The Norwegians Who Lived on a Garbage Dump in New York City

The Norwegians Who Lived on a Garbage Dump in New York City‍

Many Norwegian sailors crossed the Atlantic in search of happiness and prosperity. But not all of them found the promised land. As homeless men, living among barrels, pipes, and abandoned car wrecks, they built their own community—called “Ørkenen Sur” (the Sour Desert). It quickly grew into an entire colony, a small society with its own mayor, barber, craftsmen, pastor, and community hall.

Watch the music video featuring photos and film footage from the garbage dump Ørkenen Sur in New York City from the 1920s and 1930s, created by the Norwegians who lived there.
Christmas Eve in Ørkenen Sur – with “Onkel Tuka”:

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More about Ørkenen Sur

- Watch a film about Ørkenen Sur and Karl Holm (with English subtitles), who devoted his life to helping those who lived in Ørkenen Sur in New York City. ^{(For his work, Karl Holm was appointed Knight, First Class, of the Royal Order of St. Olav in 1947.)}
- Music video featuring photos and film footage of the boxer Magnus “Wolf” Larsen, who drank himself to death at the age of 30, but who is still remembered in the Brooklyn boxing community to this day …
- Read the article “The Tragic Fate of Norwegian Sailors in New York” (Norske sjømenns triste skjebne i New York, use Google translate)
- Read the article about the book “Ørkenen Sur – The Norwegian Homeless Colony in Brooklyn” (Ørkenen Sur den norske uteliggerkolonien i Brooklyn, use Google translate)
- Watch a lecture about Ørkenen Sur and some of the people who lived there, given by the author of the book and folklorist Thor Gotaas. At Telemark Museum

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