page_title: Dania Hall (Minneapolis)
section_title: Destruction and aftermath
hierarchical_section_title: Dania Hall (Minneapolis) / Destruction and aftermath
caption_attribution_description: English: A memorial pillar erected in the vacant lot in Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis, that was the site of the Dania Hall cultural center before its destruction by fire in 2000.
context_page_description: Dania Hall was a cultural center and performing arts space in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis. Completed in 1886, the building was destroyed by an accidental fire in 2000 at the outset of an extensive renovation project.
context_section_description: In 1991 a fire severely damaged Dania Hall's roof and upper floors. The roof was replaced, and by decade's end a full-scale restoration of the building had begun. In the early morning hours of February 28, 2000 a fire broke out, engulfing the building and leaving a charred ruin. The arson squad ruled that the fire was unintentional, the result of a discarded cigarette. Nonetheless, questions about the blaze and the building's lack of insurance have engendered controversy.
  A memorial gathering, attended by several hundred people, took place March 2, 2000, at the Cedar Cultural Center. During the meeting, individuals reminisced about Dania Hall and shared their thoughts about the century-old landmark. The audience also listened to recordings of two Swedish songs: Hälsa dem därhemma (Greet those at home) and Barndomshemmet (My childhood home). The singer, Olga Lindgren-Nilsen, had recorded the sentimental ballads in 1975 at the age of seventy-nine. The first wife of Olle i Skratthult, she appeared many times on the Dania Hall stage.
  In October 2001 a commemorative pillar was erected at the former site of Dania Hall. The historic address, so important to the Scandinavian-American community and the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, has subsequently remained a vacant lot awaiting development. Dania Hall's architect still has a presence in the area. A two-story building, designed by Carl F. Struck in 1890, remains in use at 521 Cedar Avenue South.
caption: The former site of Dania Hall in 2017
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