerted the sheriff. The boys were apprehended.

Gunder and Andreas were transferred to Bastøy reformatory school, considered a stricter institution with hard physical labor and a rigid disciplinary regime. Karsten was allowed to remain at Lindøy, which was seen as a milder reformatory school, emphasizing schooling, vocational training, and Christian upbringing.

The Director’s Diary – A Glimpse into Daily Life at Lindøy

The diary kept by Director Henrik Storstein as part of his official duties offers insight into the daily operations and routines at the reformatory school. It also includes brief notes about the weather – likely because the boys often worked outdoors with farming and maintenance tasks. In addition, the diary describes lessons, work sessions, and leisure activities. In April 1913, Storstein was responsible for 32 boys. He noted that each of them was given a nail brush, and that they laid out seed potatoes for sprouting. The boys also helped haul the large boat ashore for repairs.

Several diary entries mention Karsten. One episode involved a football he refused to bring back inside, despite being told to do so by teacher Ringøren. Karsten was instructed to report to the director, but delayed doing so. When he finally showed up, he explained that he had been “afraid to report,” but regretted it and promised to apologize to Ringøren.

Three months later, Karsten struck a fellow pupil, Jon Kviteberg, in the face. The incident stemmed from Jon saying that Karsten hadn’t done what they had been asked to do. The director spoke with both boys, and during the following day’s midday break, they were made to “stand in the hallway.”

Just a week later, on a rainy September day, Karsten again behaved inappropriately – this time toward substitute teacher Lunde during the evening meal. That same day, school inspector Anthon Larsen and hans kone had visited, listened in on lessons, and spoken with the boys. The director noted that Karsten had “shown little willingness toward the substitute” for several weeks, and had a conversation with him about it.

Less than a month later, Karsten was once again called in to see the director – this time for stepping on fellow pupil Alf. Alf had likely behaved poorly as well, since both boys received the same disciplinary response: standing in the hallway during the midday break.

The Morning Class of 1913/14

Karsten attended the morning class with between 14 and 18 other boys. The number varied throughout the school year, as new boys arrived and others were discharged. In total, 25 boys attended the morning class at some point during the 1913/14 school year. Eleven of them were born in Stavanger, four in Haugesund, and four in the Kristiansand area. Their fathers held typical working-class jobs – four were stone workers, and four were day laborers, general laborers, or sailors/seamen.

Karsten’s classmates that year were: Abraham Jakobsen, Alf Rasmussen, Alfred Hegland, Henrik Charles Stangeland, Edvin Høiland, Gustav Selmer Olsen, Hjalmar Hansen, Henry Andersen, Jens Dahl, John Johannesen, Johan Monsen, Johannes Andersen, Karl August Stray, Bernhardt Sivertsen, Nils Nilsen, Olaf Leonard Baardsen, Otto Nilsen, Ole Strømmen, Robert Hofmo, Sigurd Skeiene, Sigurd Pedersen, Sigvald Bjelland, Sverre Larsen and Villiam Tønnesen.

All of the boys placed at the reformatory school had committed criminal offenses.
Theft was common, and several had also committed burglary in connection with these acts.Three of them had been truant. A small number – fewer than five – had been in contact with the police for other matters, such as substance use, vagrancy, receiving stolen property, embezzlement, and arson. According to the reported information, the underlying cause of their criminal behavior was that the boys had fallen into bad company.

After nearly two years at Lindøy Reformatory School, Karsten was allowed to leave. He was released on probation and permitted to return home to his family at Pedersgata 115.

While he had been away, the family had grown – and grieved. Two sisters, Torbjørg and Telma Orlanda, were born, and his younger brother Osmund Torstein died shortly before turning three. When Karsten came home, one sister was nearly eighteen months old, the other just two months. He was now the only boy among six siblings.

After Lindøy: Superintendent’s Letter to Johannes School

In connection with Karsten and Otto being released on probation, Superintendent Henrik Storstein contacted Headmaster Abraham Tønnesen at Johannes School in a letter. He stated that both boys had strong abilities and academic skills, and that – at least in recent months – they had behaved well. At the same time, he expressed concern about Karsten’s somewhat fiery temperament, but believed he would be able to control himself and show a willingness to behave properly. Storstein asked the school to show understanding if the boys might not be academically on the same level as their classmates, and he hoped they would do their best.

Johannes School, 7th Grade

In the fall of 1914, Karsten began 7th grade at Johannes School. The class list included 33 pupils, all boys. Four left during the school year because they had aged out of the school system, one died before the school year started, and three had previously lived elsewhere. Otto Hjalmar Nilsen, who was released from the reformatory at the same time as Karsten, was in the same class. The class teacher was Gunnar Sortland.Just over half of the pupils were born in 1901, like Karsten. Most of the others were born in 1900, and three in 1899. Four of Karsten’s classmates – Bjarne, Otto Hjalmar, Olav, and Jakob – also lived in Pedersgaten. Their fathers held typical working-class occupations for the time: cooper, mechanic, foundry worker, and printing press operator. Only one pupil had a father in a different line of work – he was the son of a police officer.

Both academically and socially, Karsten and Otto Hjalmar seemed to be doing well at first.They received high marks in all subjects, including order, conduct, and diligence. Both performed well above the class average  and showed strong academic performance.

However, as autumn progressed, their grades declined noticeably – not only in academic subjects, but also in evaluations of effort and behavior.

Burglary and Theft

On New Year’s Eve 1914, Karsten participated in a burglary at Baker Pedersen & Co, located at Nygaten 16. Together with a friend, he stole marzipan and a few copper coins. He initially attempted to flee to Egersund but was apprehended upon returning to Stavanger.

Karsten’s father asked the police not to release him. Police Superintendent Søren Ruus contacted the superintendent at the reformatory school on Lindøy by telephone, requesting that Karsten be sent back – otherwise, prison would be the alternative. After spending nine months “on probation,” Karsten was returned to Lindøy in early January 1915.

Superintendent Storstein informed the supervisory committee that Karsten and two other boys, including Otto Hjalmar, had returned to the institution. All three had been involved in theft.

Back at the Reformatory School

From January 1915, Karsten once again attended the morning class morning class at the reformatory school. The class consisted of eighteen pupils – some familiar to him, others new. About half came from Stavanger, the rest mainly from the Haugesund and Kristiansand areas.

Superintendent Henrik Storstein closely monitored Karsten’s adjustment after his time at home. Upon discharge, he had shown good behavior, but was now described as a boy with “a difficult temperament.” The first months were marked by low motivation and a poor attitude. In the school diary, Storstein noted that Karsten appeared sullen and unwilling, and believed he negatively influenced his classmates – especially Otto – by whispering and turning them against others.

In the pupils’ register, Storstein documented that Karsten frequently challenged both staff and fellow pupils. He could appear self-willed, conceited, and quick-tempered, especially when his own wishes were not met. Storstein also observed that Karsten often felt unfairly treated and consistently maintained his innocence. At the same time, he recognized positive traits in Karsten during quiet activities such as reading, drawing, and writing. In these moments, Karsten demonstrated patience, perseverance, and focus. While working on the school newspaper, he showed clear engagement and expressed strong ambitions.

Confirmation

On October 17, 1915, Karsten was confirmed in Stavanger together with seven other boys from the reformatory school: Sigurd Pedersen, Alf Tjølsen, and Alfred Abrahamsen from Stavanger, as well as Otto Hjalmar Nilsen, Sverre Larsen, Konrad Marcelius Langaker, and Hans Møller Larsen Herigstad from Kristiania (Oslo), Bergen, Skudenes, and Varhaug, respectively.

Priest Ebbe Moe had instructed the boys and led the confirmation service. In addition to the boys being confirmed, three or four other boys from the reformatory school were granted permission to attend the church ceremony. The following day, the confirmation celebration was held at the school.

Dialogue with the Family

Shortly after the confirmation, Superintendent Storstein contacted Karsten’s father, Ivar – as he routinely did in connection with planned releases. He informed him that his son might soon be allowed to return home and asked the family to help find suitable employment.

Mr. Ivar Rødder, Pedersgaten 115, Stavanger

As you know, Karsten has now been confirmed, and if suitable, steady work can be found for him, I’m considering releasing him on probation. As you’re surely aware, Karsten can be difficult at times, so it’s important to find work for him with people who know how to handle him with understanding and patience.

It’s hard to say what kind of work he’s really suited for—what his interests and strengths actually are. He probably doesn’t know himself. Sometimes he talks about going back to school, other times about going to sea and becoming an officer, and so on. If only he would learn to stick with what he starts!

The best solution might be for him to get a job at the same place where his father works. That way, his parents could keep a better eye on him. I hope to hear from you soon regarding work for Karsten. He sends his regards.

Respectfully,
Henrik Storstein
October 28, 1915

The father replied a few days later, and about two weeks  after this correspondence, Karsten was released. On the same day, Otto Hjalmar and Sigurd – who had been confirmed with him – were also allowed to return home.

Back with the Family – and Quickly Moving On

After two stays at the Lindøy reformatory school, totaling more than two and a half years, Karsten Rødder returned to his family in the latter half of November 1915. His time at home was brief. On December 27th of that same year, he signed on as a wiper aboard the Solveig Skogland in Stavanger, bound for Belfast.

His decision to go to sea was not unusual. His father, Ivar, had sailed for several years himself, and many boys aged fourteen or fifteen began their working lives as sailors – some with hopes of settling in a new country. Just three and a half months after departing Stavanger, Karsten was recorded as having deserted in Portland, Maine. This marked the beginning of a fifty-year life in the United States.

Post-Discharge Follow-Up

The pupil register from Lindøy includes a dedicated column for tracking individuals after discharge. According to the Guardianship Act of 1896 (§§ 33 and 36), it was the superintendent’s responsibility to report on this. Superintendent Storstein followed Karsten’s development for two and a half years, until his final discharge in August 1918.

It wasn’t until March 1916 – three months after Karsten’s departure  – that Storstein became aware he had gone to sea. In January 1917, Karsten reached out by letter requesting a certificate. He stated that he was in Portland, Maine, had been working, and had saved money for preparatory school. His plan was to enroll in Grammar School, and he needed the certificate to apply. Storstein provided a favorable reference, highlighting Karsten’s academic aptitude and strong performance.

Education and Working Life

We know parts of Karsten Roedder's life in America through interviews and articles he wrote himself. Upon arrival, he had very little money and few belongings, but he was determined to pursue an education and build a new life – something he had already expressed in his letter to Superintendent Storstein.

He completed high school in Portland, Maine, and continued his studies at the Rand School of Social Science in New York. At Columbia University, he chose subjects he believed would be useful in life. After two years, he transferred to the New School of Social Science. Karsten studied psychiatry, literature, and sociology, while also working as a freelance writer. Eventually, he secured a permanent position as a journalist, focusing particularly on literary and political topics.

In 1940, Karsten was contacted by Carl Søyland, the newly appointed editor of the Norwegian-language newspaper Nordisk Tidende, and was offered a position on the editorial staff. Nordisk Tidende was the largest and most influential Norwegian weekly newspaper outside of Norway, and during World War II, it functioned as a semi-official organ for the Norwegian government-in-exile.

After five years on the editorial team, Rødder became managing editor, and from January 1963, he took over as editor-in-chief.

Do Not Crush the Wretched at the Gate – Karsten Roedder’s Childhood in Literary Form

In the 1930s, Karsten Roedder wrote the novel Do Not Crush the Wretched at the Gate (1937), inspired by his own childhood experiences growing up in Stavanger. The title alludes to Exodus 22:21 in the American Standard Version (1901) of the Bible. This verse conveys a call to meet the vulnerable with understanding rather than condemnation.

The protagonist, Jakob Marl, bears a name that may evoke associations with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (1843), in which the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, and undergoes a moral awakening.

The novel is also said to be inspired by Sigurd Hoel’s The Road to the World's End (1933), particularly in its narrative perspective: the child’s view of the adult world. By employing this narrative technique, Roedder fictionalizes and universalizes his own life story.

The novel was written more than two decades after the author left the reformatory school at Lindøy and while he was living in the United States. Nevertheless, it is marked by a strong sense of personal experience. Traces of his time at Lindøy – where he was placed at age eleven following incidents of theft – are clearly present. Archival records from the school describe him as a boy who struggled with adjustment but found solace in reading and writing. Through Jakob Marl, we meet a character who observes, reflects, and attempts to understand a world that often appears harsh and unjust.

In the novel, Stavanger is renamed Visslebyen – a fictional place name that can be read as a commentary on the protagonist’s surroundings. The word vissle denotes a whistling, hissing, or whispering sound, and may also imply subdued or hushed speech. The name evokes a society shaped by social control, gossip, and an undercurrent of unrest.

At the same time, the narrative technique reveals a literarily conscious and well-read author. The choice of biblical title gives the text an ethical and universal human framework. The literary references serve not only as sources of inspiration but also as means of conveying personal experience.

Av en utvandreravis’ saga – Fellowship in a Foreign Land

Toward the end of his career, Karsten Roedder wrote the two-volume work titled Av en utvandreravis’ saga. Nordisk Tidende i New York gjennom 75 år (1966–1968). In it, Roedder described what he saw as a defining trait of Norwegian emigrants: their ability and willingness to build fellowship in unfamiliar surroundings. He highlighted three institutions that emigrants consistently prioritized establishing – church, school, and press:

Wherever Norwegian emigrants settled and formed communities of any size, there were three institutions they immediately set out to create. First, they built their own churches. Almost as urgent was the establishment of Norwegian schools – and then came the next step in their efforts to maintain unity abroad: the press. With unshakable optimism, Norwegian newspapers were created in remote outposts – a handwritten publication in Madagascar, a Norwegian paper in Durban that was published regularly until World War II – and, of course, most prominently in Norwegian centers across America. As early as 1847, the first entirely Norwegian newspaper in the United States was published: Nordlyset in Wisconsin [...].

Personality and Private Life

In a 1961 feature in Nordisk Tidende, written by colleague Daniel Liseth, Karsten Roedder is portrayed as an independent and unpretentious individual. He was not fond of social gatherings and tended to avoid festive occasions – not out of shyness, but because he disliked the anticlimax that often followed. He did not belong to any associations and preferred his own company, although he occasionally lamented life’s “vale of tears,” as many do.

Roedder admired people with imagination and initiative and held deep respect for those who made things happen and kept them going. What he disliked most was snobbery – especially cultural snobbery from Norwegians who came to America and looked down on the Norwegian-American community without understanding its unique circumstances.

This characterization paints a nuanced picture of Roedder—both as an editor and as a private individual. He comes across as principled and sensitive, with a keen eye for authenticity and a clear aversion to pretentiousness and affectation. The portrait reveals a person with strong values and firm convictions, marked by independence and a certain skepticism toward superficiality and conformity.

In the winter of 1929, Karsten married Dorothy Lois Hervey, a trained teacher. The marriage remained childless, and neither newspapers nor other available sources provide information about when or why it ended. Nearly 35 years later, in December 1962, he married pharmacist Karin Korperud.The ceremony took place in Brooklyn and was officiated by Supreme Court Justice Nathan R. Sorbel.

As Karsten approached retirement age, he became a father. The following year, upon retiring in the United States, the family moved back to Norway. The passenger ship Oslofjord departed New York on April 28, 1967, and arrived in Stavanger on May 7 – the same day Karsten turned 67.

This digital exhibition was created by Ine Fintland (Senior Archivist) and Synnøve Østebø (Archivist). It is primarily based on publicly accessible archival records documenting Karsten Rødder’s childhood and upbringing in Norway.

His story highlights a form of migration that is not captured in official statistics – a young boy who went to sea and ran away. When he returned to Norway after twelve years in America, he reflected on his experiences:
"America has been for me, as for so many others, a dance on rose thorns. It has been lush enough, but at times also painful. But that’s life – even in American circumstances."

After fifty years, Karsten returned to Norway for good.

Feel free to explore more about Karsten Rødder in the Norwegian online exhibition.

Utfordrende oppvekst. 

The article was originally written in Norwegian and translated into English using Copilot, based on the prompt: “Translate idiomatically for an American audience. The article will be published on the website of the National Archives of Norway. Use terminology appropriate for a U.S. readership, and ensure the language is clear and concise.” The final version was reviewed and edited by Ine Fintland and Janet B. Martin (Senior Advisor) for clarity and accuracy.