Einar Li
Encyclopedia
Einar Li was a Norwegian
newspaper editor and politician for the Labour
and Social Democratic Labour
parties. He was also known as a conscientious objector
, for which he received prison sentences.
as a son of a Lieutenant Colonel
. He became known as a conscientious objector
, a pioneer as such in the non-religious community. For refusing to enter military training in the summer of 1906, he was sentenced to ninety days of prison in November 1906. He appealed to the Military Supreme Court, but the sentence was upheld on 15 February 1907. Later in 1907 he refused again, and was arrested in November. This time he received a sentence of one year in prison, the most harsh sentence to any conscientious objector in Norway at the time. When he refused to enter the military service for the third time, in the spring of 1908, the prosecuting authority gave up. About 1,400 people honored him in public when he was released.
newspaper Social-Demokraten
from 1901 to 1909, and sat on the editorial board of Det 20de Aarhundre
. He edited Den 1ste Mai
in Stavanger
from 1909 to 1916. While living in Stavanger he was a member of the city council's executive committee from 1914 to 1916. He was also a delegate to the International Socialist Bureau
.
In 1916 he was hired as office manager in Stavanger municipality. He later became the director of the Union of Norwegian Cities
. When the Labour Party split in 1921, Li joined the more right-wing Social Democratic Labour Party. When the parties reunited in 1927 he rejoined the Labour Party, but later resigned his membership.
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 Social Democratic Labour
Social Democratic Labour Party of Norway
The Social Democratic Labour Party of Norway was a Norwegian political party in the 1920s. Following the Labour Party's entry into the Comintern in 1919, its right wing left the party to form the Social Democratic Labour Party in 1921...
parties. He was also known as a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
, for which he received prison sentences.
Objector
He was born in BergenBergen
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 , ....
as a son of a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. He became known as a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
, a pioneer as such in the non-religious community. For refusing to enter military training in the summer of 1906, he was sentenced to ninety days of prison in November 1906. He appealed to the Military Supreme Court, but the sentence was upheld on 15 February 1907. Later in 1907 he refused again, and was arrested in November. This time he received a sentence of one year in prison, the most harsh sentence to any conscientious objector in Norway at the time. When he refused to enter the military service for the third time, in the spring of 1908, the prosecuting authority gave up. About 1,400 people honored him in public when he was released.
Political and professional career
He was a journalist in the KristianiaOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
newspaper 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...
from 1901 to 1909, and sat on the editorial board of Det 20de Aarhundre
Det 20de Århundre
Det 20de Århundre was a periodical published by the Norwegian Labour Party.Its purpose was to print background articles on ideology and issues. For news, the party had a full network of newspapers, with Arbeiderbladet as the leading organ.Editor from 1920 to 1923 was Arvid G. Hansen...
. He edited 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....
in Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
from 1909 to 1916. While living in Stavanger he was a member of the city council's executive committee from 1914 to 1916. He was also a delegate to the International Socialist Bureau
International Socialist Bureau
The International Socialist Bureau was the permanent organization of the Second International, established at the Paris congress of 1900. Before this there was no organizational infrastructure to the "Second International" beyond a series of periodical congresses, which weren't even given a...
.
In 1916 he was hired as office manager in Stavanger municipality. He later became the director of the Union of Norwegian Cities
Union of Norwegian Cities
The Union of Norwegian Cities was an employers' organisation in Norway.It was founded in 1903. Hans Thomas Knudtzon has been credited with taking the initiative. Its headquarters were in the street Arbiens gate, later in the building Kommunenes Hus in Haakon VIIs gate...
. When the Labour Party split in 1921, Li joined the more right-wing Social Democratic Labour Party. When the parties reunited in 1927 he rejoined the Labour Party, but later resigned his membership.