''Arbeideren'' ("The Worker") was a daily newspaper published in Oslo, Norway. It was started on 2 November 1929 as the official party newspaper from the Communist Party. It lent its name from a Hamar-based newspaper of the same name, which had gone defunct on 4 October. More directly, it replaced ''

Norges Kommunistblad was a daily newspaper published in Oslo, Norway. History was started on 5 November 1923 as the official party newspaper from the Communist Party, which was established that year after a split from the Labour Party. The first editor was Olav ...

'' which just had gone bankrupt. Its first editor was

Arvid G. Hansen Arvid Gilbert Hansen (5 May 1894 – 24 January 1966) was a Norwegian newspaper editor and politician for the Labour and Communist parties. Early life and Labour Party career He was born in Kristiansand as a tinsmith's son. He spent his entire ...

, who had been the last editor of ''Norges Kommunistblad''. He remained in the chair until 1931.

Reinert Torgeirson Reinert Torgeirson (7 December 1884 – 30 November 1969) was a Norwegian newspaper editor and politician for the Labour and Communist parties. He was also an active poet, playwright and novelist. Biography Torgeirson was born in Ålesund in Mør ...

was editor from 1931 to 1932, followed by

Erling Bentzen Erling Herolf Bentzen, sometimes given as Bentsen (8 January 1897 – 12 December 1962) was a Norwegian newspaper editor and politician for the Labour and Communist parties. He was born in Kristiania, but moved to Sarpsborg. He joined Norges Soci ...

. In 1934 he was fired for not following the directions of the

Comintern The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet Union, Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to ...

, the superior organ of the Communist Party of Norway.

Henry W. Kristiansen Henry Wilhelm Kristiansen (12 February 1902 – 16 January 1942) was a Norwegian newspaper editor and politician for the Communist Party. He served as party chairman from 1931 to 1934, and then as editor-in-chief of the party organ ''Arbeideren'' f ...

became the new editor-in-chief, having been deposed as party leader. The publication was irregular, sometimes it came daily, sometimes weekly. From 1937 it was a daily newspaper, supported by the party while it siphoned support from other party newspapers, such as '' Arbeidet''. Henry W. Kristiansen still sat as editor on 9 April 1940, when World War II reached Norway with the

German invasion German invasion may refer to: Pre-1900s * German invasion of Hungary (1063) World War I * German invasion of Belgium (1914) * German invasion of Luxembourg (1914) World War II * Invasion of Poland * German invasion of Belgium (1940) ...

. The newspaper became controversial among many. First, because it strongly criticized the existing Norwegian Fascist party Nasjonal Samling as well as Fascism in general. For this it was confiscated on 25 April. Second, because it criticized the actions of the legal government, Nygaardsvold's Cabinet, and its alliance with Great Britain. The newspaper was edited out of "neutrality" concerns; this was because of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. As the invading Germans tightened their rule of Norway, ''Arbeideren'' was forbidden and stopped on 16 August 1940. Kristiansen died in Neuengamme concentration camp in 1942. After the war, ''Arbeideren'' never returned, and ''

Friheten ''Friheten'' ( en, italic=yes, Freedom) is a Norwegian language biweekly newspaper, published by the Norwegian Communist Party (NKP). History and profile ''Friheten'' was Underground media in German-occupied Europe, founded illegally in 1941 dur ...

'' became the official party organ. ''Arbeideren'' was probed into during the legal purge in Norway after World War II for its criticism towards the legal government in 1940, but the case was closed since Kristiansen, and former board member of the newspaper

Ottar Lie Ottar Lie (5 March 1896 – 1 March 1943) was a Norwegian communist and resistance member. He was born in Løten, to a father from Vang and a mother from Ås. He was married twice, last to Inga, née Knutsen. He had two children, and lived in O ...

, were dead.

References

{{italic title 1929 establishments in Norway 1940 disestablishments in Norway Communist Party of Norway newspapers Defunct newspapers published in Norway Newspapers published in Oslo Norwegian-language newspapers Publications established in 1929 Publications disestablished in 1940 Daily newspapers published in Norway