Reinert Torgeirson
Encyclopedia
Reinert Torgeirson was a Norwegian
newspaper editor and politician for the Labour
and Communist
parties. He was also an active poet, playwright and novelist.
He was born in Ålesund
, and was a member of the temperance movement
in his youth. He was a journalist in Ny Tid
from 1910 to 1915, manager in Norges Socialdemokratiske Ungdomsforbund from 1915 to 1918, and director of the Labour Party publishing house Det Norske Arbeiderpartis Forlag
from 1919 to 1923. For a period he was the acting editor of Indtrøndelagens Socialdemokrat, from the arrest of editor Alfred Kruse to November 1914. A handbook in organizational work he wrote together with Arvid G. Hansen
, Haandbog i lags- og studiearbeidet (1916) was the first handbook of its kind. He was also a deputy member of the Labour Party's national board from 1918.
In 1923 he broke away from the Labour Party, joining the Communist Party. From 1924 to 1925 he edited Møre Arbeiderblad
, and then Glomdalens Arbeiderblad
in 1925 and Arbeidet
from 1925 to 1929. From 1929 to 1930 he studied in the Soviet Union. From 1931 to 1932 he edited Arbeideren
. He then worked as a journalist in Arbeidermagasinet
while working as a theatre critic for Arbeideren. He resigned his membership in the Communist Party in 1937.
Torgeirson was an active writer outside of the press. He published the poetry collections Under rødt flagg in 1915 and Digte in 1920. In 1919 and 1920 he selected poems for a two-volume collection named Frihetsdigte. He later turned to writing plays, mainly meant to be staged by young laborers: Den store leveransen (1923), Per Brått (1931), Stener for brød (1932), 'Arbeidar og bonde (1934) and Jonsokfest (1938). He also wrote novels, including Byen brenner! (1945). He also released two history books, Folketeaterforeningen gjennom 25 år (1954) and Norsk kafeforbund gjennom 30 år (1965).
He died in 1969, and is buried on Østre gravlund.
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...
newspaper editor and politician for the Labour
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....
and 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...
parties. He was also an active poet, playwright and novelist.
He was born in Ålesund
Ålesund
is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre, and the center of the Ålesund Region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture....
, and was a member 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...
in his youth. He was a journalist in Ny Tid
Ny Tid (Trondheim)
Ny Tid was a Norwegian newspaper established in 1899 by the typographers Joh. Halseth and Alf Scheflo at the same time as they established their own printing office in Trondheim. The publishers meant to create a worker's newspaper, not a socialist paper...
from 1910 to 1915, manager in Norges Socialdemokratiske Ungdomsforbund from 1915 to 1918, and director of the Labour Party publishing house Det Norske Arbeiderpartis Forlag
Det Norske Arbeiderpartis Forlag
Det Norske Arbeiderpartis Forlag is a Norwegian publishing house with connections to the Norwegian Labour Party.It released publications by many of the party's most prominent politicians, and also released translated material from Karl Kautsky, Kropotkin, Clara Zetkin, Oscar Wilde and others.In...
from 1919 to 1923. For a period he was the acting editor of Indtrøndelagens Socialdemokrat, from the arrest of editor Alfred Kruse to November 1914. A handbook in organizational work he wrote together with Arvid G. Hansen
Arvid G. Hansen
Arvid Gilbert Hansen was a Norwegian newspaper editor and politician for the Labour and Communist parties.-Early life and Labour Party career:...
, Haandbog i lags- og studiearbeidet (1916) was the first handbook of its kind. He was also a deputy member of the Labour Party's national board from 1918.
In 1923 he broke away from the Labour Party, joining the Communist Party. From 1924 to 1925 he edited Møre Arbeiderblad
Møre Arbeiderblad
Møre Arbeiderblad was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Ålesund in Møre og Romsdal county.Møre Arbeiderblad was started on 13 September 1923 as a newspaper with an unofficial affiliation with the Labour Party. Before the affiliation was made formal, the Communist Party broke away from Labour and...
, and then Glomdalens Arbeiderblad
Glomdalens Arbeiderblad
Glomdalens Arbeiderblad was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Kongsvinger in Hedmark county. It was named Glommendalen from 1885 to 1915 and Glommendalens Social-Demokrat from 1915 to 1923....
in 1925 and 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 1925 to 1929. From 1929 to 1930 he studied in the Soviet Union. From 1931 to 1932 he edited 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 then worked as a journalist in 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...
while working as a theatre critic for Arbeideren. He resigned his membership in the Communist Party in 1937.
Torgeirson was an active writer outside of the press. He published the poetry collections Under rødt flagg in 1915 and Digte in 1920. In 1919 and 1920 he selected poems for a two-volume collection named Frihetsdigte. He later turned to writing plays, mainly meant to be staged by young laborers: Den store leveransen (1923), Per Brått (1931), Stener for brød (1932), 'Arbeidar og bonde (1934) and Jonsokfest (1938). He also wrote novels, including Byen brenner! (1945). He also released two history books, Folketeaterforeningen gjennom 25 år (1954) and Norsk kafeforbund gjennom 30 år (1965).
He died in 1969, and is buried on Østre gravlund.