Who came throughout the ages, from Irish thralls to Somali refugees? How did the various types of state and resident population at any time react to newcomers? What have immigrants contributed to Norwegian society and culture? How have the long term processes of assimilation developed? Which groups have kept themselves as distinct ethnic minorities? This book offers a short and comprehensive history of immigration into the Norwegian area, from the Middle Ages to the present. It is intended for students, newcomers and those interested in Norwegian past and present-day society. With respect to several dimensions, Norway is treated as a particular case; thus the book also addresses scholars concerned with the study of migration in general.Content:1 Medieval immigration, ca. 900 to ca. 15002 Migration in early modern Norway, ca. 1500 to 18143 Newcomers in the era of the nation state, 1814 to 19404 Migration and migrants in a modernizing society5 Minorities and state policy, 1814 to 19406 T