History and Recognition

• A Brief History

• Languages Added

• Constructing Year-round Villages

• Notable Visitors

• Patronage Granted

• Support from World Leaders

A Brief History of Concordia Language Villages

     In 1960, Gerhard Haukebo, Ph.D., a Concordia College faculty member, suggested the college initiate an experimental program using immersion techniques to teach language. The intent of the program was to teach young people about other languages and cultures, while giving Concordia students the opportunity to gain practical teaching experience.

     Concordia College sponsored the project in the summer of 1961. The college rented Luther Crest Bible Camp, north of Alexandria, Minn., for the first two-week German session. "Camp Waldsee," which was limited to 72 campers aged 9-12, was a resounding success.

Languages Added

      Interest in the program increased steadily and more "Villages" were organized. In addition to German (1961),  French (1962) was added the second year. Spanish and Norwegian (1963) followed. Russian (1966) was a bold addition during the height of the Cold War. The Villages concentrated on building and maintaining the infrastructure that had been started.

       The Nordic languages grew when Swedish (1975), Finnish (1978), and Danish (1982) were added. Soon a focus on Asian language learning developed into Villages for Chinese (1984), Japanese (1988) and Korean (1999). Then we took what we knew about children and foreign language learning and applied it to our own language and culture with the addition of English (1999). Italian (2003) and Arabic (2006) are the newest Villages. Portugese will be added in 2008.

Constructing year-round Villages

      After leasing facilities and converting them into Villages each summer, a grand idea to construct permanent, architecturally authentic Village sites was conceived. In 1964, the Board of Development Advisors was created. Communities located in the Minnesota lakes region were contacted in search of a large wooded site with relative privacy and lake frontage on a lake suitable for swimming and water sports. It was a tall order. 

     In the end, property on Turtle River Lake near Bemidji, Minn., was procured. The 800-acre site was purchased for $50,000 and included nearly four miles of shoreline on two beautiful lakes with rolling hills, birch forests and a university town (Bemidji) nearby. It was a dream come true!

       Construction of the first architecturally authentic year-round site on Turtle River Lake began in 1969 with Skogfjorden, the Norwegian Language Village. Waldsee, the German Language Village, began to take shape in 1978, and construction of Lac du Bois, the French Language Village, began in 1988. Salolampi, the Finnish Language Village, began construction in 1993. In 2004, construction of the fifth year-round site, El Lago del Bosque, the Spanish Language Village, was finished. In 2006, we inaugurated Lesnoe Ozero, the Russian Language Village to its permanent site on Turtle River Lake!

      Even with the construction of the Turtle River Lake sites, the need for adequate facilities each summer continues to grow. Camps, retreat facilities and resorts around Minnesota are leased for the summer and converted into Villages, just as the first Camp Waldsee was! One site also exists near Rincon, Georgia.

Notable Visitors

      Over the years, Concordia Language Villages has been visited by numerous dignitaries and supporters, including Spanish Consul General Rodrigo Aguirre de Cárcer, Germany's Ambassadors Peter Hermes (1983) and Gunther Van Well (1987), Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson (1991), Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton (1991 and 1992), Finnish Ambassador Jaakko Laajava (1998), German Ambassador Jürgen Chrobog (1998), Austrian Ambassador Peter Moser (2002), Ambassador of Norway to the United States Knut Vollebæk (2003), Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Wolfgang Ischinger (2003), Italian Consul General in Chicago Eugenio Sgró (2003), and Finnish Consul General in New York Jukka Leino (2003), Finnish Ambassador Jukka Valtasaari (2004), Ambassador of the Principality of Liechtenstein Claudia Fritsche (2004), Deputy Chief of Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany Klaus-Peter Gottwald (2005), Deputy Chief of Mission of Sweden Caroline Vicini (2005) and Counsellor of the Royal Norwegian Embassy Kirsten Hammelbo (2005).

Patronage Granted

      His Majesty King Harald V of Norway has granted royal patronage to Skogfjorden, the Norwegian Language Village. Patronage is an affirmation from the Royal Family of Norway of the quality educational programming of Concordia Language Villages.

      Mr. Johannes Rau, former President of the Federal Republic of Germany also granted personal patronage to Waldsee, the German Language Village. This patronage is symbolic of the strong bonds between the people of Germany and Concordia Language Villages.

Support from World Leaders

     Other world leaders have also endorsed Concordia Language Villages, notably former U.S. President Bill Clinton, whose daughter Chelsea attended Waldsee for six summers. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale have spoken on behalf of Concordia Language Villages, proclaiming it the finest language program in the world.