Ottar Lie
Encyclopedia
Ottar Lie was a Norwegian communist and resistance member.
He was born in Løten
, to a father from Vang
and a mother from Ås
. He was married twice, last to Inga, née Knutsen. He had two children, and lived in Oslo.
He was originally a member of the Norwegian Labour Party
. In 1921 he was hired as county secretary in Hedmark
. At the time he was also active in the Young Communist League
(until 1923 the Labour Party youth wing). In 1923, at the founding of the Communist Party
, Lie became Hedmark's representative in the central board. He continued as party secretary in Hedmark until 1927, then in Oslo
for the party nationwide. Before it was stopped in 1940, Lie was also a board member of the newspaper Arbeideren
.
He was a member of the Communist
resistance movement
, as Norway was occupied by Nazi Germany
from 1940. In the now-illegal Communist Party he was one of the leading figures together with Henry W. Kristiansen, Just Lippe
, Johan Strand Johansen
and Emil Løvlien
. He was held imprisoned in Møllergata 19
from August to September 1940. Eventually, together with Arne Gauslaa
he led the party's organizational centre which had contact with communist resistance members who hid in the mountains. The centre was moved from Steinsfjorden to Vikersund
in October 1942. The centre was blown after former resistance member Karsten Sølvberg had cracked during Gestapo
torture, become a Gestapo agent and ratted them out. Already on 30 October 1942 the centre in Vikersund was surrounded by Gestapists. Gauslaa and another person were shot to death. Lie was arrested and tortured. He was held at Møllergata 19 from 30 October 1942, then in Grini concentration camp from 24 February 1943. He was transferred to Trandum on 1 March 1943 and executed at Trandumskogen
. He was buried in Oslo.
His brother Ivar Lie was also a communist resistance member, who managed to flee to Sweden.
He was born in Løten
Løten
Løten is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Løten. The parish of Løiten was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 .-Name:The municipality is named after an old farm...
, to a father from Vang
Vang, Hedmark
Vang is a former municipality in Hedmark county, Norway.Vang was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . The city of Hamar was separated from Vang in 1849. Furnes was separated from Vang in 1891...
and a mother from Ås
Ås
Ås is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Follo traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ås...
. He was married twice, last to Inga, née Knutsen. He had two children, and lived in Oslo.
He was originally a member of 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....
. In 1921 he was hired as county secretary in Hedmark
Hedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
. At the time he was also active in the Young Communist League
Young Communist League of Norway
Young Communist League of Norway was until April 2006 the youth league of Norges Kommunistiske Parti . April 1st 2006 NKP declared that NKU was no longer its youth organization, and that all youths interested in joining the movement should contact the party directly...
(until 1923 the Labour Party youth wing). In 1923, at the founding of the Communist Party
Communist Party of Norway
The Communist Party of Norway is a political party in Norway without parliamentary representation. It was formed in 1923, following a split in the Norwegian Labour Party. The party played an important role in the resistance to German occupation during the Second World War, and experienced a brief...
, Lie became Hedmark's representative in the central board. He continued as party secretary in Hedmark until 1927, then in Oslo
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...
for the party nationwide. Before it was stopped in 1940, Lie was also a board member of the newspaper Arbeideren
Arbeideren
Arbeideren was a daily newspaper published in Oslo, Norway.It was started on 2 November 1929 as the official party newspaper from the Communist Party. It lent its name from a Hamar-based newspaper of the same name, which had gone defunct on 4 October. More directly, it replaced Norges...
.
He was a member of the Communist
Communist Party of Norway
The Communist Party of Norway is a political party in Norway without parliamentary representation. It was formed in 1923, following a split in the Norwegian Labour Party. The party played an important role in the resistance to German occupation during the Second World War, and experienced a brief...
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:...
, as Norway was occupied 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...
from 1940. In the now-illegal Communist Party he was one of the leading figures together with Henry W. Kristiansen, Just Lippe
Just Lippe
Just Lippe was a Norwegian journalist and politician for the Communist Party he was also a strong campaigner for the Homosexual Allegiance, a Homosexual activist group, co-founding his own break away often labelled "renegade group" Men in Arms....
, Johan Strand Johansen
Johan Strand Johansen
Johan Strand Johansen was Norwegian Minister of Labour in 1945. From 1945-1949 and later from 1954-1957 he represented the Communist Party of Norway in the Parliament of Norway...
and Emil Løvlien
Emil Løvlien
Emil H. Løvlien was a Norwegian forest worker, trade unionist and politician from Løten. He represented the Labour Party until the split in 1923, and the Communist Party thereafter...
. He was held imprisoned in Møllergata 19
Møllergata 19
Møllergata 19 is an address in Oslo, Norway where the city's main police station and jail was located. The address gained notoriety during the German occupation from 1940 to 1945, when the Nazi security police kept its headquarters here...
from August to September 1940. Eventually, together with Arne Gauslaa
Arne Gauslaa
Arne Gauslaa was a Norwegian communist, newspaper editor and resistance member.He was born in Solum, to a mother from Solum and a father from Herefoss.. His father Olav Gauslaa was a member of Solum municipal council from 1910 to 1927 and again from 1931, and had joined the Communist Party in 1923...
he led the party's organizational centre which had contact with communist resistance members who hid in the mountains. The centre was moved from Steinsfjorden to Vikersund
Vikersund
Vikersund is a town of 2,448 inhabitants in the municipality capital of Modum, in the county of Buskerud, Norway.Vikersund is located 30 kilometers south of Hønefoss and 40 kilometers northwest of Drammen. The village is located at the southwestern arm of Tyrifjorden. The Drammen river enters...
in October 1942. The centre was blown after former resistance member Karsten Sølvberg had cracked during Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
torture, become a Gestapo agent and ratted them out. Already on 30 October 1942 the centre in Vikersund was surrounded by Gestapists. Gauslaa and another person were shot to death. Lie was arrested and tortured. He was held at Møllergata 19 from 30 October 1942, then in Grini concentration camp from 24 February 1943. He was transferred to Trandum on 1 March 1943 and executed at Trandumskogen
Trandumskogen
Trandumskogen is a forest located in Ullensaker, Akershus county, Norway. It was the site of one of the first discoveries in May 1945 of German mass graves in Norway. The German executioner Oskar Hans was the officer in command of the unit performing the executions.In total 173 Norwegians, 6...
. He was buried in Oslo.
His brother Ivar Lie was also a communist resistance member, who managed to flee to Sweden.