Oscar Nissen
Encyclopedia
Elias Gottlieb Oscar Egede Nissen (31 October 1843 – 4 January 1911) was a Norwegian physician, newspaper editor and politician. He belonged to the Norwegian Labour Party
from 1889 to his death, and was both party leader, party secretary as well as editor of the party organ Social-Demokraten
for a period. He also made his mark as a campaigner for temperance
and better health conditions.
as the son of physician Heinrich Nissen (1802–1866) and Fayette Ørbech (1806–1884). His father had migrated from Holstein to Norway in 1825, and his mother was born at Falster
. Through his mother, Oscar Nissen was a descendant of missionary Hans Egede
.
Nissen first married pianist Erika Lie
. The marriage lasted from 1874 to 1895, and they had the daughter Erika Nissen-Lie, born in 1878. Oscar Nissen married Fernanda Nissen
in 1895. He was the uncle of politician Adam Egede-Nissen
.
. He finally graduated with the cand.med.
degree in 1873, and specialized in gynecology.
Nissen was a devout Christian in his early life. For a period in the 1880s he chaired the missionary organization Den norske Santalmisjon. In 1883 he became the editor of their newly founded magazine Santhalen. From 1884 to 1890 he edited the magazine Sundhedsbladet. Since 1876 Nissen was also an avid supporter of the temperance movement
, and from 1884 to 1890 he edited the temperance magazine Menneskevennen. In the aftermath of the death of founder Asbjørn Kloster
, he chaired the temperance organization Det norske Totalavholdsselskap from 1879 to 1887. This period witnessed a tenfold increase of membership. He retired from the organization as the 1887 national convention would not support his proposition on prohibition
.
Nissen worked in Kristiania
from 1884 as a specialist in women's diseases. He was not uncontroversial. At a meeting arranged by the Norwegian Students' Society on 17 November 1887, Nissen had made the claim that from his personal experience, only 10% of women had libido
. He was lambasted by activist Ragna Nielsen
, who tried, unsuccessfully, to channel her protest through the recently established (1884) Norwegian Association for Women's Rights.
Politically, Nissen originally belonged to the Liberal Party. However, towards the end of the 1880s he aligned more with the fledgling socialist movement. In 1889 he joined the Norwegian Labour Party
, founded in 1887. In the same year he marked himself as a supporter of the strike among the match factory workers. It occurred in October 1889 when three hundred match factory workers, all female, laid down their work. They demanded a slight pay raise of 1 øre
extra per gross
packed as well as better sanitary conditions. Nissen was especially concerned about the danger of contracting phossy jaw
, and famously spoke at a public meeting together with Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
. Nonetheless, the strike was given up in December.
He was the editor-in-chief of the party organ Social-Demokraten
from 1894 to 1897, and served as the party secretary during the same period. He was also a member of Kristiania city council from 1898 to 1907. From 1906 to his death he was the chairman of the Labour Party. He died in Kristiania.
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....
from 1889 to his death, and was both party leader, party secretary as well as editor of the party organ 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...
for a period. He also made his mark as a campaigner for temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
and better health conditions.
Personal life
Nissen was born in TromsøTromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
as the son of physician Heinrich Nissen (1802–1866) and Fayette Ørbech (1806–1884). His father had migrated from Holstein to Norway in 1825, and his mother was born at Falster
Falster
Falster is an island in south-eastern Denmark with an area of 514 km² and 43,398 inhabitants as of 1 January 2010. Located in the Baltic sea, it is part of Region Sjælland and is administered by Guldborgsund Municipality...
. Through his mother, Oscar Nissen was a descendant of missionary Hans Egede
Hans Egede
Hans Poulsen Egede was a Norwegian-Danish Lutheran missionary who launched mission efforts to Greenland, which led him to be styled the Apostle of Greenland. He established a successful mission among the Inuit and is credited with revitalizing Dano-Norwegian interest in the island after contact...
.
Nissen first married pianist Erika Lie
Erika Nissen
Erika Nissen, née Lie was a Norwegian pianist.She was born in Kongsvinger as the daughter of jurist Michael Strøm Lie and his wife Ingeborg Birgitte Røring Møinichen. She was the sister of Thomasine Lie, who married Jonas Lie...
. The marriage lasted from 1874 to 1895, and they had the daughter Erika Nissen-Lie, born in 1878. Oscar Nissen married Fernanda Nissen
Fernanda Nissen
Petra Gregorine Fernanda Nissen was a Norwegian journalist, literary critic, theatre critic, politician and feminist pioneer.-Early and personal life:...
in 1895. He was the uncle of politician Adam Egede-Nissen
Adam Egede-Nissen
Adam Egede-Nissen , Norwegian Communist politician. Born in Levanger and he started his political involvement in the Liberal Party of Norway and was elected to the Storting in 1900. In 1905 he broke with the Liberal Party and joined the Norwegian Labour Party and became one of its leaders...
.
Career
After spending some time at sea during his youth, he enrolled as a student of medicine in 1863. His study period was interrupted twice, as he volunteered in the 1864 Second Schleswig War and as a surgeon for six months in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian WarFranco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
. He finally graduated with the cand.med.
Cand.med.
Candidate of Medicine , Candidata Medicinae , abbreviated Cand. Med.) is an academic degree awarded in Denmark, Iceland and Norway following a six-year medical school education....
degree in 1873, and specialized in gynecology.
Nissen was a devout Christian in his early life. For a period in the 1880s he chaired the missionary organization Den norske Santalmisjon. In 1883 he became the editor of their newly founded magazine Santhalen. From 1884 to 1890 he edited the magazine Sundhedsbladet. Since 1876 Nissen was also an avid supporter of the temperance movement
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
, and from 1884 to 1890 he edited the temperance magazine Menneskevennen. In the aftermath of the death of founder Asbjørn Kloster
Asbjørn Kloster
Asbjørn Kloster was a social reformer and leader of the Norwegian temperance movement in the 19th century.-Background:...
, he chaired the temperance organization Det norske Totalavholdsselskap from 1879 to 1887. This period witnessed a tenfold increase of membership. He retired from the organization as the 1887 national convention would not support his proposition on prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
.
Nissen worked in 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...
from 1884 as a specialist in women's diseases. He was not uncontroversial. At a meeting arranged by the Norwegian Students' Society on 17 November 1887, Nissen had made the claim that from his personal experience, only 10% of women had libido
Libido
Libido refers to a person's sex drive or desire for sexual activity. The desire for sex is an aspect of a person's sexuality, but varies enormously from one person to another, and it also varies depending on circumstances at a particular time. A person who has extremely frequent or a suddenly...
. He was lambasted by activist Ragna Nielsen
Ragna Nielsen
Ragna Vilhelmine Nielsen was a Norwegian pedagogue, school headmistress, publicist, organizer, politician and feminist.-Personal life:...
, who tried, unsuccessfully, to channel her protest through the recently established (1884) Norwegian Association for Women's Rights.
Politically, Nissen originally belonged to the Liberal Party. However, towards the end of the 1880s he aligned more with the fledgling socialist movement. In 1889 he joined 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....
, founded in 1887. In the same year he marked himself as a supporter of the strike among the match factory workers. It occurred in October 1889 when three hundred match factory workers, all female, laid down their work. They demanded a slight pay raise of 1 øre
Øre
Øre is the centesimal subdivision of the Norwegian and Danish krones. The Faroese division is called the oyra, but is equal in value to the Danish coin. Before their discontinuation, the corresponding divisions of the Swedish krona and the Icelandic króna were the öre and the eyrir...
extra per gross
Gross (unit)
A gross is equal to a dozen dozen, i.e. 12 × 12 = 144.It can be used in duodecimal counting. The use of gross likely originated from the fact that 144 can be counted on the fingers using the fingertips and first two joints of each finger when marked by the thumb of one hand. The other hand...
packed as well as better sanitary conditions. Nissen was especially concerned about the danger of contracting phossy jaw
Phossy jaw
Phossy jaw, formally phosphorus necrosis of the jaw, is an occupational disease of those who work with white phosphorus, also known as yellow phosphorus, without proper safeguards. It was most commonly seen in workers in the match industry in the 19th and early 20th century...
, and famously spoke at a public meeting together with Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland...
. Nonetheless, the strike was given up in December.
He was the editor-in-chief of the party organ 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 1894 to 1897, and served as the party secretary during the same period. He was also a member of Kristiania city council from 1898 to 1907. From 1906 to his death he was the chairman of the Labour Party. He died in Kristiania.