Albert Raaen
Encyclopedia
Albert Bernhard Raaen was a Norwegian
trade unionist and politician for the Labour Party
.
He took non-commissioned officer
training in 1908, commerce school in 1910 and an evening school for socialists in 1913–1914. He became organized in the trade union Union of Employees in Commerce and Offices in 1916, led the Oslo branch from 1920, and from 1927 he chaired the Union of Employees in Commerce and Offices nationwide. He also sat in the secretariat of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
from 1934.
He was a deputy member of Oslo city council from 1917 to 1919 and 1926 to 1928. From 1936 to 1939 he chaired the Norwegian Support Committee for Spain, and when the Norwegian People's Aid was established as a successor of the Spain Committee in 1939 he became its chairman.
In 1940, when the Second World War reached Norway with a German occupation, Raaen spoke out for "an active and honest cooperation with the authorities". He then became unpopular with the resistance part of the trade unions. In September 1940 he invited Nazi Birger Meidell to the national convention of the Norwegian People's Aid. For this he was removed as chairman, despite that Meidell did not show. He was later viewed with suspicion by the anti-Nazi part of the labour movement. This was not changed even as he was arrested following the milk strike
and incarcerated in Grini concentration camp. He was imprisoned from 10 September 1941 to 19 February 1942. After the Second World War he was not re-installed as leader of the Union of Employees in Commerce and Offices, officially for health reasons.
He died in October 1971, and was buried at Vestre gravlund
.
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...
trade unionist 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....
.
He took non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
training in 1908, commerce school in 1910 and an evening school for socialists in 1913–1914. He became organized in the trade union Union of Employees in Commerce and Offices in 1916, led the Oslo branch from 1920, and from 1927 he chaired the Union of Employees in Commerce and Offices nationwide. He also sat in the secretariat of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions is a national trade union center, decidedly the largest and probably the most influential umbrella organization of labour unions in Norway. The 21 national unions affiliated to the LO have more than 850,000 members of a Norwegian population of 4.8 million...
from 1934.
He was a deputy member of Oslo city council from 1917 to 1919 and 1926 to 1928. From 1936 to 1939 he chaired the Norwegian Support Committee for Spain, and when the Norwegian People's Aid was established as a successor of the Spain Committee in 1939 he became its chairman.
In 1940, when the Second World War reached Norway with a German occupation, Raaen spoke out for "an active and honest cooperation with the authorities". He then became unpopular with the resistance part of the trade unions. In September 1940 he invited Nazi Birger Meidell to the national convention of the Norwegian People's Aid. For this he was removed as chairman, despite that Meidell did not show. He was later viewed with suspicion by the anti-Nazi part of the labour movement. This was not changed even as he was arrested following the milk strike
Milk strike
The milk strike was a strike in Nazi occupied Oslo on 8 and 9 September 1941. It led to strong reprisals from the German occupiers, in the form of martial law, court-martial, mass arrests, two executions and several long-term jail sentences.-Start:...
and incarcerated in Grini concentration camp. He was imprisoned from 10 September 1941 to 19 February 1942. After the Second World War he was not re-installed as leader of the Union of Employees in Commerce and Offices, officially for health reasons.
He died in October 1971, and was buried at Vestre gravlund
Vestre gravlund
Vestre gravlund is a cemetery in the Frogner borough of Oslo, Norway, located next to the Borgen metro station. At , it is the largest cemetery in Norway...
.