Otto Luihn
Encyclopedia
Otto Luihn was a Norwegian newspaper editor, magazine editor and poet.
He was born as Otto Killingland in Drammen
as a son of attorney Samuel Killingland (1841–1910) and Johanne Louise Luihn (1856–1906), and a grandson of Hans Jacob Luihn. In 1913 he married Marie Langlotz (1893–1969).
Luihn finished middle school in 1906, and worked a couple of years at sea. worked for the anarchist magazine Storm from 1909. He was a journalist for Klassekampen
, then for Social-Demokraten
from 1914 to 1916, editor-in-chief for the Stavanger newspaper Den 1ste Mai, then journalist for the Bergen newspaper Arbeidet
from 1919 to 1923. Joining the Communist Party
in 1923, he worked for Norges Kommunistblad
from 1923 to 1927. He was the first editor of the weekly magazine Arbeidermagasinet
from 1927. In the same year he was imprisoned (five weeks of detention, without conviction) together with Henry W. Kristiansen, Just Lippe
and Albin Eines
, after a police raid in the Communist Party offices.
He edited Arbeidermagasinet until February 1931, and set out to mold it into an entertainment magazine with a connection to the labour movement. For enlightenment purposes they ran a column named Kjente menn innen arbeiderklassen ("Famous Men of the Working Class"), and in 1931 Luihn released Arbeidernes fremmedordbok ("Workers' Dictionary of Foreign Words"). He also released the poetry collection Dikt in 1930.
Luihn spent the year 1931 to 1932 studying in the Soviet Union
. From 1933 he edited the magazine Arbeider-Revy, which was officially an organ for the organization Arbeiderforfatteres forening, which he started. It has been called social realistic
, and was heavily inspired by Komintern
and the Soviet Union, which Luihn admired. He also wrote three books to testify this admiration: Sovjetunionen. Oplevelser og inntrykk (1933), Centralasia under Sovjetstjernen (1934) and Ukraine. På opdagerferd i den tredjestørste Sovjetrepublikk (1936). He defended the Moscow Trials
, but nonetheless defected from the Communist Party to the Labour Party
in 1937. He wrote in Arbeidermagasinet and Arbeiderbladet
now and then, and was also the first chairman in the trade union Illustrert presses forfattere. He had also been a member of the Norwegian secretariat of International Revolutionary Writers.
During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
in 1942, he was arrested by Gestapo
on 17 May 1942. He was incarcerated at Bredtveit concentration camp from 8 June to 24 September 1942. After being released he fled to Sweden. He died from an heart ailment in March 1943 in Stockholm.
He was born as Otto Killingland in Drammen
Drammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
as a son of attorney Samuel Killingland (1841–1910) and Johanne Louise Luihn (1856–1906), and a grandson of Hans Jacob Luihn. In 1913 he married Marie Langlotz (1893–1969).
Luihn finished middle school in 1906, and worked a couple of years at sea. worked for the anarchist magazine Storm from 1909. He was a journalist for Klassekampen
Klassekampen (1909–1940)
Klassekampen was a Norwegian newspaper. It was established in 1909 as an organ for the youth movement of the Norwegian Labour Party, Norges socialdemokratiske ungdomsforbund. Its editor-in-chief from 1911 to 1921 was Eugène Olaussen.At the Labour-Communist party split in 1923, the newspaper was...
, then for 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 1914 to 1916, editor-in-chief for the Stavanger newspaper Den 1ste Mai, then journalist for the Bergen newspaper Arbeidet
Arbeidet
Arbeidet was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Bergen in Hordaland county.Arbeidet was started in Bergen as a socialist newspaper on 6 December 1893, by a grouping called . It was the first socialist daily newspaper in Norway...
from 1919 to 1923. Joining 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...
in 1923, he worked for Norges Kommunistblad
Norges Kommunistblad
Norges Kommunistblad was a daily newspaper published in Oslo, Norway.It was started on 5 November 1923 as the official party newspaper from the Communist Party, which was established that year after a split from the Labour Party. The first editor was Olav Scheflo...
from 1923 to 1927. He was the first editor of the weekly magazine Arbeidermagasinet
Arbeidermagasinet
Arbeidermagasinet was a Norwegian weekly magazine established in 1927. It changed its name to Magasinet For Alle in 1953, and ceased publication in 1970. The magazine is especially noted for its literary quality and its promotion of the short story.-Editors:Arbeidermagasinet's first editor from...
from 1927. In the same year he was imprisoned (five weeks of detention, without conviction) 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....
and Albin Eines
Albin Eines
Albin Konrad Eines was a Norwegian newspaper editor and politician for the Labour and Communist Labour parties. He later became a Nazi, working for Norwegian and German Nazis during the Second World War.-Early career:...
, after a police raid in the Communist Party offices.
He edited Arbeidermagasinet until February 1931, and set out to mold it into an entertainment magazine with a connection to the labour movement. For enlightenment purposes they ran a column named Kjente menn innen arbeiderklassen ("Famous Men of the Working Class"), and in 1931 Luihn released Arbeidernes fremmedordbok ("Workers' Dictionary of Foreign Words"). He also released the poetry collection Dikt in 1930.
Luihn spent the year 1931 to 1932 studying 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....
. From 1933 he edited the magazine Arbeider-Revy, which was officially an organ for the organization Arbeiderforfatteres forening, which he started. It has been called social realistic
Social realism
Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic...
, and was heavily inspired by Komintern
Komintern
Komintern may refer to:*Comintern, the Communist International*Komintern artillery tractor*Soviet_cruiser_Komintern - Soviet cruiser of the Black Sea Fleet*Malyshev Factory...
and the Soviet Union, which Luihn admired. He also wrote three books to testify this admiration: Sovjetunionen. Oplevelser og inntrykk (1933), Centralasia under Sovjetstjernen (1934) and Ukraine. På opdagerferd i den tredjestørste Sovjetrepublikk (1936). He defended the Moscow Trials
Moscow Trials
The Moscow Trials were a series of show trials conducted in the Soviet Union and orchestrated by Joseph Stalin during the Great Purge of the 1930s. The victims included most of the surviving Old Bolsheviks, as well as the leadership of the Soviet secret police...
, but nonetheless defected from the Communist Party to the 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 1937. He wrote in Arbeidermagasinet and Arbeiderbladet
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...
now and then, and was also the first chairman in the trade union Illustrert presses forfattere. He had also been a member of the Norwegian secretariat of International Revolutionary Writers.
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...
in 1942, he was arrested by 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...
on 17 May 1942. He was incarcerated at Bredtveit concentration camp from 8 June to 24 September 1942. After being released he fled to Sweden. He died from an heart ailment in March 1943 in Stockholm.