Harald Gram
Encyclopedia
Harald Gram was a Norwegian jurist, politician and genealogist. He was secretary general for the Conservative Party of Norway
for 22 years, deputy mayor of Aker
, member of Parliament from 1928 to 1936, and stipendiary magistrate in Oslo from 1936 to 1957. He was also noted for his work during World War II
.
as the son of former Prime Minister Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram
(1846–1929) and Antoinette Augusta Brodtkorb (1846–1929). Several of his ancestors on both the maternal and paternal side had been politicians, including Jens Jensen Gram
, Gregers Winther Wulfsberg
, Bernt Sverdrup Maschmann
and Jens Aars
. He was also a second cousin of Johan Fredrik
and Mads Gram
. Harald Gram was married to Ingrid Meyer (née Sønderaall, 1888–1969), fathering the well-known resistance fighter Gregers Gram
.
in 1914, a position he held until 1936. His first post as an elected politician was as a member of Aker
municipal council in 1919. From 1925 to 1928 he served as deputy mayor. He then entered national politics, being elected to the Norwegian Parliament in 1927
, 1930
and 1933
, representing Akershus
. He was not-elected to Parliament in 1936
, instead returning to Aker municipal council. He was also hired as the stipendiary magistrate in Oslo, serving from 1936 to 1957.
Gram was a resistance pioneer during the World War II
, organising protests against efforts from Vidkun Quisling
's Nasjonal Samling to take control over professional organisations. In 1942 he was called to Stockholm
to take over Anders Frihagen's duties at the Norwegian Legation
there, leading an office responsible for financing the resistance work in Norway. This office, called Idrettskontoret ("The Sports Office"), was responsible for secret transfers of funds to the resistance movement, and the office also established a secret courier and communications service in Norway. The office was later reorganised, and appeared under the new name Sambandskontoret. In 1944, his son was killed by German agents. The acting stipendiary magistrate while Gram was in Sweden was the Nazi Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie
.
After the war, Gram continued in his office position in Oslo. He was also interested in genealogy
, and served as editor-in-chief for the magazine Norsk slektshistorisk tidsskrift from 1947 to 1959, and was a board member of the Norwegian Genealogical Society
from 1947 to 1957. He was also the editor of Norges Statskalender in 1947 and 1948, as well as co-publishing the yearbook Hvem er Hvem? ("Who's Who?").
Gram was decorated as a Knight of the Order of St. Olav in 1947 and as a Commander of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog
.
Conservative Party of Norway
The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s...
for 22 years, deputy mayor of Aker
Aker, Norway
Aker is a former municipality in Akershus, which lends its name to a municipality and a county in Norway. The name originally belonged to a farm which was located near the current Old Aker Church...
, member of Parliament from 1928 to 1936, and stipendiary magistrate in Oslo from 1936 to 1957. He was also noted for his work during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Personal life
Gram was born in 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...
as the son of former Prime Minister Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram
Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram
Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram was a Norwegian jurist and politician, and international arbitrator. He was a Supreme Court Assessor, Norwegian Prime Minister in Stockholm from 1889 to 1891 and from 1893 to 1898 and County Governor from 1898 to 1915.-Personal life:Gram was born in Moss as the son...
(1846–1929) and Antoinette Augusta Brodtkorb (1846–1929). Several of his ancestors on both the maternal and paternal side had been politicians, including Jens Jensen Gram
Jens Jensen Gram
Jens Jensen Gram was a Norwegian jurist and politician.He was born in Copenhagen as the son of Jens Gram. He studied at the University of Copenhagen from 1798, and graduated with the cand.jur. degree in 1804...
, Gregers Winther Wulfsberg
Gregers Winther Wulfsberg
Gregers Winther Wulfsberg was a Norwegian jurist and politician, and a member of the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll that wrote the Constitution of Norway on May 17, 1814.-Personal life:...
, Bernt Sverdrup Maschmann
Bernt Sverdrup Maschmann
Bernt Sverdrup Maschmann was a Norwegian priest and politician.He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament in 1845, representing the constituency of Smaalenenes Amt. He worked as the vicar of Hobøl from 1837 to 1869....
and Jens Aars
Jens Aars
Jens Aars was a Norwegian priest and politician.He was the son of district stipendiary magistrate Jacob Aars , who had migrated to Norway from Aars, Denmark in 1757. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament in 1821, representing the constituency of Nordlands Amt...
. He was also a second cousin of Johan Fredrik
Johan Fredrik Gram
-Personal life:He was born in Drammen as a son of Jens Gram. He was a brother of Mads Gram, a maternal grandson of P. A. Munch and a paternal great-grandson of Jens Jensen Gram, a nephew of Andrea Gram and a first cousin of Harald Gram. His aunt Nicoline was married to Eilif Peterssen.In October...
and Mads Gram
Mads Gram
Harald Mathias "Mads" Gram was a Norwegian physician.He was born in Drammen as the son of Jens Gram. He was a brother of Johan Fredrik Gram, a maternal grandson of P. A. Munch and a paternal great-grandson of Jens Jensen Gram, a nephew of Andrea Gram and a first cousin of Harald Gram...
. Harald Gram was married to Ingrid Meyer (née Sønderaall, 1888–1969), fathering the well-known resistance fighter Gregers Gram
Gregers Gram
Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram MC MM was a Norwegian resistance fighter and saboteur. A corporal and later second lieutenant in the Norwegian Independent Company 1 during the Second World War, he was killed in 1944....
.
Career
After finishing his education as a jurist, taking the cand.jur. degree in 1911, Gram was engaged as secretary general of the Conservative Party of NorwayConservative Party of Norway
The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s...
in 1914, a position he held until 1936. His first post as an elected politician was as a member of Aker
Aker, Norway
Aker is a former municipality in Akershus, which lends its name to a municipality and a county in Norway. The name originally belonged to a farm which was located near the current Old Aker Church...
municipal council in 1919. From 1925 to 1928 he served as deputy mayor. He then entered national politics, being elected to the Norwegian Parliament in 1927
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1927
-Results:-References:*...
, 1930
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1930
-Results:*...
and 1933
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1933
-Results:- References :...
, representing Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
. He was not-elected to Parliament 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:*...
, instead returning to Aker municipal council. He was also hired as the stipendiary magistrate in Oslo, serving from 1936 to 1957.
Gram was a resistance pioneer during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, organising protests against efforts from Vidkun Quisling
Vidkun Quisling
Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling was a Norwegian politician. On 9 April 1940, with the German invasion of Norway in progress, he seized power in a Nazi-backed coup d'etat that garnered him international infamy. From 1942 to 1945 he served as Minister-President, working with the occupying...
's Nasjonal Samling to take control over professional organisations. In 1942 he was called to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
to take over Anders Frihagen's duties at the Norwegian Legation
Norwegian legation in Stockholm
The Norwegian Legation in Stockholm played a significant role during the Second World War. Until 9 April 1940 the legation consisted of four persons, and at the end of the war about 1,100 persons were connected to the legation. Refugee cases were among the legation's most central tasks...
there, leading an office responsible for financing the resistance work in Norway. This office, called Idrettskontoret ("The Sports Office"), was responsible for secret transfers of funds to the resistance movement, and the office also established a secret courier and communications service in Norway. The office was later reorganised, and appeared under the new name Sambandskontoret. In 1944, his son was killed by German agents. The acting stipendiary magistrate while Gram was in Sweden was the Nazi Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie
Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie (Nazi)
Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie was a Norwegian jurist and Nazi collaborator. He is best known as director of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation for some time during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany....
.
After the war, Gram continued in his office position in Oslo. He was also interested in genealogy
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
, and served as editor-in-chief for the magazine Norsk slektshistorisk tidsskrift from 1947 to 1959, and was a board member of the Norwegian Genealogical Society
Norwegian Genealogical Society
Norwegian Genealogical Society is a genealogical society in Oslo, Norway.It was founded on 22 October 1926 as the first exclusively Norwegian genealogical society. Among the founders were Stian Herlofsen Finne-Grønn, Christoffer Morgenstierne Munthe and Sigurd Segelcke Meidell...
from 1947 to 1957. He was also the editor of Norges Statskalender in 1947 and 1948, as well as co-publishing the yearbook Hvem er Hvem? ("Who's Who?").
Gram was decorated as a Knight of the Order of St. Olav in 1947 and as a Commander of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog
Order of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
.