Oscar Nissen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chairman of theNorwegian Labour Party | |
| In office 1906–1911 | |
| Preceded by | Christopher Hornsrud |
| Succeeded by | Christian Holtermann Knudsen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Elias Gottlieb Oscar Egede Nissen (1843-10-31)31 October 1843 Tromsø, Norway |
| Died | 4 January 1911(1911-01-04) (aged 67) Kristiania, Norway |
| Party | Norwegian Labour |
| Other political affiliations | Liberal Party of Norway |
| Spouses |
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| Relatives | Adam Egede-Nissen (nephew) |
Elias Gottlieb Oscar Egede Nissen (31 October 1843 – 4 January 1911) was a Norwegian physician, newspaper editor and politician. He belonged to theNorwegian Labour Party from 1889 to his death, and was both party leader, party secretary as well as editor of the party organSocial-Demokraten for a period. He also made his mark as a campaigner fortemperance and better health conditions. He was also chairman of theNorwegian Santal Mission.
Nissen was born inTromsø as the son of physician Heinrich Nissen (1802–1866) and Fayette Ørbech (1806–1884). His father had migrated from Holstein to Norway in 1825, and his mother was born atFalster. Through his mother, Oscar Nissen was a descendant of missionaryHans Egede.[1]
Nissen first married pianistErika Lie. The marriage lasted from 1874 to 1895, and they had a daughter,Erika Nissen-Lie, born in 1878, and a son,Karl Nissen, born in 1879. Oscar Nissen marriedFernanda Nissen in 1895. He was the uncle of politicianAdam Egede-Nissen.[1]
After spending some time at sea during his youth, he enrolled as a student of medicine in 1863. His study period was interrupted twice, as he volunteered in the 1864Second Schleswig War and as a surgeon for six months in 1870 during theFranco-Prussian War. He finally graduated with thecand.med. degree in 1873, and specialized ingynecology.[1]
Nissen was a devout Christian in his early life. From 1883 to 1887 he chaired theNorwegian Santal Mission. From 1884 to 1890 he edited the magazineSundhedsbladet. Since 1876 Nissen was also a supporter of thetemperance movement, and from 1884 to 1890 he edited the temperance magazineMenneskevennen. In the aftermath of the death of founderAsbjørn Kloster, he chaired the temperance organizationDet norske Totalavholdsselskap from 1879 to 1887. This period witnessed a tenfold increase of membership. He retired from the organization as the 1887 national convention would not support his proposition onprohibition.[1]
Nissen worked inKristiania from 1884 as a specialist in women's diseases.[2] He was not uncontroversial. At a meeting arranged by theNorwegian Students' Society on 17 November 1887, Nissen had made the claim that from his personal experience, only 10% of women hadlibido.[3] He was lambasted by activistRagna Nielsen, who tried, unsuccessfully, to channel her protest through the recently established (1884)Norwegian Association for Women's Rights.[3]
Politically, Nissen originally belonged to theLiberal Party. However, towards the end of the 1880s he aligned more with the fledgling socialist movement. In 1889 he joined theNorwegian Labour Party, founded in 1887.[1] In the same year he marked himself as a supporter of thestrike among the match factory workers. It occurred in October 1889 when three hundred match factory workers, all female, laid down their work. They demanded a slight pay raise of 1øre extra pergross packed as well as better sanitary conditions. Nissen was especially concerned about the danger of contractingphossy jaw, and famously spoke at a public meeting together withBjørnstjerne Bjørnson.[4] Nonetheless, the strike was given up in December.[5]
He was the editor-in-chief of the party organSocial-Demokraten from 1894 to 1897,[2] and served as the party secretary during the same period.[6] He was also a member of Kristiania city council from 1898 to 1907. From 1906 to his death he was the chairman of the Labour Party. He died in Kristiania.[1]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Party secretary of theLabour Party 1894–1898 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chairman of theLabour Party 1906–1911 | Succeeded by |
| Media offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chief editor ofSocial-Demokraten 1894–1898 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
