Rollo Statue

The statue of Rollo the Viking (Rollon in French) stood just west of the Great Northern depot on Broadway. Rollo brought his men from Norway to the northwest of France and signed a treaty with King Charles in 911 granting him land near Rouen. His achievement as founder of Normandy seems considerable but in his own day he was simply a Northmannic leader who got some territorial concessions from the Frankish king.

Twin bronze statues of Rollo the Viking were copied from the original stone statue sculpted in 1863 by renowned sculptor, Arsene Letellier and erected in the City of Rouen (the capital of Normandy), France in 1865. One statue was sent as a gift to Rollo's Ålesund, Norway, birthplace and one was sent to Fargo.

During the weekend of July 12, 1912 there was a great dedication celebration as part of the Sangerfest. The statue was placed near the Great Northern railroad depot. The two real photograph postcards below show the dedication ceremony.

Speakers at the ceremony included: Fargo Mayor William Sweet; North Dakota Congressman L.B. Hanna; H.J. Hagen, President of Scandanavian American Bank; G. Maugras, Secretary of the Embassy of France in Washington, DC; and Profssor Julius E. Olson form the University of Wisconsin who was the afternoon's featured speaker.

The ceremony began about 3 PM at the conclusion of a parade down Broadway.

The statue of Rollo now stands in the little park across from Elim Lutheran Church at 321 9th Street North.