Axel Kielland was a Norwegian journalist and playwright, born in Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...

. He was married to actress Sonja Mjøen

Sonja Mjøen

Sonja Mjøen was a Norwegian actress. She was born in Christiania, a sister of Fridtjof Mjøen and Jon Lennart Mjøen, and was married to journalist Axel Kielland. She made her stage debut at Trondhjems nationale Scene in 1924, in Hjalmar Christensen's play Din egen herre. Her film debut was in 1927...

 from 1932 to 1946. He worked for the newspaper Dagbladet

Dagbladet

Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....

from 1927. Among his plays was Hvis et folk vil leve from 1943, on the German occupation of Norway

Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany

The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...

. The play was prohibited by the Swedish government after German protests. His play Herren og hans tjenere from 1955 had success at several Scandinavian stages, and was basis for a 1959 film

The Master and His Servants

The Master and His Servants is a 1959 Norwegian drama film directed by Arne Skouen. The film is based on a 1955 play by Axel Kielland, who also plays a minor character in the film. The play and the film is based on a true story from Sweden...

 by Arne Skouen.