by Øyvind Tønnesson Nobelprize.org Peace Editor, 1998-2000 1 December 1999 Stable socialist dominance, strong commitment to the western military alliance and support for the United Nations were central features of Norwegian politics after the Second World War. To what extent did these features similarly apply to the Nobel Committee? Who were the committee members, what…

Short biography Berner, Carl Christian 1841 – 1918 Educator and politician Liberal As a young man, Carl Christian Berner studied science and then worked as a teacher in Kristiania (Oslo). From 1874 up to 1891 he was Director of a Technical College in Bergen. He was also engaged in the local Liberal Union and got…

Short biography Wikborg, Erling 1894 – 1992 Jurist and politician Christian People’s Party Erling Wikborg became barrister at the Supreme Court in Oslo in 1922. In 1945 he was elected to the Storting. He was a representative of the Christian People’s Party in 1945-1949 and in 1954-1961, the party’s chairman in 1952-1956. In 1963 (August…

By Øyvind Tønnesson, Nobelprize.org Peace Editor, 1998-2000 1 December 1999 What do we know about the Nobel Peace Prize, the laureates and why they were selected? How has the Norwegian Nobel Committee interpreted the concept of peace and Alfred Nobel’s in the changing historical context of the 20th century? In the following we will briefly…

Short biography Koht, Halvdan 1873 – 1965 Historian and politician Labour Koht was originally a Liberal, becoming more radical during the 1890s. From 1896 he regarded himself as a socialist and became affiliated with the Labour Party. However, he did not officially become a party member until 1911. He soon became engaged in the local…

Short biography Hanssen, Cornelius Bernhard 1864 – 1939 Teacher, shipowner and politician Liberal Cornelius Bernhard Hanssen worked as a teacher in 1883-1891. He then became editor and publisher of a local newspaper Agder. In 1898 he entered the shipping business and later became a wealthy shipowner. Hanssen was a member of the Storting in 1900-1915…

Short biography Oftedal, Christian Stephansen 1907 – 1955 Journalist and politician Liberal Christian Stephansen Oftedal graduated from high school in 1926. He studied in Oslo, Poitiers and Geneva and got his B.A. in 1931. In 1932 he became editor of the newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad. He was elected to the City Council in Stavanger in 1937.…

Short biography Kvanmo, Hanna Kristine 1926 – 2005 Politician Socialist left party As a young woman Hanna Kristine Kvanmo had various occupations. She worked as a teacher in 1962-1973. In the period 1967-1975 she was actively engaged in local politics in Rana (a community in northern Norway). She was a member of the Storting in…

Short biography Langhelle, Nils 1907 – 1967 Politician Labour Nils Langhelle got his M.A. in 1934. He was a member of the city council of Bergen in the period in 1937-1947 and chairman of the local branch of the Labour Party in 1935-1945 and from 1960. Langhelle was a member of the Storting in 1950-1965,…

By Klaus Biedermann* Prize-awarded methods Among the Nobel Prizes in Physics, two scientists have been honored for their remarkable methods to record and present images: , awarded in 1908 “for his method of reproducing colours photographically based on the phenomenon of interference,” and , awarded in 1971, “for his invention and development of the holographic…