Knut Olai Thornæs
Encyclopedia
Knut Olai Thornæs was a Norwegian newspaper editor and politician. He was a member of the Labour Party
from 1900, and represented the party politically, but joined the Communist Party
upon the split in 1923. He was the editor-in-chief of several newspapers, most notably Ny Tid
.
. Having first worked a few years as a manual laborer, in 1893 he completed his typographer's education, and moved to Trondhjem
. He became involved in his local trade union, and in 1900 he joined the Norwegian Labour Party
.
He published the temperance periodical Reform in 1901, but was soon hired as a journalist in Folketidende. In 1902 he was hired in the local Labour Party organ, Ny Tid
. He worked here for many years, except for the period between 1906 and 1908, when he edited a Fredrikstad
newspaper, Smaalenenes Social-Demokrat
. Thornæs was elected to serve in Trondhjem city council in 1914, and was re-elected several times. In 1921 Thornæs took over as editor-in-chief of Ny Tid.
It was a turbulent time for the Labour Party, and in 1923 the party was nearing a split. In September 1923 Thornæs was excluded from the party for half a year for writing about Martin Tranmæl
that he had either "lost his mind", or was a "provocateur" and "class traitor
". The party then split over disagreements of its alignment to Comintern
, and the wing that supported Comintern and the Twenty-one Conditions
, broke away to form the Communist Party of Norway
. Thornæs belonged to this wing, and as the communists usurped Ny Tid as their party organ, Thornæs could continue as editor-in-chief until 1934. He also represented the Communist Party in the city council. He ran twice for Parliament, in 1930
and 1933
, but was not elected.
Thornæs also composed songs and poems, with overtones of class struggle
. His most known song is Fram kamerater ('Forward, Comrades'), which was published for the first time in Ny Tid in 1911. He was also interested in church music
and theater. He was a member and chairman of the board of Trondheim public library in the late 1930s.
His daughter Signe Kristine married twice, the last time to social democratic politician and newspaper editor Ole Øisang
.
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 1900, and represented the party politically, but joined the Communist Party
Communist Party of Norway
The Communist Party of Norway is a political party in Norway without parliamentary representation. It was formed in 1923, following a split in the Norwegian Labour Party. The party played an important role in the resistance to German occupation during the Second World War, and experienced a brief...
upon the split in 1923. He was the editor-in-chief of several newspapers, most notably Ny Tid
Ny Tid (Trondheim)
Ny Tid was a Norwegian newspaper established in 1899 by the typographers Joh. Halseth and Alf Scheflo at the same time as they established their own printing office in Trondheim. The publishers meant to create a worker's newspaper, not a socialist paper...
.
Career
He hailed from 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...
. Having first worked a few years as a manual laborer, in 1893 he completed his typographer's education, and moved to Trondhjem
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. He became involved in his local trade union, and in 1900 he joined 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....
.
He published the temperance periodical Reform in 1901, but was soon hired as a journalist in Folketidende. In 1902 he was hired in the local Labour Party organ, Ny Tid
Ny Tid (Trondheim)
Ny Tid was a Norwegian newspaper established in 1899 by the typographers Joh. Halseth and Alf Scheflo at the same time as they established their own printing office in Trondheim. The publishers meant to create a worker's newspaper, not a socialist paper...
. He worked here for many years, except for the period between 1906 and 1908, when he edited a Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad
is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad....
newspaper, Smaalenenes Social-Demokrat
Demokraten
Demokraten is a local newspaper in Fredrikstad, Norway. Second in its city behind Fredriksstad Blad, it is published three days a week. The chief editor is Tomm Pentz Pedersen ....
. Thornæs was elected to serve in Trondhjem city council in 1914, and was re-elected several times. In 1921 Thornæs took over as editor-in-chief of Ny Tid.
It was a turbulent time for the Labour Party, and in 1923 the party was nearing a split. In September 1923 Thornæs was excluded from the party for half a year for writing about Martin Tranmæl
Martin Tranmæl
Martin Olsen Tranmæl was a radical Norwegian socialist leader.-Biography:Martin Tranmæl grew up in a middle-sized farm in Melhus, in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. He started working as a painter and construction worker. In the early 20th century, Tranmæl lived for a while in the USA where he came...
that he had either "lost his mind", or was a "provocateur" and "class traitor
Class traitor
Class traitor is a term used by many Socialist organizations to refer to a member of the proletariat class who works directly or indirectly against their class interest, or what is against their economic benefit as opposed to that of the bourgeoisie...
". The party then split over disagreements of its alignment to Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
, and the wing that supported Comintern and the Twenty-one Conditions
Twenty-one Conditions
The Twenty-one Conditions, officially the Conditions of Admission to the Communist International, refer to the conditions given by Vladimir Lenin to the adhesion of the socialists to the Third International created in 1919 after the 1917 October Revolution. The conditions were formally adopted by...
, broke away to form the Communist Party of Norway
Communist Party of Norway
The Communist Party of Norway is a political party in Norway without parliamentary representation. It was formed in 1923, following a split in the Norwegian Labour Party. The party played an important role in the resistance to German occupation during the Second World War, and experienced a brief...
. Thornæs belonged to this wing, and as the communists usurped Ny Tid as their party organ, Thornæs could continue as editor-in-chief until 1934. He also represented the Communist Party in the city council. He ran twice for Parliament, in 1930
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1930
-Results:*...
and 1933
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1933
-Results:- References :...
, but was not elected.
Thornæs also composed songs and poems, with overtones of class struggle
Class struggle
Class struggle is the active expression of a class conflict looked at from any kind of socialist perspective. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote "The [written] history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle"....
. His most known song is Fram kamerater ('Forward, Comrades'), which was published for the first time in Ny Tid in 1911. He was also interested in church music
Church music
Church music may be defined as music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclestiacal liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn. This article covers music in the Judaeo-Christian tradition. For sacred music outside this...
and theater. He was a member and chairman of the board of Trondheim public library in the late 1930s.
Legacy
In 1955, a sculpture commemorating Thornæs was erected at Møllenborg in Trondheim. The park in which the sculpture stands was named Thornæsparken. Also, a road in Trondheim has been named after him.His daughter Signe Kristine married twice, the last time to social democratic politician and newspaper editor Ole Øisang
Ole Øisang
Ole Thorsen Øisang was a Norwegian newspaper editor and politician for the Labour Party.-Early life and career:...
.