Christian Hilt
Encyclopedia
Christian Gottlieb Hilt was a Norwegian
newspaper editor and politician for the Labour
and Communist
parties.
He was born in Bergen
, and started studies in 1906 but left the higher education system after a couple of years. He instead became subeditor in the newspaper Smaalenenes Social-Demokrat
, and was acting editor-in-chief from 1910 to 1911. He then worked in Den 1ste Mai
, Bratsberg-Demokraten
and Social-Demokraten
. In 1914 he was hired in Fremtiden
, where he was promoted to subeditor in October, and in 1916 he was hired in Ny Tid
where he became editor in 1918. Already in 1919 he left Ny Tid to become a manager in the news bureau Arbeidernes Pressekontor
. He was also a delegate at the Fourth Comintern
Congress in 1922, and participated in the 4th and 7th Enlarged Plenums of the Executive Committee of the Comintern
in 1926 and 1927.
In 1923 he broke away from the Labour Party, joining the Communist Party. He was elected party secretary in 1925, and was a politburo member from 1926 to 1929. He had two spells as editor-in-chief for Norges Kommunistblad
, from July 1926 to the spring of 1927 and from the autumn 1927 to 1929. The hiatus came because he stayed in the Soviet Union for a period. Around 1926–1927 he also served on the editorial board of Proletaren
. He then stayed in the Soviet Union from 1929 to 1936, where he did various work for Comintern, and was a correspondent for newspapers all over Scandinavia
. In 1937 he returned to Norway as secretary of a Norway–Soviet friendship association. He also edited a communist periodical Nytt Land fro 1937 to 1940.
During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
, Hilt was a resistance member
. He was described by Heinrich Fehlis
in an August 1940 edition of Meldungen aus Norwegen
. When the illegal newspaper Friheten
started in 1941, Hilt edited it together with Erling Heiestad. The newspaper was stencil
ed, and published fortnightly. Hilt also edited Radio-Nytt. While Heiestad was arrested in 1941, Hilt made good his escape to Sweden.
After the war he was again secretary of a new Norway–Soviet friendship association. He died in August 1958, and is buried at Østre Aker.
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...
newspaper editor and politician for the Labour
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 Communist
Communist Party of Norway
The Communist Party of Norway is a political party in Norway without parliamentary representation. It was formed in 1923, following a split in the Norwegian Labour Party. The party played an important role in the resistance to German occupation during the Second World War, and experienced a brief...
parties.
He was born in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, and started studies in 1906 but left the higher education system after a couple of years. He instead became subeditor in the newspaper Smaalenenes Social-Demokrat
Demokraten
Demokraten is a local newspaper in Fredrikstad, Norway. Second in its city behind Fredriksstad Blad, it is published three days a week. The chief editor is Tomm Pentz Pedersen ....
, and was acting editor-in-chief from 1910 to 1911. He then worked in Den 1ste Mai
Rogalands Avis
Rogalands Avis is a local newspaper published in Stavanger, Norway. It covers Stavanger and the rest of southern Rogaland. It was established in 1899....
, Bratsberg-Demokraten
Bratsberg-Demokraten
Bratsberg-Demokraten was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Skien in Telemark county. From 1924 to 1929 it was named Telemark Kommunistblad....
and Social-Demokraten
Dagsavisen
Dagsavisen is a daily newspaper published in Oslo, Norway. The former party organ of the Norwegian Labour Party, the ties loosened over time from 1975 to 1999, and it is now fully independent...
. In 1914 he was hired in Fremtiden
Fremtiden
Fremtiden was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Drammen.Fremtiden was started in 1905. Its first editor was Torgeir Vraa, who edited the newspaper from its start until his death in 1934. Fremtiden became the main organ for tne Norwegian Labour Party in Buskerud. During the 1980s the newspaper had...
, where he was promoted to subeditor in October, and in 1916 he was hired in Ny Tid
Ny Tid (Trondheim)
Ny Tid was a Norwegian newspaper established in 1899 by the typographers Joh. Halseth and Alf Scheflo at the same time as they established their own printing office in Trondheim. The publishers meant to create a worker's newspaper, not a socialist paper...
where he became editor in 1918. Already in 1919 he left Ny Tid to become a manager in the news bureau Arbeidernes Pressekontor
Avisenes Nyhetsbyrå
Avisenes Nyhetsbyrå is a Norwegian news agency that was established in 1912 as Socialdemokratisk Pressekontor. In 1919 this was changed to Arbeidernes Pressekontor and in 1984 it was changed again to A-pressens Oslo-redaksjon...
. He was also a delegate at the Fourth Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
Congress in 1922, and participated in the 4th and 7th Enlarged Plenums of the Executive Committee of the Comintern
Executive Committee of the Communist International
The Executive Committee of the Communist International, commonly known by its acronym, ECCI, was the governing authority of the Comintern between the World Congresses of that body...
in 1926 and 1927.
In 1923 he broke away from the Labour Party, joining the Communist Party. He was elected party secretary in 1925, and was a politburo member from 1926 to 1929. He had two spells as editor-in-chief for Norges Kommunistblad
Norges Kommunistblad
Norges Kommunistblad was a daily newspaper published in Oslo, Norway.It was started on 5 November 1923 as the official party newspaper from the Communist Party, which was established that year after a split from the Labour Party. The first editor was Olav Scheflo...
, from July 1926 to the spring of 1927 and from the autumn 1927 to 1929. The hiatus came because he stayed in the Soviet Union for a period. Around 1926–1927 he also served on the editorial board of Proletaren
Proletaren
Proletaren was a Norwegian periodical published by the Communist Party.Proletaren was started in September 1923 during the fraction in-fighting in the Labour Party which resulted in the breakaway of the Communist Party. Its purpose was to deliver ideological articles to party members. The first...
. He then stayed in the Soviet Union from 1929 to 1936, where he did various work for Comintern, and was a correspondent for newspapers all over Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. In 1937 he returned to Norway as secretary of a Norway–Soviet friendship association. He also edited a communist periodical Nytt Land fro 1937 to 1940.
During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
, Hilt was a resistance member
Norwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...
. He was described by Heinrich Fehlis
Heinrich Fehlis
Heinrich Fehlis was an SS officer during World War II, most noted for his command of the Sicherheitspolizei and Sicherheitsdienst in Norway during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany....
in an August 1940 edition of Meldungen aus Norwegen
Meldungen aus Norwegen
Meldungen aus Norwegen is a series of reports on the situation in occupied Norway during World War II, by the Oslo department of the German Sicherheitspolizei and Sicherheitsdienst . The reports were edited by Georg Wolff and distributed to German military leaders in Norway and Germany...
. When the illegal newspaper Friheten
Friheten
Friheten is a biweekly newspaper, published by the Norwegian Communist Party .It was founded illegally in 1941, during the German occupation of Norway due to World War II. After the liberation in 1945, it emerged as the official party newspaper....
started in 1941, Hilt edited it together with Erling Heiestad. The newspaper was stencil
Stencil
A stencil is a thin sheet of material, such as paper, plastic, or metal, with letters or a design cut from it, used to produce the letters or design on an underlying surface by applying pigment through the cut-out holes in the material. The key advantage of a stencil is that it can be reused to...
ed, and published fortnightly. Hilt also edited Radio-Nytt. While Heiestad was arrested in 1941, Hilt made good his escape to Sweden.
After the war he was again secretary of a new Norway–Soviet friendship association. He died in August 1958, and is buried at Østre Aker.