Dag Berggrav (17 May 1925 – 3 May 2003) was a Norwegian jurist, civil servant and sports administrator. Known mostly for his long tenure at the Norwegian Office of the Prime Minister, he also held important positions in sporting life, including the vice presidency of the

International Ski Federation The ''Fédération internationale de ski et de snowboard'' (FIS; en, International Ski and Snowboard Federation) is the highest international governing body for skiing and snowboarding. Founded on 2 February 1924 in Chamonix, France during the ...

Early and personal life

He was born in Oslo as the son of bishop Eivind Berggrav and Kathrine Seip; and grandson of bishop

Otto Jensen Otto is a masculine German given name and a Otto (surname), surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', ''Odo'', ''Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name ...

. He grew up in Tromsø and Oslo, where his father was bishop from 1928 to 1937 and 1937 to 1951 respectively. During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany, he was held prisoner at Akershus Fortress from 20 December 1944 to the war's end in 1945. His father being a bishop, Dag Berggrav was a devout Lutheran as well.

Civil career

In 1950 Dag Berggrav graduated from the University of Oslo with the

cand.jur. Candidate of Law (Latin: ''candidatus/candidata juris/iuris'') is both a graduate law degree awarded to law students in the Nordic region as well as an academic status designation for advanced Law School students in German-speaking countries. ...

degree. After studying international law in England for one year, Berggrav was hired as a deputy judge in Oslo. He was then a secretary in the

Ministry of Justice and the Police The Royal Ministry of Justice and Public Security ( no, Det kongelige justis- og beredskapsdepartement) is a Norwegian government ministry that oversees justice, the police, and domestic intelligence. The main purpose of the ministry is to provide ...

from 1951 to 1962, except for the years 1952 to 1954, when he worked in the Numedal district, first as deputy judge, then as acting district stipendiary magistrate. Having attended the

Norwegian National Defence College Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

from 1958 to 1959, in 1960 he was hired in the Norwegian Office of the Prime Minister for the first time, on a one-year deputyship. He was hired on a permanent basis in 1962, and promoted to subdirector in 1966. From 1966 to 1969 he served as acting Secretary to the Council of State. He was promoted to under-secretary of state in 1974, and to permanent under-secretary of state in 1987. By that time the tasks of the Secretary to the Council of State has been transferred to the permanent under-secretary of state in the Office of the Prime Minister. Following his semi-retirement in 1992, Berggrav continued as an advisor for many years. He also chaired the from 1974 to 1992.

Sports career

Berggrav was an active ski jumper in the years 1931 to 1956. From 1964 to 1970 he was the president of the

Norwegian Skiing Federation The Norwegian Ski Federation ( no, Norges Skiforbund) is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and is the national representative of the International Ski Federation. Founded on 21 February 1908, it covers the skiing disciplines of alpine, cross-country ...

, and from 1965 to 1970 he was a member of the Norwegian Olympic Committee. From 1979 to 1983 he was the vice president of the

. He represented the clubs Frigg and Heming in Oslo.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berggrav, Dag 1925 births 2003 deaths Sportspeople from Oslo Norwegian male ski jumpers Norwegian sports executives and administrators University of Oslo alumni Norwegian jurists Norwegian civil servants Norwegian Lutherans 20th-century Lutherans