Kristian Ottosen

Kristian Ottosen (15 January 1921, Solund – 1 June 2006, Oslo) was a Norwegian non-fiction writer and public servant.

While still a student, he was also active in the Norwegian resistance movement during World War II and was imprisoned as a Nacht und Nebel inmate. He was imprisoned in Veiten from June to July 1942, then in Bergen from July to September, then in Grini concentration camp from September to December. From December 1942 to June 1944 he was in Sachsenhausen concentration camp, then until September 1944 in Natzweiler-Struthof. He was then in Dachau concentration camp for three days, and Ottobrunn for one day. He was lastly in Dautmergen from September to November 1944 and Vaihingen until the war's end.[1]

After the war, he finished his studies at the University of Bergen, where he became the leader of the Det Norske Studentersamfund first in Bergen, and then as a full-time employee at the University of Oslo. He was the manager of the Foundation for Student Life in Oslo from 1950 to 1979. He led the commission that recommended the founding of regional university colleges throughout Norway and for establishment of the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund. He also chaired the board of NRK from 1972 to 1979, and Nationaltheatret from 1981 to 1989.[2][3]

After he retired, Ottosen wrote a series of historical accounts from World War II. These included memoirs from his work in the Norwegian resistance as well as thorough historical surveys of Norwegians who were arrested and detained by Nazi authorities during the war. For this work he was honored with the Fritt Ord Honorary Award in 2004, made commander in the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, and named honorary member of the Norwegian Labour Party.[4][5]

  1. ^ Ottosen, Kristian, ed. (2004). Nordmenn i fangenskap 1940–1945 (in Norwegian) (2nd ed.). Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. p. 549. ISBN 82-15-00288-9.
  2. ^ Soot-Ryen, Trond (2005-04-01). "Kristian Ottosen" (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  3. ^ "Kristian Ottosen er død" (in Norwegian). VG. 2006-06-01. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  4. ^ Stoltenberg, Jens (2006-06-09). "Graveside speech over Kristian Ottosen" (in Norwegian). Government of Norway. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  5. ^ "Fritt Ords Honnør" (in Norwegian). The Freedom of Expression Foundation. Archived from the original on 2008-03-11. Retrieved 2008-07-09.