Gunnar Bråthen
Encyclopedia
Gunnar Bråthen was a Norwegian
trade unionist and politician for the Labour Party
. He was Minister of Pay and Prices from 1955 to 1959.
He was born in Hole
as a son of a baker. He was a member of Kristiania
city council from 1922 to 1925. He was a board member of the Norwegian Union of Iron and Metalworkers
during the same period, and then a secretary from 1925 to 1931. After seven years in Hedmark faglige samorganisasjon he was a secretary in the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
in Northern Norway from 1938 to 1941, and nationwide from 1945 to 1950. Between 1941 and 1945 he was a member of the Norwegian resistance movement
. He was first arrested on 1 July 1941, and was imprisoned in Grini concentration camp from February 1942 to January 1943. He was arrested for a second time on 21 September 1944, imprisoned in Falstad concentration camp
from November 1944 to January 1945, then in Grini concentration camp until the end of World War II. From 1950 to 1963 he was the director of the Norwegian Directorate of Labour.
He was a member of the central committee of the Labour Party from 1949 to 1957. From 1955 to 1959 he was the Minister of Pay and Prices, serving in Gerhardsen's Third Cabinet.
Bråthen was a member of several public councils. He was also a board member of Fosdalen Bergverk from 1946 to 1966, Samvirkebanken from 1952 to 1967 (chair from 1963 to 1967), Norsk Jernverk
from 1963 to 1966, Norasonde from 1965 to 1969 and Sydvaranger
.
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 was Minister of Pay and Prices from 1955 to 1959.
He was born in Hole
Hole, Norway
Hole is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Ringerike. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vik. Hole is located around lake Tyrifjorden and extends to the woodland around Oslo...
as a son of a baker. He was a member of Kristiania
Oslo
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...
city council from 1922 to 1925. He was a board member of the Norwegian Union of Iron and Metalworkers
Norwegian Union of Iron and Metalworkers
The Norwegian Union of Iron and Metalworkers was a trade union in Norway, organized under the national Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions.It was founded in 1891...
during the same period, and then a secretary from 1925 to 1931. After seven years in Hedmark faglige samorganisasjon he was a secretary in 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...
in Northern Norway from 1938 to 1941, and nationwide from 1945 to 1950. Between 1941 and 1945 he was a member of the Norwegian resistance movement
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 first arrested on 1 July 1941, and was imprisoned in Grini concentration camp from February 1942 to January 1943. He was arrested for a second time on 21 September 1944, imprisoned in Falstad concentration camp
Falstad concentration camp
Falstad concentration camp was a prison camp in the village of Ekne in what was the municipality of Skogn in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway...
from November 1944 to January 1945, then in Grini concentration camp until the end of World War II. From 1950 to 1963 he was the director of the Norwegian Directorate of Labour.
He was a member of the central committee of the Labour Party from 1949 to 1957. From 1955 to 1959 he was the Minister of Pay and Prices, serving in Gerhardsen's Third Cabinet.
Bråthen was a member of several public councils. He was also a board member of Fosdalen Bergverk from 1946 to 1966, Samvirkebanken from 1952 to 1967 (chair from 1963 to 1967), Norsk Jernverk
Norsk Jernverk
Norsk Jernverk is a former Norwegian industrial company which was founded in 1946 in Mo i Rana, fully owned by the State of Norway. The production started in 1955. In 1985 it acquired the steel company Christiania Spigerverk, which was later again sold out as a separate company...
from 1963 to 1966, Norasonde from 1965 to 1969 and Sydvaranger
Sydvaranger
Sydvaranger was the company that operated the Bjørnevatn Mine in Kirkenes, Norway between the start in 1906 until 1996. Since then the company has mainly been concerned with cleaning up the industrial areas and business development...
.