Konrad Nordahl
Encyclopedia
Konrad Mathias Nordahl was a Norwegian
trade unionist and politician for the Labour Party
. He was the leader
of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
from 1939 to 1965, and an MP from 1958 to 1965.
, then in a part of the municipality of Askøy
. At the age of two, he lost his mother and was raised by his uncle and aunt as foster parents; he was then given the surname Nordahl instead of Johannessen. He joined the Norwegian Labour Party
in 1912, and a trade union in 1915. He had secretary jobs for the Labour Party and its youth wing, and became a central board member of the Young Communist League of Norway
in 1923. In the same year the organization seceded from the Labour Party, and became the young wing of a new Communist Party of Norway
. Nordahl was a Communist Party member until 1927, and in 1929 he rejoined the Labour Party.
, where he found work in a workshop. He joined the Norwegian Union of Iron and Metal Workers, and became national chairman in 1931. Already in 1934 he became vice chairman of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
. He was promoted to chairman in 1939 when Olav Hindahl
became a cabinet member. At the same time he joined the Norwegian Labour Party central board, where he remained until 1965. He was also a member of the executive committee of Oslo city council from 1937 to 1947.
On 9 April 1940 Norway was attacked
by
Nazi Germany
. Hindahl followed the cabinet as they fled the capital. Unlike the cabinet Nordahl did not flee the country in 1940. After protests against the new Nazi authorities Nordahl was arrested in November 1940, but later released. The Confederation of Trade Unions leadership in Norway was filled with other people, perceived as more cooperationist—Nazis were however not installed until November 1941. Nordahl fled to the United Kingdom in September 1941 and established a leadership-in-exile. He was also a board member of Norges Bank-in-exile from 1941 to 1945. He is regarded as the legal Confederation of Trade Unions leader even through the war years. From 1945 to 1965 he was the undisputed leader. He was also elected twice to the Parliament of Norway, in 1957
and 1961
. For both terms he was a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Constitutional Affairs
and the Enlarged Committee on Foreign Affairs and Constitutional Affairs
.
Nordahl chaired the board of Arbeidernes Opplysningsforbund for some time, and also Norsk Arbeiderpresse
from 1948 to 1965 and the Norwegian Industrial Bank
from 1936 to 1951 (deputy chair from 1952 to 1969). He was a board member of ILO
1948 to 1951, Kongsberg
and Raufoss Industries from 1947 to 1952, Norsk Jernverk
1947 to 1953 (supervisory board member 1959 to 1965), Norsk Hydro
from 1963 to 1969 and Foreningen Norden
.
According to Dagsavisen
commentator and former Labour Party politician Arne Strand
, Nordahl was one of the three most powerful politicians in the Norwegian labour movement, and thus also in Norwegian 20th-century politics, together with Einar Gerhardsen
and Martin Tranmæl
. The newspaper Morgenbladet
are among those who has expanded this group somewhat, to include Haakon Lie
and Trygve Bratteli
as well. Nordahl was pro-EEC
and pro-Israel
, and was an anti-Communist during the Cold War. He issued several books, including Israel, en demokratisk utpost i Midt-Østen ("Israel, a Democratic Outpost in the Middle East", 1965). In 1991 and 1992 his diaries were published in two volumes. He died in May 1975 in Oslo, his urn interred at Østre gravlund.
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...
trade unionist 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....
. He was the leader
Leaders of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions was founded in 1899, and has had the following leaders:- Leaders :*1899-1900: Hans G. Jensen*1900-1901: Dines Jensen*1901-1904: Adolf Pedersen*1904-1905: Joh. Johansen*1905-1906: Adolf Pedersen*1906-1925: Ole O...
of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions is a national trade union center, decidedly the largest and probably the most influential umbrella organization of labour unions in Norway. The 21 national unions affiliated to the LO have more than 850,000 members of a Norwegian population of 4.8 million...
from 1939 to 1965, and an MP from 1958 to 1965.
Early life
He was born in LaksevågLaksevåg
Laksevåg is a borough of the city of Bergen, Norway.-Location:Laksevåg was separated from Askøy as a municipality of its own July 1, 1918. It was merged with Bergen January 1, 1972....
, then in a part of the municipality of Askøy
Askøy
Askøy is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Since the opening of the Askøy Bridge leading to the mainland in Bergen in 1992, the population has increased rapidly. Its population growth is as of 2008 among the highest in Norway...
. At the age of two, he lost his mother and was raised by his uncle and aunt as foster parents; he was then given the surname Nordahl instead of Johannessen. 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....
in 1912, and a trade union in 1915. He had secretary jobs for the Labour Party and its youth wing, and became a central board member of the Young Communist League of Norway
Young Communist League of Norway
Young Communist League of Norway was until April 2006 the youth league of Norges Kommunistiske Parti . April 1st 2006 NKP declared that NKU was no longer its youth organization, and that all youths interested in joining the movement should contact the party directly...
in 1923. In the same year the organization seceded from the Labour Party, and became the young wing of a new 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...
. Nordahl was a Communist Party member until 1927, and in 1929 he rejoined the Labour Party.
Trade union and politics
In 1923 Nordahl had married Constance Hole (1897–1986) and moved to BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, where he found work in a workshop. He joined the Norwegian Union of Iron and Metal Workers, and became national chairman in 1931. Already in 1934 he became vice chairman of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions is a national trade union center, decidedly the largest and probably the most influential umbrella organization of labour unions in Norway. The 21 national unions affiliated to the LO have more than 850,000 members of a Norwegian population of 4.8 million...
. He was promoted to chairman in 1939 when Olav Hindahl
Olav Hindahl
Olav Hindahl was a Norwegian trade unionist and politician for the Labour Party.He started his career as a typographer, and became involved in the local labour union. He rose up the ladder and became leader of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions in 1934. He left in 1939 to become Minister...
became a cabinet member. At the same time he joined the Norwegian Labour Party central board, where he remained until 1965. He was also a member of the executive committee of Oslo city council from 1937 to 1947.
On 9 April 1940 Norway was attacked
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
by
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. Hindahl followed the cabinet as they fled the capital. Unlike the cabinet Nordahl did not flee the country in 1940. After protests against the new Nazi authorities Nordahl was arrested in November 1940, but later released. The Confederation of Trade Unions leadership in Norway was filled with other people, perceived as more cooperationist—Nazis were however not installed until November 1941. Nordahl fled to the United Kingdom in September 1941 and established a leadership-in-exile. He was also a board member of Norges Bank-in-exile from 1941 to 1945. He is regarded as the legal Confederation of Trade Unions leader even through the war years. From 1945 to 1965 he was the undisputed leader. He was also elected twice to the Parliament of Norway, in 1957
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1957
A general election to the Storting, the parliament of Norway, was held on 7 October 1957. The election was a victory for the Labour Party, and Gerhardsen's Third Cabinet could continue. The Labour party again achieved an absolute majority in parliament, together with the highest popular vote in the...
and 1961
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1961
A general election was held to elect 150 MPs to the Norwegian parliament, the Storting.The Labour Party lost its absolute majority of seats that the party had held since 1945, winning 74 seats...
. For both terms he was a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Constitutional Affairs
Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs
Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs is a defunct committee of the Norwegian Parliament responsible for matters related to foreign policy, development assistance, international agreements, Svalbard and the Norwegian polar regions.- Leaders :...
and the Enlarged Committee on Foreign Affairs and Constitutional Affairs
Enlarged Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence
The Enlarged Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence is a special committee of the Parliament of Norway. It holds non-disclosed discussions with the government regarding important issues of foreign affairs, trade policy and security issues. Other issues are discussed in the Standing Committee on...
.
Nordahl chaired the board of Arbeidernes Opplysningsforbund for some time, and also Norsk Arbeiderpresse
A-pressen
A-pressen is one of the three largest media companies in Norway and was established on May 27, 1948 with the name Norsk Arbeiderpresse . It got its present name in 1994...
from 1948 to 1965 and the Norwegian Industrial Bank
Norwegian Industrial Bank
The Norwegian Industrial Bank , also known as the Industry Bank, was a Norwegian bank.It had a nationwide mandate as an industrial development bank. It was created in 1936, amid the interwar economic crisis, to supply loans to industry and hotels. The Norwegian state owned about half of the shares....
from 1936 to 1951 (deputy chair from 1952 to 1969). He was a board member of ILO
Ilo
Ilo is a port city in southern Peru, with some 58,000 inhabitants. It is the largest city in the Moquegua Region and capital of the province of Ilo.-History:...
1948 to 1951, Kongsberg
Kongsberg Gruppen
Kongsberg Gruppen is Norway's major defence contractor and maritime automation supplier, located in Kongsberg, a former mining town....
and Raufoss Industries from 1947 to 1952, Norsk Jernverk
Norsk Jernverk
Norsk Jernverk is a former Norwegian industrial company which was founded in 1946 in Mo i Rana, fully owned by the State of Norway. The production started in 1955. In 1985 it acquired the steel company Christiania Spigerverk, which was later again sold out as a separate company...
1947 to 1953 (supervisory board member 1959 to 1965), Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro ASA is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. Hydro is the fourth largest integrated aluminium company worldwide. It has operations in some 40 countries around the world and is active on all continents. The Norwegian state holds a 43.8 percent...
from 1963 to 1969 and 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...
.
According to Dagsavisen
Dagsavisen
Dagsavisen is a daily newspaper published in Oslo, Norway. The former party organ of the Norwegian Labour Party, the ties loosened over time from 1975 to 1999, and it is now fully independent...
commentator and former Labour Party politician Arne Strand
Arne Strand
Arne Strand is a Norwegian journalist and politician for the Labour Party. He is the current political editor in the newspaper Dagsavisen.Strand graduated from the University of Oslo with the cand.mag. degree in 1968...
, Nordahl was one of the three most powerful politicians in the Norwegian labour movement, and thus also in Norwegian 20th-century politics, together with Einar Gerhardsen
Einar Gerhardsen
was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. He was Prime Minister for three periods, 1945–1951, 1955–1963 and 1963–1965. With 17 years in office, he is the longest serving Prime Minister in Norway since the introduction of parliamentarism...
and 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...
. The newspaper Morgenbladet
Morgenbladet
Morgenbladet is a Norwegian weekly newspaper. It was founded in 1819 by the book printer Niels Wulfsberg, and was the country's first daily newspaper. For a long time, it was also the country's biggest newspaper. It was closed down by the German Wehrmacht during World War II...
are among those who has expanded this group somewhat, to include Haakon Lie
Haakon Lie
Haakon Lie was a Norwegian politician who served as party secretary for the Norwegian Labour Party from 1945 to 1969. Coming from humble origins, he became involved in the labour movement at an early age, and quickly rose in the party system...
and Trygve Bratteli
Trygve Bratteli
was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party and Prime Minister of Norway in 1971–1972 and 1973–1976.-Early life and career:...
as well. Nordahl was pro-EEC
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
and pro-Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and was an anti-Communist during the Cold War. He issued several books, including Israel, en demokratisk utpost i Midt-Østen ("Israel, a Democratic Outpost in the Middle East", 1965). In 1991 and 1992 his diaries were published in two volumes. He died in May 1975 in Oslo, his urn interred at Østre gravlund.