Kaare Fostervoll
Encyclopedia
Kaare Fostervoll was a Norwegian
educator and politician for the Labour Party
. From 1949 to 1962 he was the director-general
of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).
as a son of school manager Kristen Fostervoll (1856–1920) and Anna Karoline Kvande (1863–1941). He took the examen artium
in 1910, graduated from Volda Teacher's College
in 1912, and worked as a teacher at various schools from 1912 to 1927. In 1927 he got the cand.philol. degree, and in the same year he became principal of Firda Upper Secondary School
, a position he held until 1938 when he got the same position in Ålesund
. At Firda he was Norway's youngest principal.
While studying he was chairman of Studentmållaget from 1919 to 1920 and the Norwegian Students' Society in 1923. He became chairman of the Students' Society because of a coalition with Mot Dag
. He later denounced Mot Dag' s revolutionary tendencies, but remained an anti-militarist, opposing NATO in the 1940s. Becoming involved in politics in the 1920s, he was a secretary of the Socialist Youth League of Norway
from 1923 to 1925, and vice chairman from 1925 to 1927. In the same year, this youth wing of the Social Democratic Labour Party
ceased to exist because the party was incorporated into the Norwegian Labour Party
. Fostervoll was later a board member of Noregs Mållag
from 1931 to 1932 before returning to politics as local chapter leader of the Labour Party in Gloppen from 1934 to 1938. In the same period he was secretary for the county chapter.
During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
, Fostervoll was fired as principal by Nazi authorities in 1941. His family retreated to a small farm which the family possessed, and lived here until 1945.
, but left in 1948. He had been elected to the Parliament of Norway for the Market towns of Møre og Romsdal county
in the 1945 election
, and while Gottfred Hoem
had taken his seat while he was a cabinet minister, Fostervoll now assumed his seat in Parliament and chaired the Standing Committee on Education and Church Affairs
for the rest of the term. During his time as a Minister, some important reforms went through, including the foundation of the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund
and the University of Bergen
.
He was not re-elected, as he had been hired as Director-General of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
in competition with Toralv Øksnevad
. He served in this job from 1948 to 1962, the major achievement being the introduction
of television in Norway
(experimental broadcasts from 1954 and full service from 1960). He was a co-founder of the European Broadcasting Union
, and represented Norway in the organization. He was also a board member of Foreningen Norden
from 1949 to 1962 and of the Nansen Foundation from 1930 to 1962. As a pensioner he released two books; Mot rikare mål. Den norske folkehøgskulen 1864–1964 in 1964 and Norges sosialdemokratiske Arbeiderparti 1921–1927 in 1969.
In December 1928 he had married telegrapher Herbjørg Rannei Torjuul (1902–1996). They had the daughter Kari Fostervoll (1930–2006) who married sculptor Fritz Røed
. Kaare Fostervoll died in July 1981 in Oslo.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
educator and politician for the Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
. From 1949 to 1962 he was the director-general
Director-General of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
ňThe Director-General is chief executive and editor-in-chief of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation . The position is appointed by the NRK board, which in turn is appointed by the government....
of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).
Early career
He was born in KristiansundKristiansund
Kristiansund is a city and municipality on the western coast of Norway, in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. It was officially awarded township status in 1742, and it is still the major town for the region. The administrative center of the municipality is the city of Kristiansund...
as a son of school manager Kristen Fostervoll (1856–1920) and Anna Karoline Kvande (1863–1941). He took the examen artium
Examen artium
Examen artium was the name of the academic certification conferred in Denmark and Norway, qualifying the student for admission to university studies. Examen artium was originally introduced as the entrance exam of the University of Copenhagen in 1630...
in 1910, graduated from Volda Teacher's College
Volda University College
Volda University College is a høgskole, a Norwegian state institution of higher education, in the village of Volda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It was established on 1 August 1994, when the Møre og Romsdal regional college and the Volda Teachers College were merged together...
in 1912, and worked as a teacher at various schools from 1912 to 1927. In 1927 he got the cand.philol. degree, and in the same year he became principal of Firda Upper Secondary School
Firda Upper Secondary School
Firda Upper Secondary School is a school located in the town of Sandane in the municipality of Gloppen in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The highway passes just north of the school....
, a position he held until 1938 when he got the same position in Ålesund
Ålesund
is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre, and the center of the Ålesund Region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture....
. At Firda he was Norway's youngest principal.
While studying he was chairman of Studentmållaget from 1919 to 1920 and the Norwegian Students' Society in 1923. He became chairman of the Students' Society because of a coalition with Mot Dag
Mot Dag
Mot Dag was a Norwegian periodical and a communist organization with the same name.It was established in 1921 under the initiative of Erling Falk, partly with origins in the debate forum in the Social Democratic student government in Oslo ; partly from a Falk-led study circle which from 1919...
. He later denounced Mot Dag
Socialist Youth League of Norway
Socialist Youth League of Norway , initially founded as the Social Democratic Youth League of Norway , was the youth wing of the Social Democratic Labour Party of Norway...
from 1923 to 1925, and vice chairman from 1925 to 1927. In the same year, this youth wing of the Social Democratic Labour Party
Social Democratic Labour Party of Norway
The Social Democratic Labour Party of Norway was a Norwegian political party in the 1920s. Following the Labour Party's entry into the Comintern in 1919, its right wing left the party to form the Social Democratic Labour Party in 1921...
ceased to exist because the party was incorporated into the Norwegian Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
. Fostervoll was later a board member of Noregs Mållag
Noregs Mållag
Noregs Mållag is the main organisation for Norwegian Nynorsk , one of the two official written standards of the Norwegian language. In the Norwegian language struggle, it advocates the use of Nynorsk...
from 1931 to 1932 before returning to politics as local chapter leader of the Labour Party in Gloppen from 1934 to 1938. In the same period he was secretary for the county chapter.
During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
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...
, Fostervoll was fired as principal by Nazi authorities in 1941. His family retreated to a small farm which the family possessed, and lived here until 1945.
Politics and broadcasting
After the Second World War, Fostervoll was drafted into Gerhardsen's First Cabinet as Minister of Education and Church Affairs. He remained so in Gerhardsen's Second CabinetGerhardsen's Second Cabinet
Gerhardsen's Second Cabinet governed Norway between 5 November 1945 and 19 November 1951. The Labour Party cabinet was led by Einar Gerhardsen....
, but left in 1948. He had been elected to the Parliament of Norway for the Market towns of Møre og Romsdal county
Market towns of Møre og Romsdal county
The Market towns of Møre og Romsdal county was an electoral district for parliamentary elections in Norway. It comprised the market towns of Kristiansund, Molde and Ålesund in Møre og Romsdal county....
in the 1945 election
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1945
These elections were held on 8 October 1945. The Labour Party won an absolute majority in the Storting which they would keep until 1961.-Results:...
, and while Gottfred Hoem
Gottfred Hoem
Gottfred Hoem was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.He was born in Fræna, but took commercial education in Kristiania at Wang School. He worked in Molde from 1915, and served as director of transport in Møre og Romsdal county from 1941 to 1946 and director-general in Norges rutebileieres...
had taken his seat while he was a cabinet minister, Fostervoll now assumed his seat in Parliament and chaired the Standing Committee on Education and Church Affairs
Standing Committee on Education, Research and Church Affairs
The Standing Committee on Education and Church Affairs is a standing committee of the Parliament of Norway. It is responsible for policies relating to education, research and church affairs. It corresponds to the Ministry of Education and Research and the church affairs section of the Ministry of...
for the rest of the term. During his time as a Minister, some important reforms went through, including the foundation of the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund
Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund
The Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund is a government agency that provides loans and grants to Norwegian and certain foreign students for their education...
and the University of Bergen
University of Bergen
The University of Bergen is located in Bergen, Norway. Although founded as late as 1946, academic activity had taken place at Bergen Museum as far back as 1825. The university today serves more than 14,500 students...
.
He was not re-elected, as he had been hired as Director-General of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
Director-General of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
ňThe Director-General is chief executive and editor-in-chief of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation . The position is appointed by the NRK board, which in turn is appointed by the government....
in competition with Toralv Øksnevad
Toralv Øksnevad
Toralv Øksnevad was a Norwegian politician, journalist, newspaper editor and radio personality. He was known as the "voice from London" during World War II, when listening to foreign radio in Norway was illegal, and from October 1942 implied risk of death penalty...
. He served in this job from 1948 to 1962, the major achievement being the introduction
Timeline of the introduction of television in countries
This is a list of when the first publicly announced television broadcasts occurred in the mentioned countries. Non-public field tests and closed circuit demonstrations are not included....
of television in Norway
Television in Norway
Television in Norway was introduced in 1954. Nowadays, 40% of the population have cable TV, and 30% have satellite TV. Another 30% have terrestrial television only.- Analogue terrestrial television :...
(experimental broadcasts from 1954 and full service from 1960). He was a co-founder of the European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
, and represented Norway in the organization. He was also a board member of Foreningen Norden
Foreningen Norden
Foreningen Norden , Föreningen Norden , Norræna félagið , Norrøna Felagið or Pohjola-Norden , The Nordic Association, is an organization in the Nordic countries which exists to promote civil cooperation between the Nordic countries...
from 1949 to 1962 and of the Nansen Foundation from 1930 to 1962. As a pensioner he released two books; Mot rikare mål. Den norske folkehøgskulen 1864–1964 in 1964 and Norges sosialdemokratiske Arbeiderparti 1921–1927 in 1969.
In December 1928 he had married telegrapher Herbjørg Rannei Torjuul (1902–1996). They had the daughter Kari Fostervoll (1930–2006) who married sculptor Fritz Røed
Fritz Røed
Fritz Røed was a Norwegian sculptor. He is most associated with his work, Sverd i fjell, the commemorative monument which symbolizes the unification of the nation of Norway. -Biography:...
. Kaare Fostervoll died in July 1981 in Oslo.