Jens Hundseid
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Jens Valentinsen Hundseid (6 May 1883 – 2 April 1965) 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 ...
politician from the Agrarian Party. He was a member of 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 bas ...
from 1924 to 1940 and the 20th
prime minister of Norway The prime minister of Norway ( no, statsminister, which directly translates to "minister of state") is the head of government and chief executive of Norway. The prime minister and Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government department ...
from 1932 to 1933. Hundseid felt forced to join
Nasjonal Samling Nasjonal Samling (, NS; ) was a Norwegian far-right political party active from 1933 to 1945. It was the only legal party of Norway from 1942 to 1945. It was founded by former minister of defence Vidkun Quisling and a group of supporters such a ...
who supported the Nazis in 1940, a choice he later called "cowardly". In the legal purge in Norway following World War II he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Pardoned in 1949 he lived a recluse in Oslo until his death in 1965.


Early life, education and civil career

Hundseid was born at the farm Hundseid in
Vikedal Vikedal or Vikadal is a village in Vindafjord municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located along the Sandeidfjorden, about south of the village of Sandeid and about northwest of the village of Imslandsjøen. Vikedal Ch ...
which had belonged to his mother's family for generations. He studies at a local agricultural school and later at the Agricultural University of Norway.May-Brith Ohman Nielse
Jens Hundseid
Norsk biografisk leksikon is the largest Norwegian biographical encyclopedia. The first edition (NBL1) was issued between 1921 and 1983, including 19 volumes and 5,100 articles. It was published by Aschehoug with economic support from the state. bought the rights to ...
.
Store norske leksikon The ''Great Norwegian Encyclopedia'' ( no, Store Norske Leksikon, abbreviated ''SNL''), is a Norwegian-language online encyclopedia. The online encyclopedia is among the most-read Norwegian published sites, with more than two million unique vis ...
where he was together with
Jon Sundby Jon Sundby (born 8 June 1883 in Vestby, died 14 December 1972 in Vestby) was a Norwegian farmer, politician and a council of state, and he had central positions of trust within agricultural economic organizations. He served as Minister of Agricul ...
and
Håkon Five Håkon Martin Henriksen Five (27 September 1880 – 15 January 1944) was a Norway, Norwegian politician for the Venstre (Norway), Liberal Party. He was Minister of Agriculture 1919–1920, 1921–1923, 1924–1926 and 1933–1935, and Norwegian Mi ...
was among the top students. After he finished his studies in 1905, he worked at lower secondary schools to 1908 when he became a research fellow at the Agricultural University and he briefly studied agriculture in England and Scotland in 1911. He worked as a teacher at Sem Agricultural school 1910-1912 and Telemark Agricultural School 1912-1913.Jens F. Hundseid
Norsk samfunnsvitenskapelig datatjeneste. Retrieved 13 April 2014
He was editor of Eidsvold Blad 1916-1918 and combined this with working as a teacher at Eidsvoll
folk high school Folk high schools (also ''Adult Education Center'', Danish: ''Folkehøjskole;'' Dutch: ''Volkshogeschool;'' Finnish: ''kansanopisto'' and ''työväenopisto'' or ''kansalaisopisto;'' German: ''Volkshochschule'' and (a few) ''Heimvolkshochschule;'' ...
. He became head of Telemark Agricultural School in 1918. Having married a farmer's daughter in 1912, he also ran his wife's family farm after 1913.


Politics

According to
Halvdan Koht Halvdan Koht (7 July 1873 – 12 December 1965) was a Norwegian historian and politician representing the Labour Party. Born in the north of Norway to a fairly distinguished family, he soon became interested in politics and history. Star ...
who knew Kolseid when he was young, he was initially
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
and later sympathized with 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 ...
. He became a member of the Farmer's Party when it was formed in 1920. He candidated for the
Norwegian Agrarian Association The Norwegian Agrarian Association ( no, Norges Bondelag) is the largest Norwegian interest organization for farmers. It functions both as a labour union and as a trade union. It negotiates with the Norwegian Farmers and Smallholders Union and ...
in the 1918 Norwegian parliamentary election and for the Farmer's Party in the 1921 election, both times without getting elected. He was elected to the Parliament of Norway for the Centre Party from Telemark in the 1924 parliamentary election. In the Parliament he served as member of the Committee on Social Affairs from 1924 to 1931. Later he would become member of the Committee on Forestry and Watercourses and in 1937 a member of the Committee on University and Higher Education. He became a member of the Executive Board of the Farmer's Party in 1926 and the same year elected deputy leader under Kristoffer Høgset. In 1929, he became leader of the party, a position he held to 1938. He also served as parliamentarian leader of the Farmer's Party from 1931 to 1940, with the exception of the period 1932-1933 when he served as prime minister. He was credited within the party for being a good administrator. As a member of the Social Committee, Hundseid came in opposition to the Labour Party on unemployment issues, where he often argued that the unemployed could do more to get a job and believed economic support for them should mostly be restricted to food stations. His relationship with 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 ...
and its leader
Johan Ludwig Mowinckel Johan Ludwig Mowinckel (22 October 1870 – 30 September 1943) was a Norwegian statesman, shipping magnate and philanthropist. He served as the 16th prime minister of Norway during three separate terms. Biography Johan Ludwig Mowinckel was born ...
was also often tense.


Prime minister and return to parliament

When the Farmer's Party formed its first cabinet in 1931,
Peder Kolstad Peder Ludvik Kolstad (28 November 1878 – 5 March 1932) was a Norwegian politician from the Agrarian Party. He was the 19th prime minister of Norway from 1931 until his death in 1932. Early life and education Born to a farmer's family in Bo ...
was chosen as prime minister instead of Jens Hundseid who was seen as too controversial for the role. He wasn't included in the cabinet either. However, when Kolstad died the following year, Hundseid was appointed prime minister in March 1932 and formed the
Hundseid's Cabinet Hunseid's Cabinet governed Norway from 14 March 1932 to 3 March 1933. The Agrarian Party cabinet was led by Prime Minister Jens Hundseid Jens Valentinsen Hundseid (6 May 1883 – 2 April 1965) was a Norwegian politician from the Agrarian Part ...
, mostly with the same ministers as in the preceding Kolstad Cabinet. In addition to the position as prime minister, Hundseid also served as Minister of Agriculture.
Borgen Borgen may refer to: Places * Borgen, Akershus, Norway * Borgen, Oslo, a neighborhood of Oslo, Norway **Borgen (station) * Borgen, Østfold, a suburb of Sarpsborg, Norway * Borgen, Ullensaker, Norway * ''Borgen'' ('the castle'), colloquial name ...
(1999), p. 250
Hundseid didn't want Minister of Defence
Vidkun Quisling Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling (, ; 18 July 1887 – 24 October 1945) was a Norwegian military officer, politician and Nazi collaborator who nominally headed the government of Norway during the country's occupation by Nazi Germ ...
to continue in the cabinet but Quisling argued hard to keep it and was supported by many other ministers. He was included in the cabinet, but had a difficult relationship to Hundseid from the start. In April 1932, Quisling strongly attacked the Labour Party in the trontale (opening secession debate) in the Parliament. The Labour Party responded by a
motion of no-confidence A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
against the cabinet, but did not gain majority for the motion.
Borgen Borgen may refer to: Places * Borgen, Akershus, Norway * Borgen, Oslo, a neighborhood of Oslo, Norway **Borgen (station) * Borgen, Østfold, a suburb of Sarpsborg, Norway * Borgen, Ullensaker, Norway * ''Borgen'' ('the castle'), colloquial name ...
(1999), p. 251
In summer 1932, diplomat
Fritz Wedel Jarlsberg ''Baron'' Frederik (Fritz) Hartvig Herman Wedel Jarlsberg (7 July 1855– 27 July 1942) was a Norwegian aristocrat, jurist and diplomat. Biography Fredrik Wedel Jarlsberg was born in Christiania (now Oslo), Norway. He was the son of Baron Fred ...
secretly gave authorization from Hundseid to negotiate the Eastern Greenland dispute with Denmark. In October, he returned to Norway with a proposal to a treaty where Norway gave up the claim of sovereignty of
Eastern Greenland Tunu, originally Østgrønland ("East Greenland"), was one of the three counties (''amter'') of Greenland until 31 December 2008. The county seat was at the main settlement, Tasiilaq. The county's population in 2005 was around 3,800. The county ...
, but was granted economic rights to fishing and trapping in the area. The negotiations was not publicly known before the Summer 1933 when Norway lost the dispute in the
International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...
and Hundseid who then had resigned as Prime Minister was sharply criticized in the Parliament for having permitted the negotiations. The Hundseid cabinet fell in March 1933 when the Labour Party and the Liberal Party both supported a motion of no-confidence over the cabinet's economic politics. It was replaced by Mowinckel's Third Cabinet. Hundseid went back to his prior role as parliamentarian leader in the Parliament in addition to being the party's leader.
Borgen Borgen may refer to: Places * Borgen, Akershus, Norway * Borgen, Oslo, a neighborhood of Oslo, Norway **Borgen (station) * Borgen, Østfold, a suburb of Sarpsborg, Norway * Borgen, Ullensaker, Norway * ''Borgen'' ('the castle'), colloquial name ...
(1999), p. 255


Nasjonal Samling membership and conviction after WWII

After the
German occupation of Norway The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until the ...
in April 1940, Hundseid was approached during the summer by a representative from
Reichskommissariat Norwegen The Reichskommissariat Norwegen was the civilian occupation regime set up by Nazi Germany in German-occupied Norway during World War II. Its full title in German was the Reichskommissariat für die besetzten norwegischen Gebiete ("Reich Commissa ...
who wanted Hundseid to lead a new organization for farmers which was meant to replace the
Norwegian Agrarian Association The Norwegian Agrarian Association ( no, Norges Bondelag) is the largest Norwegian interest organization for farmers. It functions both as a labour union and as a trade union. It negotiates with the Norwegian Farmers and Smallholders Union and ...
. Hudseid declined the offer. In the autumn, he was called to a meeting with
Nasjonal Samling Nasjonal Samling (, NS; ) was a Norwegian far-right political party active from 1933 to 1945. It was the only legal party of Norway from 1942 to 1945. It was founded by former minister of defence Vidkun Quisling and a group of supporters such a ...
councillor of state Sverre Riisnæs. In a follow-up meeting, Riisnæs gave Hundseid a declaration written by Quisling which he wanted Hundseid to sign. Hundseid signed a somewhat moderated statement where he declared he would become a member of Nasjonal Samling and be writing newspaper contributions in favour of NS. While Hudseid distanced himself from Nasjonal Samling and fascism after the war, he also had a track record of stark, anti-semitic statements, including claims that jews were "not real Norwegians" After the liberation of Norway on 8 May 1945, Hundseid was arrested the following day. During the legal purge he was charged with five crimes: *Treason, for having joined Nasjonal Samling after the occupation. *Tried to pressure members of the administration in Buskerud to become members of Nasjonal Samling. *Written two articles in '' Buskerud Blad'' and ''
Fritt Folk ''Fritt Folk'' ("Free People") was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Oslo. It was the official organ of the fascist party Nasjonal Samling, and came to prominence during the Second World War. History ''Fritt Folk'' had a predecessor in a party ...
'' which was published in 1940 where he encouraged people generally to become members of Nasjonal Samling *In a circular to mayors in Buskerud encouraged them to collaborate with Nasjonal Samling. *Granted 5,000 Norwegian kroner to the surviving family members of Norwegians who had fought for Germany on the Eastern Front. Despite his record of anti-semtism, some historians regard him as a mostly passive member of Nasjonal Samling. In the '' lagmannsrett'', he was found guilty and sentenced to twelve years of penal labour, confiscation of ca. 54,000 Nkr and to pay a compensation of 25,000 Nkr to the government. The Supreme court reduced the sentence to ten years of penal labour and also reduced the confiscation amount. He was released in 1949, having been imprisoned for four years.
Borgen Borgen may refer to: Places * Borgen, Akershus, Norway * Borgen, Oslo, a neighborhood of Oslo, Norway **Borgen (station) * Borgen, Østfold, a suburb of Sarpsborg, Norway * Borgen, Ullensaker, Norway * ''Borgen'' ('the castle'), colloquial name ...
(1999), p. 256


Later years

Hundseid died in Oslo on 2 April 1965. He was buried at Komnes churchyard in
Sandsvær Sandsvær is a area in Kongsberg, Viken county, Norway. The area is identical to the former municipality in Buskerud county named Sandsvær. Sandsvær is situated in the valley of Lågendalen on the Numedalslågen river, and is bordered by Kongsberg ...
, now part of
Kongsberg Kongsberg () is a historical mining town and municipality in Buskerud, Viken county, Norway. The city is located on the river Numedalslågen at the entrance to the valley of Numedal. Kongsberg has been a centre of silver mining, arms production ...
.Jens Hundseid
Regjeringen.no Government.no ( no, Regjeringen.no, se, Ráđđehus.no) is the web portal for the Government of Norway. Operated by the Government Administration Services Norwegian Government Security and Service Organisation (G.S.S.O) ( no, Departementene ...
. Retrieved 13 April 2014


References


Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hundseid, Jens 1883 births 1965 deaths People from Vindafjord Centre Party (Norway) politicians Members of Nasjonal Samling Members of the Storting Prime Ministers of Norway Ministers of Agriculture and Food of Norway Norwegian University of Life Sciences alumni People convicted of treason for Nazi Germany against Norway Norwegian prisoners and detainees