Translated copy of article in “Aftenposte” Sept. 4th 1974. (Norway’s largest paper), from Thea Anderson’s book
THE MANDT FAMILY HAS FILLED TELEMARK WITH ARTISTS.
Once early in the 1700 a foreigner by name Michal Mandt came to Norway. He married Else Resen from Fredrikstad, and they settled at Skafså in West Telemark. Since then they multiplied, and there are thousands of Mandt’s in Norway, and quite a few outside the country.
Quite a number of the family are getting together in Skien Sunday. The frame around the family reunion is the exhibit which this year has a whole Mandt department, where objects some of the Mandt-family have made, were shown.
There are sculptures by Anne Grimdalen and Dyre Vaa, Vetle Vislies books, silverworks by several Mandts, and an old altar from Skafså church, just to mention a few.
The Mandt family is spread all over Telemark ( a large county in the southern innland. It is known as the home of many of the most known artists in Norway) Many of the artists this part of the country has fostered, have Mandt blood in their veins. The family seems to have gotten a gift of artistry which has been inherited through generations of artists of all kinds art handcrafts, pictures, sculpture, literature, painting, music, recitation and many more skills. In our time, there are the Kleppe brothers, known all over the country for their beautiful, handmade knives. There are Anne Grimdalen, Dyre Vaa, Aslang Vaa, and the silversmith Eivind Tveieten to mention a few. (all top names in art)
Or from earlier times, pioneers like Tolleiv Olavson Huvestad and Peter Mandt and the author and school director – Vetle Vislie, And many more, more or less known artists and craftsmen, who have directed the traditions of art and crafts in Telemark.
Who Michal Mandt was, and where he came from is not quite certain. It is possible that he was German. Why he settled far away in a Telemark-mountain-valley, nobody knows. But he did make quite a career, he was sheriff and sexton in Vinje, Telemark, and also silversmith, as well as a military career in Kristiansand, where he also was goldsmith.
The Mandt descendants were regarded as people who could master any situation. Besides being outstanding artists and craftsmen, many of them had more knowledge than it was usual at that time. They could read and write and got high positions in the official life and offices and influenced the development of the country. This and much more will, no doubt be recounted when the Mandt family meet in Skien Sunday, to freshen up old contacts and make new. The whole thing is arranged by Claus Johre from Dalen. Halvor Nordbø will talk about the first Mandts in Telemark. There will be readings by Einar Straume, and folksongs by Vistad-quarttett. All Mandt family.