Olav Martinus Knutsen Steinnes
Encyclopedia
Olav Martinus Knutsen Steinnes (9 January 1886–1961) was Norwegian
educator and politician for the Labour Party
and Nasjonal Samling.
He was born at Steinnes in Ørsta
as a son of farmers Knut Olai Olavsen Steinnes (1856–1935) and Berte Sporstøyl (1860–1924). After some years as a laborer he attended Møre Folk High School and then Volda Teachers' College
from 1907 to 1910. He worked as a teacher in Vikna
from 1910 to 1912, then in Rjukan
. In 1920 he was promoted to school headmaster, still in Rjukan. He remained here until 1935, when he was appointed as school director in the Dioceses of Agder and Stavanger
.
He was a member of the executive committee of Tinn
municipal council from 1916 to 1925. He was elected to the Parliament of Norway in 1921
, representing the constituency of Telemark
. He was re-elected in 1924
, 1927
, 1930
and 1933
, with his last term ending in 1936. In January 1928 he was appointed as Minister of Education and Church Affairs in Hornsrud's Cabinet. Hornsrud's Cabinet only lasted until February. While Steinnes was a Minister, his parliamentary seat was filled by Eileif Kolsrud
.
During the German occupation of Norway he joined the Fascist party Nasjonal Samling. He claimed to have joined the party to stay in the school director job and counteract Nazification of the school system. He probably did so only when his own position was not at stake. Other than his job, he was preoccupied with nuclear physics
as a hobby
. After the war, he claimed to have made several great inventions in the preceding years. In a letter to Kåre Fostervoll in the autumn of 1945, he said that his "series of inventions" would "bring honor and benefit to me and my country. They are—after my calculations—the most important discoveries ever made in history by a single man". On 1 February 1947, during the legal purge in Norway after World War II
he was convicted of treason and sentenced to six months in prison and loss of his job.
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....
and Nasjonal Samling.
He was born at Steinnes in Ørsta
Ørsta
is a village and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region of Western Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ørsta...
as a son of farmers Knut Olai Olavsen Steinnes (1856–1935) and Berte Sporstøyl (1860–1924). After some years as a laborer he attended Møre Folk High School and then Volda Teachers' 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...
from 1907 to 1910. He worked as a teacher in Vikna
Vikna
Vikna is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rørvik. Other villages in Vikna include Austafjord, Garstad, and Valøya.-General information:...
from 1910 to 1912, then in Rjukan
Rjukan
Rjukan is a town and the administrative center of Tinn municipality in Telemark . It is situated in Vestfjorddalen, between Møsvatn and Tinnsjå, and got its name after Rjukanfossen west of the town. The Tinn municipality council granted township status for Rjukan in 1996. The town has 3 386...
. In 1920 he was promoted to school headmaster, still in Rjukan. He remained here until 1935, when he was appointed as school director in the Dioceses of Agder and Stavanger
Diocese of Stavanger
Stavanger is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers Rogaland. The cathedral city is Stavanger, and the bishop since 2009 is Erling Johan Pettersen.-History:...
.
He was a member of the executive committee of Tinn
Tinn
Tinn is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Rjukan....
municipal council from 1916 to 1925. He was elected to the Parliament of Norway in 1921
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1921
-Results:-References:*...
, representing the constituency of Telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
. He was re-elected in 1924
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1924
-Results:-References:*...
, 1927
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1927
-Results:-References:*...
, 1930
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1930
-Results:*...
and 1933
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1933
-Results:- References :...
, with his last term ending in 1936. In January 1928 he was appointed as Minister of Education and Church Affairs in Hornsrud's Cabinet. Hornsrud's Cabinet only lasted until February. While Steinnes was a Minister, his parliamentary seat was filled by Eileif Kolsrud
Eileif Kolsrud
Eileif Kolsrud was Norwegian educator and politician for the Labour Party.He was born at Strandbråten in Sigdal, in Buskerud County as a son of smallholders Helge Eileifson Kolsrud and Kjersti Steffensen...
.
During the German occupation of Norway he joined the Fascist party Nasjonal Samling. He claimed to have joined the party to stay in the school director job and counteract Nazification of the school system. He probably did so only when his own position was not at stake. Other than his job, he was preoccupied with nuclear physics
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
as a hobby
Hobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
. After the war, he claimed to have made several great inventions in the preceding years. In a letter to Kåre Fostervoll in the autumn of 1945, he said that his "series of inventions" would "bring honor and benefit to me and my country. They are—after my calculations—the most important discoveries ever made in history by a single man". On 1 February 1947, during the legal purge in Norway after World War II
Legal purge in Norway after World War II
When the occupation of Norway ended in May 1945, several thousand Norwegians and foreign citizens were tried and convicted for various acts that the occupying powers sanctioned...
he was convicted of treason and sentenced to six months in prison and loss of his job.