Ola Brandstorp
Encyclopedia
Ola Johan Brandstorp was a Norwegian
journalist, sports official, politician for the Labour Party
and military officer.
, and had middle school education and petty officer training. He joined the Labour Party in 1923. In the same year he was hired in the office of the newspaper Østfold Arbeiderblad
, where he started a journalistic career in 1924 as subeditor. He later worked for Arbeiderbladet
in the years leading up to World War II. In Østfold
Brandstorp chaired the Østfold District of Workers' Sports from 1927 to 1929, and was a national board member of Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund
. He represented Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund at the Fourth Congress of the Red Sport International
in 1928, together with Thorvald Olsen, Thor Jørgensen, Natvig Pedersen and Eigil Eriksen. Brandstorp was elected to the Red Sport International executive committee, replacing Thor Jørgensen.
He supported the membership of Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund in the Red Sport International at the time. However, in the spring of 1929, Brandstorp wrote an article in Den Røde Ungdom where he suggested that AIF should withdraw from the Red Sport International. He was now afraid that worker-sportsmen in Norway viewed the Red Sport International as a communist organization and thus refrained from participating in workers' sports. The article sparked a debate, and at a Red Sport International executive plenary meeting in Kharkov in May–June, in which Brandstorp participated, he was ordered to resign from the executive committee. Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund interpreted this move as an ultimatum. The November 1929 national convention of Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund voted in favour of retaining membership in the Red Sport International, but demanded that the International would not interfere in the links between Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund and the Labour Party and Norwegian Trade Union Confederation. According to the decision passed at the conference, Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund became subordinated to these two bodies. Brandstorp was elected new editor of the workers' sports magazine Arbeideridrett. Arbeideridrett' went defunct in 1930. From 1931 he was an office manager in Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund.
A communist workers' sports federation, Kampforbundet for Rød Sportsenhet
, was eventually formed in Norway. Brandstorp participated in merger negotiations between Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund and Kampforbundet for Rød Sportsenhet in 1933. Also in 1933, Arbeideridrett resurfaced as a monthly magazine with Brandstorp as editor. It finally ceased publication in January 1935.
. He was also involved with Hjemmefrontens Ledelse. He was arrested by Gestapo, but managed to flee to Sweden where he was a secretary in the Norwegian legation in Stockholm
from 1944 to 1945.
. He held the military rank of Colonel
when he in 1947 became the first leader of Forsvarets undervisnings- og velferdskorps, an organization for the general well-being of military servicemen off duty. In 1946 he had chaired a committee that looked into whether this was needed, and he was later a member of other committees. He left in 1962, and worked for the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum for a short time before dying in late 1963.
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...
journalist, sports official, 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....
and military officer.
Pre-war career
He was born in SkjebergSkjeberg
Skjeberg is a former municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The last administrative centre was Borgenhaugen.The parish of Skjeberg was established as a municipality January 1, 1838...
, and had middle school education and petty officer training. He joined the Labour Party in 1923. In the same year he was hired in the office of the newspaper Østfold Arbeiderblad
Østfold Arbeiderblad
Østfold Arbeiderblad was a newspaper published in Sarpsborg in Østfold county, Norway.It was started in 1921 as the regional newspaper for the Norwegian Labour Party. In the same year the Labour Party had lost its newspaper in the region, Smaalenenes Social-Demokrat in Fredrikstad, which had...
, where he started a journalistic career in 1924 as subeditor. He later worked for Arbeiderbladet
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...
in the years leading up to World War II. In Østfold
Østfold
is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden , while Buskerud and Vestfold is on the other side of the bay. The seat of the county administration is Sarpsborg, and Fredrikstad is the largest city.Many manufacturing facilities are situated here. Moss and...
Brandstorp chaired the Østfold District of Workers' Sports from 1927 to 1929, and was a national board member of Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund
Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund
Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund was a sporting organization in Norway between 1924 and 1946. As of 1935, AIF had around 50,000 members. AIF published the magazine Arbeideridrett.-Foundation and early growth:...
. He represented Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund at the Fourth Congress of the Red Sport International
Red Sport International
The International Association of Red Sports and Gymnastics Associations, commonly known as Red Sport International or Sportintern was a Comintern-supported organization, created on 23 July 1921, to promote communist-based sports and gymnastics.RSI was largely created upon the initiative of...
in 1928, together with Thorvald Olsen, Thor Jørgensen, Natvig Pedersen and Eigil Eriksen. Brandstorp was elected to the Red Sport International executive committee, replacing Thor Jørgensen.
He supported the membership of Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund in the Red Sport International at the time. However, in the spring of 1929, Brandstorp wrote an article in Den Røde Ungdom where he suggested that AIF should withdraw from the Red Sport International. He was now afraid that worker-sportsmen in Norway viewed the Red Sport International as a communist organization and thus refrained from participating in workers' sports. The article sparked a debate, and at a Red Sport International executive plenary meeting in Kharkov in May–June, in which Brandstorp participated, he was ordered to resign from the executive committee. Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund interpreted this move as an ultimatum. The November 1929 national convention of Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund voted in favour of retaining membership in the Red Sport International, but demanded that the International would not interfere in the links between Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund and the Labour Party and Norwegian Trade Union Confederation. According to the decision passed at the conference, Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund became subordinated to these two bodies. Brandstorp was elected new editor of the workers' sports magazine Arbeideridrett. Arbeideridrett' went defunct in 1930. From 1931 he was an office manager in Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund.
A communist workers' sports federation, Kampforbundet for Rød Sportsenhet
Kampforbundet for Rød Sportsenhet
Kampforbundet for Rød Sportsenhet was a sporting organization in Norway. It was colloquially known as Rød sport. It was founded by the Communist Party of Norway in 1931, in reaction to the decision of the Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund to leave the Red Sports International...
, was eventually formed in Norway. Brandstorp participated in merger negotiations between Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund and Kampforbundet for Rød Sportsenhet in 1933. Also in 1933, Arbeideridrett resurfaced as a monthly magazine with Brandstorp as editor. It finally ceased publication in January 1935.
World War II
During the war, and the German occupation of Norway, Brandstorp was a member of MilorgMilorg
Milorg was the main Norwegian resistance movement in World War II....
. He was also involved with Hjemmefrontens Ledelse. He was arrested by Gestapo, but managed to flee to Sweden where he was a secretary in the Norwegian legation in Stockholm
Norwegian legation in Stockholm
The Norwegian Legation in Stockholm played a significant role during the Second World War. Until 9 April 1940 the legation consisted of four persons, and at the end of the war about 1,100 persons were connected to the legation. Refugee cases were among the legation's most central tasks...
from 1944 to 1945.
Post-war career
After the war Brandstorp was hired in the Norwegian Ministry of DefenceNorwegian Ministry of Defence
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence is a Norwegian government ministry in charge of the formation and implementation of national security and defence policy, and for the overall management and control of the activities of subordinate agencies. The ministry is located at Glacisgata 1, Oslo,...
. He held the military rank of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
when he in 1947 became the first leader of Forsvarets undervisnings- og velferdskorps, an organization for the general well-being of military servicemen off duty. In 1946 he had chaired a committee that looked into whether this was needed, and he was later a member of other committees. He left in 1962, and worked for the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum for a short time before dying in late 1963.