19 Facts About Einar Gerhardsen

Einar Henry Gerhardsen was a Norwegian politician who served as the prime minister of Norway from 1945 to 1951,1955 to 1963 and 1963 to 1965.

Einar Gerhardsen was the leader of the Labour Party from 1945 to 1965.

Einar Gerhardsen served as the second President of the Nordic Council in 1954.

Einar Gerhardsen was born in the municipality of Asker, in the county of Akershus.

Einar Gerhardsen's parents were Gerhard Olsen and Emma Hansen.

Einar Gerhardsen's brother was Rolf Gerhardsen and the pair had a lifelong working relationship.

In 1918, during the Finnish Civil War, Einar Gerhardsen resigned his membership of the Church of Norway after the church sided with the "Whites" against the "Reds".

Originally a road worker, Einar Gerhardsen became politically active in the socialist labour movement during the 1920s.

Einar Gerhardsen was convicted several times of taking part in subversive activities until he, along with the rest of the Labour Party, gradually moved from communism to democratic socialism.

Einar Gerhardsen participated in the Left Communist Youth League's military strike action of 1924.

Einar Gerhardsen was convicted for assisting in this crime and sentenced to 75 days in prison.

Einar Gerhardsen was elected to Oslo city council in 1932 and became deputy mayor in 1938.

Einar Gerhardsen was deputy leader of the Labour Party from 1939.

Einar Gerhardsen became Mayor of Oslo on 15 August 1940, but was forced to resign by the Germans on 26 August the same year.

Einar Gerhardsen served as President of the Storting from 10 January 1954 to 22 January 1955.

In foreign policy, Einar Gerhardsen aligned Norway with the Western powers at the end of the 1940s after some initial hesitation within the governing party.

Documents from 1958 reveal that the Einar Gerhardsen's government knew that Israel was going to use heavy water supplied by Noratom for plutonium production, making it possible for Israel to produce nuclear weapons.

Einar Gerhardsen retired from national politics in 1969 but continued to influence public opinion through writing and speeches.

Einar Gerhardsen spent the last years of his life in Oslo, where he died on 19 September 1987, at the age of 90, he was buried in the Vestre Gravlund.