Søren Jaabæk
Encyclopedia
Søren Pedersen Jaabæk was a Norwegian
politician and farmer. Jaabæk is the longest-serving member of the Parliament of Norway in the history of Norway, and was one of the founders of the Liberal Party of Norway.
Jaabæk was born in Holum
, Lister og Mandals amt
, Norway
in 1814. After living in Halse og Harkmark
for some years, he returned to Holum following his father's death in 1849. He began his professional life working in schools and churches. He served several terms as mayor of Holum and Halse og Harkmark between 1840 and 1890. In 1845, he was elected to the Parliament of Norway, where he served until 1891.
In 1865, Jaabæk founded Bondevennerne (lit. "The Friends of the Peasants", inspired by a Danish society of the same name
), a political society of Norwegian farmers which evolved from a local group in Mandal to a national movement, composed of more than 300 local bodies with approximately 30,000 members in total. Through Bondevennerne, Jaabæk introduced the open popular meeting to Norwegian politics, and the first Norwegian cooperatives emerged as offshoots of the Bondevennerne movement. Bondevennerne's main newspaper, Folketidende
, was also founded by Jaabæk in Mandal in 1865. Jaabæk was elected chairman of Bondevennerne in 1868.
In parliamentary politics, Jaabæk eventually emerged as the leader of the oppositonal alliance of farmers. He often sided with Johan Sverdrup
, a major representative of the urban liberal opposition. In 1869, Jaabæk and Sverdrup became political allies, thus establishing an alliance between the urban and the rural opposition, which would lead to the foundation of the Liberal Party of Norway (led by Sverdrup) in 1884. By 1884, little remained of Bondevennerne. Some of the remaining bodies gradually became local Liberal bodies. Jaabæk never became one of the leading figures of the new party, but he remained a supporter of Sverdrup for the remainder of his political career. For his last parliamentary term, Jaabæk represented the Moderate Liberal Party
. He left the Norwegian Parliament in 1891.
Jaabæk supported economic liberalism
and was widely known for his opposition to high governmental spending. His alleged stubbornness in economic matters earned him the nickname "Neibæk" ("No-bæk"). Due to his rationalistic approach to Christianity, as well as his view of positions in the church as ordinary professions, he became at odds with the Norwegian clergy in the 1870s. Jaabæk supported many democratic reforms, and spoke up for universal suffrage
and equal marriage rights for men and women.
Jaabæk died in 1894.
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...
politician and farmer. Jaabæk is the longest-serving member of the Parliament of Norway in the history of Norway, and was one of the founders of the Liberal Party of Norway.
Jaabæk was born in Holum
Holum
Holum is a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Mandal.-Name:...
, Lister og Mandals amt
Vest-Agder
In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding...
, Norway
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...
in 1814. After living in Halse og Harkmark
Halse og Harkmark
Halse og Harkmark is a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Mandal. When it was a municipality, it encompassed the rural areas that surrounded the city of Mandal, including many islands such as Hille, Skjernøy, and Pysen .-Name:Halse...
for some years, he returned to Holum following his father's death in 1849. He began his professional life working in schools and churches. He served several terms as mayor of Holum and Halse og Harkmark between 1840 and 1890. In 1845, he was elected to the Parliament of Norway, where he served until 1891.
In 1865, Jaabæk founded Bondevennerne (lit. "The Friends of the Peasants", inspired by a Danish society of the same name
The Society of the Friends of Peasants
The Society of the Friends of Peasants was a liberal Danish political society founded on 5 May 1846 by members of the provincial consultative assemblies Johan Christian Drewsen and Balthasar Christensen with the intent to promote the liberation of the peasantry and equality among the different...
), a political society of Norwegian farmers which evolved from a local group in Mandal to a national movement, composed of more than 300 local bodies with approximately 30,000 members in total. Through Bondevennerne, Jaabæk introduced the open popular meeting to Norwegian politics, and the first Norwegian cooperatives emerged as offshoots of the Bondevennerne movement. Bondevennerne's main newspaper, Folketidende
Folketidende
Folketidende was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Mandal.Folketidende was founded in 1865 by Søren Jaabæk. It focused on small government and liberalist politics. It went defunct in 1879....
, was also founded by Jaabæk in Mandal in 1865. Jaabæk was elected chairman of Bondevennerne in 1868.
In parliamentary politics, Jaabæk eventually emerged as the leader of the oppositonal alliance of farmers. He often sided with Johan Sverdrup
Johan Sverdrup
Johan Sverdrup was a Norwegian politician from the Liberal Party. He was the first Prime Minister of Norway after the introduction of parliamentarism. Sverdrup was Prime Minister from 1884 to 1889.- Early years :...
, a major representative of the urban liberal opposition. In 1869, Jaabæk and Sverdrup became political allies, thus establishing an alliance between the urban and the rural opposition, which would lead to the foundation of the Liberal Party of Norway (led by Sverdrup) in 1884. By 1884, little remained of Bondevennerne. Some of the remaining bodies gradually became local Liberal bodies. Jaabæk never became one of the leading figures of the new party, but he remained a supporter of Sverdrup for the remainder of his political career. For his last parliamentary term, Jaabæk represented the Moderate Liberal Party
Moderate Liberal Party
Moderate Liberal Party was a Norwegian political party that emerged from the conservative branch of the Liberal Party in 1888, consisting mainly of the Low Church...
. He left the Norwegian Parliament in 1891.
Jaabæk supported economic liberalism
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
and was widely known for his opposition to high governmental spending. His alleged stubbornness in economic matters earned him the nickname "Neibæk" ("No-bæk"). Due to his rationalistic approach to Christianity, as well as his view of positions in the church as ordinary professions, he became at odds with the Norwegian clergy in the 1870s. Jaabæk supported many democratic reforms, and spoke up for universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
and equal marriage rights for men and women.
Jaabæk died in 1894.