Atle Thowsen is a historian and the Director of the Bergen Maritime Museum and served as president of the International Commission for Maritime History

International Commission for Maritime History

The International Commission for Maritime History was established in 1960 to promote international cooperation and the exchange of ideas in the field of maritime history. It is affiliated with the .- History :...

 from 2000 to 2005.

Early life and education

Born in 1940, Thowsen graduated from the University of Bergen

University of Bergen

The University of Bergen is located in Bergen, Norway. Although founded as late as 1946, academic activity had taken place at Bergen Museum as far back as 1825. The university today serves more than 14,500 students...

 in 1964 and received his doctor of philosophy degree in 1984 with a thesis on the shipping history of Bergen, 1914–1939.

Career

Having worked at the Bergens Sjøfartsmuseum since 1964, being promoted to Associate Professor in 1968, he became the director of the museum and the Norsk sjøfartshistorisk forskningsfond in 1993. In addition, he is editor of Sjøfartshistorisk Årbok.

He contributed to the encyclopedia Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45

Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45

Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-1945 is a Norwegian encyclopaedia covering the Second World War.It was issued in 1995 by the publishing house J.W. Cappelen. The editorial staff consisted of five editors: Hans Fredrik Dahl, Guri Hjeltnes, Berit Nøkleby, Nils Johan Ringdal and Øystein Sørensen...

, where he wrote articles related to the Norwegian merchant fleet, Nortraship

Nortraship

The Norwegian Shipping and Trade Mission was established in London in April 1940 to administer the Norwegian merchant fleet outside German-controlled areas. Nortraship operated some 1,000 vessels and was the largest shipping company in the world. It is credited for giving a major contribution to...

and naval ships.

Published works

• Vekst og strukturendringer i krisetider 1914–1939, Bergen og Sjøfarten, (Bergen 1984)
• Den norske Krigsforsikring for Skib. Gjensidig forening 1935–1985, bind 1 (Bergen 1988)
• Nortraship: Profitt og patriotisme bind 1 i fembindsverket Handelsflåten i krig 1939–1945 (Oslo 1992)
• Fra krig til krise og vekst. Mellomkrigstiden – det store hamskiftet i Sørlandets skipsfart (Bergen 1995)
• The Underwriters follow the Fleet. From Norwegian Underwriters’ Agency to Scandinavian Marine Claims Office, Inc., 1897–1997 (Bergen and Stamford, CT 1998).

In addition, he has contributed to

• Statsmannaskap edited by Hans Lödén and P O Norell (2006)