Øystein Sørensen
Encyclopedia
Øystein Sørensen is a Norwegian historian. A professor at the University of Oslo
since 1996, he has published several books on the history of ideas
, including Norwegian nationalism
and national socialism, as well as general Norwegian World War II history.
Born at Strømmen
, he took the cand.philol. degree in 1981. His main inspiration for studying history was Jens Arup Seip
and his inclination towards incorporating the history of ideas
in general history. He published his first major work in 1983, with the book Fra Marx til Quisling. Fem sosialisters vei til NS. The book is a portrait of five Norwegian socialists who in the interwar period
became national socialists: Eugène Olaussen
, Sverre Krogh, Halvard Olsen, Albin Eines
and Håkon Meyer. He then turned to Norwegian 19th century history with the 1984 book 1880-årene. 10 år som rystet Norge, marking the 100th anniversary of the introduction of parliamentarianism in Norway. Crossing 19th century history with liberalism was the 1988 thesis Anton Martin Schweigaards politiske tenkning, on the ideology of politician Anton Martin Schweigaard. This work earned him the dr.philos. degree. He then followed with two other works related to the extreme right wing and national socialism in Norway; Hitler eller Quisling? Ideologiske brytninger i Nasjonal Samling 1940-45 (1989) and Solkors og solidaritet. Høyreautoritær samfunnstenkning i Norge ca. 1930-1945 (1991). One thread from the latter book—welfare policy—was followed in the 1993 Verdenskrig og velferd. Britiske, tyske og norske sosialpolitiske planer under annen verdenskrig. Sørensen also contributed to the Norsk krigsleksikon 1940–45, a 1995 encyclopaedia on World War II in Norway. He was promoted to professor at the University of Oslo in 1996. Sørensen is an elected member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
since 2010.
In 1993 and 1997 he biographed Fridtjof Nansen
and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
respectively. This was a gateway to the topic of nationalism, and Sørensen headed a research project on the emergent Norwegian national identity in the 19th century. The project resulted in the 1998 book Jakten på det norske. Perspektiver på utviklingen av en norsk nasjonal identitet på 1800-tallet; Sørensen was the editor and wrote the opening chapter, Hegemonikamp om det norske, where he identified fourteen distinct projects of nation building in Norway between 1770 and 1945.
Between 2001 and 2003, Sørensen was a co-editor, together with Trond Berg Eriksen, of the work Norsk idéhistorie. Sørensen wrote volume three of the work, Kampen om Norges sjel 1770-1905, and co-wrote the sixth and last volume Et lite land i verden together with Trond Berg Eriksen. In 2004 he was the co-editor of Et rettferdig oppgjør? with Hans Fredrik Dahl, a work on the legal purge in Norway after World War II
. Historien om det som ikke skjedde, published in the same year, revolves around various counterfactual history events. Two years later, he published Den store sammensvergelsen. Historien om det hemmelige selskapet Illuminatus og dets mange ugjerninger, about the many theories concerning the secret society Illuminati
. In 2010, he published a book on totalitarian ideologies, entitled Drømmen om det fullkomne samfunn.
Sørensen is also considered an international expert on the Donald Duck universe
, and was behind the publishing of the complete, thirty-volume works of Carl Barks
in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish in 2004. Sørensen's expertise also includes the world of The Phantom
, and he was actively involved with the publishing of twenty volumes chronicling the different generations of Phantoms, each separate volume featuring a scholarly article, written by Sørensen, summarising the relevant historical themes.
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
since 1996, he has published several books on the history of ideas
History of ideas
The history of ideas is a field of research in history that deals with the expression, preservation, and change of human ideas over time. The history of ideas is a sister-discipline to, or a particular approach within, intellectual history...
, including Norwegian nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and national socialism, as well as general Norwegian World War II history.
Born at Strømmen
Strømmen
Strømmen is a town in Skedsmo, Akershus, Norway. It is about twenty kilometers east of Oslo, and considered part of Greater Oslo. It has around 8,000 residents....
, he took the cand.philol. degree in 1981. His main inspiration for studying history was Jens Arup Seip
Jens Arup Seip
Jens Lauritz Arup Seip was a Norwegian historian. A professor at the University of Oslo from 1952 to 1975, he specialized in political history and the history of ideas. He was married to fellow historian Anne-Lise Seip....
and his inclination towards incorporating the history of ideas
History of ideas
The history of ideas is a field of research in history that deals with the expression, preservation, and change of human ideas over time. The history of ideas is a sister-discipline to, or a particular approach within, intellectual history...
in general history. He published his first major work in 1983, with the book Fra Marx til Quisling. Fem sosialisters vei til NS. The book is a portrait of five Norwegian socialists who in the interwar period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
became national socialists: Eugène Olaussen
Eugène Olaussen
Ansgar Eugène Olaussen was a Norwegian newspaper editor, educated as a typographer, and politician. As a politician he started in Norges Socialdemokratiske Ungdomsforbund, and notably edited Klassekampen from 1911 to 1921...
, Sverre Krogh, Halvard Olsen, Albin Eines
Albin Eines
Albin Konrad Eines was a Norwegian newspaper editor and politician for the Labour and Communist Labour parties. He later became a Nazi, working for Norwegian and German Nazis during the Second World War.-Early career:...
and Håkon Meyer. He then turned to Norwegian 19th century history with the 1984 book 1880-årene. 10 år som rystet Norge, marking the 100th anniversary of the introduction of parliamentarianism in Norway. Crossing 19th century history with liberalism was the 1988 thesis Anton Martin Schweigaards politiske tenkning, on the ideology of politician Anton Martin Schweigaard. This work earned him the dr.philos. degree. He then followed with two other works related to the extreme right wing and national socialism in Norway; Hitler eller Quisling? Ideologiske brytninger i Nasjonal Samling 1940-45 (1989) and Solkors og solidaritet. Høyreautoritær samfunnstenkning i Norge ca. 1930-1945 (1991). One thread from the latter book—welfare policy—was followed in the 1993 Verdenskrig og velferd. Britiske, tyske og norske sosialpolitiske planer under annen verdenskrig. Sørensen also contributed to the Norsk krigsleksikon 1940–45, a 1995 encyclopaedia on World War II in Norway. He was promoted to professor at the University of Oslo in 1996. Sørensen is an elected member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway.-History:The University of Oslo was established in 1811. The idea of a learned society in Christiania surfaced for the first time in 1841. The city of Throndhjem had no university, but had a learned...
since 2010.
In 1993 and 1997 he biographed Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland...
respectively. This was a gateway to the topic of nationalism, and Sørensen headed a research project on the emergent Norwegian national identity in the 19th century. The project resulted in the 1998 book Jakten på det norske. Perspektiver på utviklingen av en norsk nasjonal identitet på 1800-tallet; Sørensen was the editor and wrote the opening chapter, Hegemonikamp om det norske, where he identified fourteen distinct projects of nation building in Norway between 1770 and 1945.
Between 2001 and 2003, Sørensen was a co-editor, together with Trond Berg Eriksen, of the work Norsk idéhistorie. Sørensen wrote volume three of the work, Kampen om Norges sjel 1770-1905, and co-wrote the sixth and last volume Et lite land i verden together with Trond Berg Eriksen. In 2004 he was the co-editor of Et rettferdig oppgjør? with Hans Fredrik Dahl, a work on 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...
. Historien om det som ikke skjedde, published in the same year, revolves around various counterfactual history events. Two years later, he published Den store sammensvergelsen. Historien om det hemmelige selskapet Illuminatus og dets mange ugjerninger, about the many theories concerning the secret society Illuminati
Illuminati
The Illuminati is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically the name refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on May 1, 1776...
. In 2010, he published a book on totalitarian ideologies, entitled Drømmen om det fullkomne samfunn.
Sørensen is also considered an international expert on the Donald Duck universe
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
, and was behind the publishing of the complete, thirty-volume works of Carl Barks
Carl Barks
Carl Barks was an American Disney Studio illustrator and comic book creator, who invented Duckburg and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck , Gladstone Gander , the Beagle Boys , The Junior Woodchucks , Gyro Gearloose , Cornelius Coot , Flintheart Glomgold , John D...
in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish in 2004. Sørensen's expertise also includes the world of The Phantom
The Phantom
The Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many media, including television, film and video games, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the fictional African country Bengalla.The Phantom is...
, and he was actively involved with the publishing of twenty volumes chronicling the different generations of Phantoms, each separate volume featuring a scholarly article, written by Sørensen, summarising the relevant historical themes.
External links
- Profile at the University of Oslo
- List of publications in FRIDA