Jens-Halvard Bratz (21 April 1920 – 19 January 2005) was a

Norwegian 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 ...

business executive and government minister with the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

. He served as Norwegian Minister of Industry from 1981–1983. Jens-Halvard Bratz was born at

Østre Aker Stovner is a borough located to the far north east of the city of Oslo, Norway. Historically, Stovner was the name of a farm in the municipal borough " Østre Aker". Østre Aker merged with Oslo in 1948, both instigated and followed by a massive e ...

Oslo, Norway Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of i ...

. He was a student at Oslo Commerce School (''Oslo Handelsgymnasium'') (1940) with continued studies in England and the United States (1945-1946). Bratz was married in 1946 to Sissel Lie (1922-1983) and was a son-in-law of

Trygve Lie Trygve Halvdan Lie ( , ; 16 July 1896 – 30 December 1968) was a Norwegian politician, labour leader, government official and author. He served as Norwegian foreign minister during the critical years of the Norwegian government in exile in Lond ...

, who served as the first

Secretary-General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...

of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

. In 1941, he was first employed at the ironworks firm Grorud Jernvarefabrikk in

Groruddalen The Grorud Valley ( no, Groruddalen) is a valley and urban area or suburb in the northeastern part of Oslo, the capital of Norway. Four of Oslo's boroughs lie within the Grorud Valley; Bjerke to the west, Alna to the south, Grorud to the north ...

followed by various positions with the firm. He was for many years director of the Grorud Jernvarefabrikk (1941-1981). The ironworks had been founded by his father Ragnvald Bratz (1889-1968) in 1917. He also served in the leadership of numerous organisations. He was vice-president and president (1971-73) of the Norwegian Industrial Federation and chairman of the Norwegian Industrial Bank (1984-88). He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Mechanical Workshop Association (''Mekaniske Verksteders Landsforening'') and served as chairman (1970-1981). He was among the people who initiated the

Norwegian Glacier Museum The Norwegian Glacier Museum ( no, Norsk Bremuseum) is a museum in Fjærland, Vestland county, Norway. The building was designed by architect Sverre Fehn. In 2002 a decision was made to build an extension to the museum, which was also designed by ...

(''Norsk Bremuseum'') in

Sogndal Sogndal is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The village of Hermansverk is the administrative center of Sogndal municipality. Other villages ...

during 1991. Bratz also held various positions with the

including chairman of the board of finance (1974-1981). He served as

Minister of Industry The industry minister is a cabinet position in a government. The title may refer to the head of the governmental department that specializes in industry. This position may also be responsible for trade and employment, areas that fall under the mi ...

in the cabinet of

Kåre Willoch Kåre Isaachsen Willoch (; 3 October 1928 – 6 December 2021) was a Norwegian politician who served as the 30th prime minister of Norway from 1981 to 1986 and as leader of the Conservative Party from 1970 to 1974. He previously served as the ...

from its accession in October 1981 until his resignation on 16 September 1983.

Awards

*Commander of the

Order of Vasa The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III. It was u ...

- 1974 *Knight of 1st grade of Order of St. Olav - 1976

References

1920 births 2005 deaths Politicians from Oslo Norwegian business executives Government ministers of Norway Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal Order of Vasa Ministers of Trade and Shipping of Norway Businesspeople from Oslo {{Norway-politician-1920s-stub