Johan Castberg (21 September 1862 – 24 December 1926) 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 ...
jurist
A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...
and
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
government minister
A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ‘prime minister’, â ...
from 1908 to 1910 and 1913 to 1914, and also served seven terms in the
Norwegian Parliament
The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years base ...
. The brother-in-law of Katti Anker Møller, the two were responsible for implementing the highly progressive Castberg laws, granting rights to children born out of wedlock. Altogether, he was one of the most influential politicians in the early 20th century Norway.
In 2013, an oilfield in the
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea ( , also ; no, Barentshavet, ; russian: Баренцево море, Barentsevo More) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and divided between Norwegian and Russian territo ...
was named after Johan Castberg.
Personal life
Johan Castberg was born in Brevik as the son of customs surveyor and politician
Johan Christian Tandberg Castberg
Johan Christian Tandberg Castberg (13 October 1827 – 8 December 1899) was a Norwegian politician. Spending his professional life as a customs surveyor, he was mayor of the cities Brevik and Skien, and served three terms in the Norwegian Parliame ...
(1827–1899) and Hanna Magdalene Frisak Ebbesen (1839–1881).Johan Castberg – Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD) He had several brothers and sisters,Johan Christian Tandberg Castberg genealogy (vestraat.net) including the notable violinist Torgrim and the politician Leif.
His paternal grandfather
Peter Hersleb Harboe Castberg
Peter Hersleb Harboe Castberg (22 July 1794 – 10 June 1858) was a Norwegian priest and politician.
Personal life
Peter Hersleb Harboe Castberg was born in Bergen as the son of Tycho Didrich Castberg (1755–1801) and his wife Helene Margaretha ...
was a priest and politician. In addition, Johan was a first cousin of sculptor Oscar Ambrosius Castberg. On the maternal side he was a grandson of
Jørgen Tandberg Ebbesen
Jørgen Tandberg Ebbesen (11 December 1812 – 16 July 1887) was a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party.
Jørgen Tandberg Ebbesen was born in Fredrikstad as the son of Hans Christian Ebbesen (1774–1858) and Abigael Marie Bing (1785– ...
and nephew of
Just Bing Ebbesen
Just Bing Ebbesen (17 April 1847 – 24 May 1929) was a Norwegian priest and politician.
Just Bing Ebbesen was the son of Jørgen Tandberg Ebbesen, both of whom were involved in politics too.
Johan Castberg married Karen Cathrine Anker, sister of Katti Anker Møller, in 1892.Johan Castberg genealogy /ref> Their son Frede became a professor. Through Torgrim Castberg, Johan Castberg was the uncle of illustrator Johan Christian Castberg.
Career
Early career and local politics
Castberg took his secondary education in Skien in 1880, and enrolled in law studies. He graduated 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 in 1884. Since 1882 he had written for the newspaper in
Hamar
Hamar is a List of cities in Norway, town in Hamar Municipality in Innlandet Counties of Norway, county, Norway. Hamar is the administrative centre of Hamar Municipality. It is located in the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Hedmarken. ...
, which he also edited in the summers of 1882 and 1885. In 1885 he was hired as a clerk in the
Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a part of the government in most countries that is responsible for matters related to the finance.
Lists of current ministries of finance
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Finance (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Finance and Ec ...
. He left both the newspaper and the Ministry of Finance in 1887, to pursue a career as an attorney. He worked one year in Hamar before moving to to work as a solicitor. He worked as a public defender in Eidsivating Court of Appeal from 1890 to 1892, and as prosecutor from 1892 to 1900.
While living in , he became involved in politics. He was a member of the executive committee of
municipal council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counci ...
from 1896 to 1897. He also chaired the local chapter of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
. In addition he held other local positions, chairing the local school board from 1895 to 1900 and the board of the local electricity company from 1896 to 1900.
Workers' societies
Parallel with the growing
industrialisation
Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...
of Norway,
labor rights
Labor rights or workers' rights are both legal rights and human rights relating to labor relations between workers and employers. These rights are codified in national and international labor and employment law. In general, these rights influen ...
became a more central political question. The organization of labourers had been growing since the 1880s, and their representatives demanded an expanded social policy, as opposed to the
philanthropic
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
individual taking care of his employees. Workers' societies (), which were not
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
s in the traditional sense, had existed since the middle of the nineteenth century. However, in 1885 a nationwide umbrella organization was founded, with the name , DFNA. The organization aligned itself to the Liberal Party, one of two political parties in existence at that time.
Johan Castberg made his mark in DFNA at their 1888 national convention. This was one year after the foundation of the
socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party ( nb, Arbeiderpartiet; nn, Arbeidarpartiet; A/Ap; se, Bargiidbellodat), formerly The Norwegian Labour Party ( no, Det norske Arbeiderparti, DNA), is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is positioned on the centr ...
, and Castberg, a non-socialist, vigorously advocated that the Liberal Party was the solution for the labour movement. On the other hand, DFNA became more of a pressure group towards the Liberal Party. Having included the
eight-hour day
The eight-hour day movement (also known as the 40-hour week movement or the short-time movement) was a social movement to regulate the length of a working day, preventing excesses and abuses.
An eight-hour work day has its origins in the 16 ...
and
universal suffrage
Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political stanc ...
in their platform, it was decided that DFNA would compete directly with the Liberal Party if the local Liberal chapter did not support these cases. This led to the immediate establishment of a regional umbrella group in and , named . This particular organization had twenty-five local chapters. However, as local chapters of DFNA left to join the Labour Party instead, the support of this organization waned in some districts, especially in cities. DFNA was left with the mainly rural and as its power base.Nerbøvik (2007), p.232
In 1900 Castberg was elected to the Norwegian Parliament for the first time, representing the constituency of . He was indeed elected for (called in some sources although this name was formally adopted in 1911), but this organization was not an independent political party; rather it had loose ties to the Liberal Party. His power base being the workers' societies, Castberg was among the most radical members of the Liberal Party parliamentary group. In 1901 he founded a parliamentary
caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The exact definition varies between different countries and political cultures.
The term originated in the United States, where it can refer to a meeting ...
called .
Activity in 1905
He was re-elected for the term 1904–1906. During this time the
union between Sweden and Norway
Sweden and Norway or Sweden–Norway ( sv, Svensk-norska unionen; no, Den svensk-norske union(en)), officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, and known as the United Kingdoms, was a personal union of the separate kingdoms of Swede ...
was the fundamental question. The 1903 election had seen a new party, the Union Party emerge. Their platform being based on promises of negotiations with
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
concerning Norwegian rights to
consulate
A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth coun ...
s, they got the Prime Minister position in the second cabinet Hagerup. Castberg, on the other hand, had marked himself as a staunch opponent of the union. In the years up to 1905, the unionists grew disillusioned with Sweden. The second cabinet Hagerup withdrew in March 1905 to make way for the cabinet Michelsen. Prime Minister
Christian Michelsen
Peter Christian Hersleb Kjerschow Michelsen (15 March 1857 – 29 June 1925), better known as Christian Michelsen, was a Norwegian shipping magnate and statesman. He was the first prime minister of independent Norway and Norway's 9th prime minis ...
had been among the founders of the Union Party. However, when forming his cabinet in 1905 he asked Castberg to join it. Castberg turned the offer down, choosing to continue working in Parliament.
In June the cabinet Michelsen unilaterally dissolved the union with Sweden. The summer of 1905 saw a Swedish reaction, coercing Norway to undergo
negotiations in Karlstad
The dissolution of the union ( nb, unionsoppløsningen; nn, unionsoppløysinga; Landsmål: ''unionsuppløysingi''; sv, unionsupplösningen) between the kingdoms of Norway and Sweden under the House of Bernadotte, was set in motion by a resolu ...
. Castberg opposed the resulting Karlstad Treaty. In his diaries, he wrote that opponents of the Karlstad negotiations underwent
censorship
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
Republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
an form of government. In the plebiscite, Prince Carl was accepted with a 78.9% majority.
New party
In 1906 Castberg was among the founders of DFNA as an independent political party. It is often referred to as the Labour Democrats, , a name it would formally adopt in 1911. Following the general election that year he was elected for a third term. He now represented the constituency , as the electoral system had been changed from plural member to single member constituencies. In addition to , the party won three constituencies: with Sigurd Andersen Fedje as their representative, with Olav Andreas Eftestøl and with Thore Embretsen Myrvang.
Government minister
On 19 March 1908 there was a change in government as the
first cabinet Knudsen
Knudsen's First Cabinet governed Norway between 19 March 1908 and 2 February 1910. It had the following composition:
Cabinet members
State Secretary
Not to be confused with the modern title State Secretary. The old title State Secretar ...
assumed office. Castberg was now appointed
Minister of Justice and the Police
In Norway, the Minister of Justice and Public Security is the head of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police and a member of Government of Norway. The current Justice Minister is Emilie Enger Mehl.
Until 1 January 2012 the post w ...
. He lost this job when the first cabinet Knudsen fell on 1 February 1910. During this period his seat in Parliament was taken by Nils Gregoriussen Skilbred, though Castberg had not been re-elected in
1909
Events
January–February
* January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes.
* January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama.
* Januar ...
. He did return to be re-elected for the term 1913–1915, this time for the constituency . However, in January 1913 he was again given a cabinet position, this time as Minister of Trade, Shipping and Industry in the second cabinet Knudsen. In June the same year the Ministry was reorganized, leaving Castberg as chief of a new Ministry of Social Affairs, Trade, Industry and Fisheries. His position known as Minister of Social Affairs for short, Castberg became the first government minister in Norway to have specific responsibility for
social policy
Social policy is a plan or action of government or institutional agencies which aim to improve or reform society.
Some professionals and universities consider social policy a subset of public policy, while other practitioners characterize soci ...
.Nerbøvik (2007), p.252 He left the cabinet on 20 April 1914, due to disagreements with Prime Minister
Gunnar Knudsen
Gunnar Knudsen (19 September 1848 – 1 December 1928), born Aanon Gunerius Knudsen, was a Norwegian politician from the Liberal Party who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Norway twice from 1908 to 1910 and from 1913 to 1920. He also inherited ...
.
Later career
Castberg was re-elected in 1916, 1918 and 1925, and served as President of the
Odelsting
The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years bas ...
from 1914 to 1921. He continued as chairman of his party, renamed the Radical People's Party in 1921, until 1924. He was also engaged in international diplomacy: as a member of the Norwegian delegation that in 1919 discussed the establishment of the
, chairman of the delegation to an international workers' conference in
Washington, DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
1919 and as a member of the delegation that in 1920 and 1921 met the wine-exporting countries affected by the 1919 Norwegian prohibition referendum.
Parallel to his career in politics, Castberg had pursued his career as a jurist. He was appointed acting public prosecutor in 1901, and got the job on a permanent basis in 1902. In 1906 he was appointed district stipendiary magistrate ('') in the district of . He held this job until 1924, except for the periods between 1908–1910 and 1913–1914, when he was a government minister. In December 1924 he was appointed
Supreme Court Justice
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest-ranking judicial body in the United States. Its membership, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869, consists of the chief justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme ...
(the formal title was Supreme Court Assessor before 1927).
Johan Castberg died in December 1926 in
Oslo
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 ...
, before the end of his seventh parliamentary term. He was replaced by Olav Mikkelsen Moe. The Radical People's Party more or less fell apart after his death, marginalized by the growing Labour Party.
His diaries were published posthumously in 1953, in two volumes, as '' 1900-1917''.'' 1900-1917'' at BIBSYS It is considered to be an important source for Norwegian political history.