The Nansen Academy the Norwegian Humanistic Academy, is a folk high school

Folk high school

Folk high schools are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal...

 in Lillehammer

Lillehammer

is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...

, Norway

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...

.

It was named after Fritjof Nansen, and established in 1938 by Kristian Vilhelm Koren Schjelderup, Jr.

Kristian Vilhelm Koren Schjelderup, Jr.

Kristian Vilhelm Koren Schjelderup was a Norwegian Lutheran theologian, author, and bishop of the Diocese of Hamar in the Church of Norway from 1947 to 1964. He was noted as a controversial, liberal theologian.-Personal life:...

 and Anders Platou Wyller

Anders Platou Wyller

Anders Platou Wyller was a Norwegian philologist and humanist.-Personal life:Wyller was born in Stavanger, and was the brother of notable nurse Ingrid Wyller....

. Founded as a humanist

Humanism

Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....

 and anti-totalitarian institution, it was closed and dissolved 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...

, after only one year of existence (its first school year started in 1939). It resurfaced after the occupation, in 1946.

Nansen Academy started the Norwegian Festival of Literature and the first national dialogues between religions in Norway. It organizes the yearly Olympic academies in cooperatin with the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of sports

Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports

The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports is the umbrella organization for sport in Norway. It is the largest volunteering organization in Norway, with more than 2 million members, and 12000 sports clubs, in 19 region confederatons and 56 national federations...

. The Nansen Academy also organise a center working on dialogue in warzones and for peace education, the Norwegian Peace Center and Nansen Dialogue. The academy won the Fritt Ord Award

Fritt Ord Award

The organization Fritt Ord awards two prizes to support freedom of speech; the Fritt Ord Award and the Fritt Ord Honorary Award .-Fritt Ord Award:These are the laureates of the Fritt Ord Award:*1976 : Johan Vogt*1977 : Henrik Groth...

 in 1987 and an UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

award in 1998. The present director is Dag Hareide.