Olav Dalgard
Encyclopedia
Olav Dalgard, given name Olaf Hanssen (June 19, 1898 in Folldal
– December 25, 1980 in Bærum
) was a Norwegian
filmmaker, advocate of Nynorsk
, and a literature and art historian.
Dalgard was raised in Oppdal
, from the age of three. He earned an M.A. degree in literature and art history at the University of Oslo
in 1929. During his studies, he was the chairman of the student Nynorsk association and was active in the Mot Dag
movement.
Dalgard worked as a literature critic for the newspapers Dagbladet
and Arbeiderbladet. From 1931 on he was the dramatic advisor and instructor at Det Norske Teateret. He studied film in the Soviet Union
and in the 1930s produced several films with a socialist message. Dalgard was also active in the Norwegian Labour Party
's cultural operations.
During World War II
Dalgard was arrested in 1942 and held as a political prisoner by the German occupants and sent to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp
.
After the war, Dalgard wrote, among other things, a history of Norwegian theater entitled Teateret frå Aiskylos til Ibsen (Theater from Aiskylos to Ibsen) (1948), and theoretical works about film. He was involved in the establishment of Norsk Filminstitutt. Among his most famous works was Gryr i Norden, a dramatization of a strike in Oslo in 1889
.
Dalgard was a member of the state film board, chairman of the Norwegian Literature Critics' Association from 1953–55, and president of the Norwegian Humanist Association
from 1965-77.
In 1961 Dalgard received a government grant. In 1978 he accepted the Norwegian culture council's special award for his work. An award, Dalgards kritikerpris, is named for him and is given annually to a reviewer in literature, film, or theater.
Folldal
Folldal is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Dovre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Folldal. The new municipality of Folldal was separated from Alvdal in 1914.-Name:...
– December 25, 1980 in Bærum
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
) was a Norwegian
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...
filmmaker, advocate of 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 a literature and art historian.
Dalgard was raised in Oppdal
Oppdal
is a village and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Dovre region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Oppdal. Other villages in the municipality include Lønset, Vognillan, Fagerhaug, and Holan...
, from the age of three. He earned an M.A. degree in literature and art history at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
in 1929. During his studies, he was the chairman of the student Nynorsk association and was active in the Mot Dag
Mot Dag
Mot Dag was a Norwegian periodical and a communist organization with the same name.It was established in 1921 under the initiative of Erling Falk, partly with origins in the debate forum in the Social Democratic student government in Oslo ; partly from a Falk-led study circle which from 1919...
movement.
Dalgard worked as a literature critic for the newspapers Dagbladet
Dagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
and Arbeiderbladet. From 1931 on he was the dramatic advisor and instructor at Det Norske Teateret. He studied film in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and in the 1930s produced several films with a socialist message. Dalgard was also active in the Norwegian 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....
's cultural operations.
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...
Dalgard was arrested in 1942 and held as a political prisoner by the German occupants and sent to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp
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 war, Dalgard wrote, among other things, a history of Norwegian theater entitled Teateret frå Aiskylos til Ibsen (Theater from Aiskylos to Ibsen) (1948), and theoretical works about film. He was involved in the establishment of Norsk Filminstitutt. Among his most famous works was Gryr i Norden, a dramatization of a strike in Oslo in 1889
Kristiania Match Workers Strike of 1889
The Kristiania match workers strike was an industrial dispute involving female match workers at the factories Bryn and Grønvold in Kristiania in 1889. The strike started when the wages were suddenly reduced by 20% in October 1889, and involved 372 of the female workers. It ended 13 December the...
.
Dalgard was a member of the state film board, chairman of the Norwegian Literature Critics' Association from 1953–55, and president of the Norwegian Humanist Association
Human-Etisk Forbund
The Norwegian Humanist Association is currently one of the largest Humanist associations in the world, with 82,890 members. In relation to the size of the national population , it is by far the largest such association per capita.Founded in 1956, the HEF is a member of the International Humanist...
from 1965-77.
In 1961 Dalgard received a government grant. In 1978 he accepted the Norwegian culture council's special award for his work. An award, Dalgards kritikerpris, is named for him and is given annually to a reviewer in literature, film, or theater.