Gustav Natvig-Pedersen
Encyclopedia
Gustav Natvig-Pedersen was a Norwegian philologist, educator and politician for the Labour Party
. A school teacher and headmaster during his professional career, he served in Stavanger city council from 1922 to 1964 and three terms in the Norwegian Parliament; during one of these terms he was President of the Storting. He made his mark in language politics
.
as a son of sailmaker Johan Pedersen (1857–1941) and his wife Johanne Christine Natvig (1863–1940). He briefly attended the Norwegian Military Academy
, but graduated with the cand.philol. degree in 1919. In the same year he was hired as a school teacher in Stavanger. He was also a standing military officer, and held the rank Premier Lieutenant from 1920.
. He chaired his local party chapter from 1925 to 1926 and 1935 to 1936, and was a member of the Labour Party national board from 1936 to 1939. From 1926 to 1928 he was a member of the city school board. He was also board chairman of the local party newspaper Den 1ste Mai from 1927 to 1936. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from the Market towns of Vest-Agder and Rogaland counties
in 1936
.
Among the political cases during this period, Natvig-Pedersen made a mark in the language issue. He was one of the people behind the orthographic reform of 1938, which implemented a converge between Nynorsk
and Bokmål
. He issued the orthographic dictionary Norsk rettskrivingsordliste in 1938 together with August Lange
; the book was reprinted ten times. In the next year, Natvig-Pedersen followed with a textbook in Norwegian Bokmål. He later served as a member of the Norwegian Language Committee
from 1953 to 1962, and in 1959 he issued a new version of Norsk rettskrivingsordliste together with Kjølv Egeland
.
During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
, he was imprisoned by the Nazis. He was first arrested in March 1942 for boycotting the Nazi creation, the Teachers Union, together with a large number of other teachers, including Kjell Bondevik
. He sat at Grini for one day, later at Jørstadmoen
and Kirkenes
. He was then released, only to be arrested again on 8 March 1943. He was imprisoned at Grini later that month, and in May he was transferred to Sachsenhausen
. After the liberation
he returned to his teaching job, the Norwegian Parliament and Stavanger city council. He was re-elected to Parliament twice; in 1945
and 1949
. From January 1949 to January 1954 he served as the President of the Storting.
He spent the rest of his professional career as headmaster at St. Svithuns School, having left Stavanger Cathedral School in 1946. He also held a number of cultural offices. He was a board member of Stavanger Museum
from 1935 to 1958 and chair from 1958 to 1965, deputy board member of the Institute for Comparative Research in Human Culture
from 1947 to 1950, board member of Rogaland Teater
from 1953 to 1965 and chair of FK Vidar
. He was a member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee
from 1948 to 1965, and also held a few industrial positions: member of the Vest-Agder and Rogaland railway committee from 1938 to 1959 and chair of Norsk Jernverk
from 1946 to 1964.
In 1962 he was decorated as a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. He was also a Knight of the Monegasque
Princeps et Patria order from 1950. He retired as a headmaster in 1962, and left Stavanger city council in 1964. He died in May 1965.
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....
. A school teacher and headmaster during his professional career, he served in Stavanger city council from 1922 to 1964 and three terms in the Norwegian Parliament; during one of these terms he was President of the Storting. He made his mark in language politics
Language politics
Language politics is a term used to describe political consequences of linguistic differences between people, or on occasion the political consequences of the way a language is spoken and what words are used. It means language can express some authority. Examples include:*Recognition of a...
.
Early life and education
He was born in StavangerStavanger
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...
as a son of sailmaker Johan Pedersen (1857–1941) and his wife Johanne Christine Natvig (1863–1940). He briefly attended the Norwegian Military Academy
Norwegian Military Academy
The Norwegian Army Academy was established in 1750. It is the oldest university-level educational institution in Norway, and one of the oldest active military academies in the world. Krigsskolen primarily educates officers for the Norwegian Army. There are separate academies for the Royal...
, but graduated with the cand.philol. degree in 1919. In the same year he was hired as a school teacher in Stavanger. He was also a standing military officer, and held the rank Premier Lieutenant from 1920.
Political career
He was elected to Stavanger city council for the first time in 1922, and was re-elected successively throughout the rest of the interwar periodInterwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
. He chaired his local party chapter from 1925 to 1926 and 1935 to 1936, and was a member of the Labour Party national board from 1936 to 1939. From 1926 to 1928 he was a member of the city school board. He was also board chairman of the local party newspaper Den 1ste Mai from 1927 to 1936. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from the Market towns of Vest-Agder and Rogaland counties
Market towns of Vest-Agder and Rogaland counties
The Market towns of Vest-Agder and Rogaland counties was an electoral district for parliamentary elections in Norway. It comprised the market towns of Flekkefjord, Kristiansand and Mandal in Vest-Agder county and Haugesund and Stavanger in Rogaland county....
in 1936
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1936
The parliamentary election of 1936 was the last one held in Norway before World War II and the German invasion of Norway.-Results:*...
.
Among the political cases during this period, Natvig-Pedersen made a mark in the language issue. He was one of the people behind the orthographic reform of 1938, which implemented a converge between Nynorsk
Nynorsk
Nynorsk or New Norwegian is one of two official written standards for the Norwegian language, the other being Bokmål. The standard language was created by Ivar Aasen during the mid-19th century, to provide a Norwegian alternative to the Danish language which was commonly written in Norway at the...
and Bokmål
Bokmål
Bokmål is one of two official Norwegian written standard languages, the other being Nynorsk. Bokmål is used by 85–90% of the population in Norway, and is the standard most commonly taught to foreign students of the Norwegian language....
. He issued the orthographic dictionary Norsk rettskrivingsordliste in 1938 together with August Lange
August Lange
Christian August Manthey Lange was a Norwegian educator, non-fiction writer and cultural attaché.-Personal life:...
; the book was reprinted ten times. In the next year, Natvig-Pedersen followed with a textbook in Norwegian Bokmål. He later served as a member of the Norwegian Language Committee
Norwegian Language Council
The Norwegian Language Council was the regulation authority for the Norwegian language. It has been superseded by The Language Council of Norway .The council had 38 members, and created lists of acceptable word forms...
from 1953 to 1962, and in 1959 he issued a new version of Norsk rettskrivingsordliste together with Kjølv Egeland
Kjølv Egeland
Kjølv Egeland was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was Minister of Education and Church Affairs 1976-1979....
.
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...
, he was imprisoned by the Nazis. He was first arrested in March 1942 for boycotting the Nazi creation, the Teachers Union, together with a large number of other teachers, including Kjell Bondevik
Kjell Bondevik
Kjell Bondevik was a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party.He was born in Leikanger. He graduated with the cand.philol. and mag.art. degrees in 1927. He worked as a teacher and headmaster in schools in Oslo, Haugesund and Sauda...
. He sat at Grini for one day, later at Jørstadmoen
Jørstadmoen
Jørstadmoen is a village in Lillehammer municipality, in Oppland, Norway....
and Kirkenes
Kirkenes
is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark in the far northeast of Norway...
. He was then released, only to be arrested again on 8 March 1943. He was imprisoned at Grini later that month, and in May he was transferred to Sachsenhausen
Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May, 1945. After World War II, when Oranienburg was in the Soviet Occupation Zone, the structure was used as an NKVD...
. After the liberation
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
he returned to his teaching job, the Norwegian Parliament and Stavanger city council. He was re-elected to Parliament twice; in 1945
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1945
These elections were held on 8 October 1945. The Labour Party won an absolute majority in the Storting which they would keep until 1961.-Results:...
and 1949
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1949
The general election of 1949 was held to elect 150 MPs to the Storting. The Norwegian Labour Party increased its share of the vote an won a large majority of seats in the chamber....
. From January 1949 to January 1954 he served as the President of the Storting.
He spent the rest of his professional career as headmaster at St. Svithuns School, having left Stavanger Cathedral School in 1946. He also held a number of cultural offices. He was a board member of Stavanger Museum
Stavanger Museum
Stavanger Museum is a museum of natural and cultural history established in 1877, located in the Norwegian city Stavanger. The museum's collections consist of several departments: the department of zoology, the department for cultural history .Departments include the Stavanger Museum of Natural...
from 1935 to 1958 and chair from 1958 to 1965, deputy board member of the Institute for Comparative Research in Human Culture
Institute for Comparative Research in Human Culture
The Institute for Comparative Research in Human Culture is a humanities research institute based in Oslo, Norway.It was established in 1922 by Fredrik Stang. An independent institute, its task is to sponsor research mainly in the fields of comparative linguistics, folklore, religion, ethnology,...
from 1947 to 1950, board member of Rogaland Teater
Rogaland Teater
Rogaland Teater is a theatre in Stavanger, Norway.-Background:The theatre building was built in 1883, on a parcel of Kannik prestegård. It was designed by architect Hartvig Sverdrup Eckhoff, and had initially almost 500 seats. The building housed Stavanger Faste Scene from 1914 to 1921, and...
from 1953 to 1965 and chair of FK Vidar
FK Vidar
FK Vidar is an association football club from Stavanger, Norway. They currently play in the Norwegian Second Division, the third highest level in the Norwegian football league system.-Club history:...
. He was a member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee
Norwegian Nobel Committee
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awards the Nobel Peace Prize each year.Its five members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament and roughly represent the political makeup of that body.-History:...
from 1948 to 1965, and also held a few industrial positions: member of the Vest-Agder and Rogaland railway committee from 1938 to 1959 and chair of 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 1946 to 1964.
In 1962 he was decorated as a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. He was also a Knight of the Monegasque
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
Princeps et Patria order from 1950. He retired as a headmaster in 1962, and left Stavanger city council in 1964. He died in May 1965.