Rakel Seweriin, née Solberg (26 June 1906 – 17 September 1995) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. She was the Norwegian Minister of Social Affairs from 1953 to 1955. She was born in Hof as a daughter of Casper Fredrik Solberg (1870–1932) and Zefra Eliagna Natterstad (1871–1949). She grew up in

Eidsfoss Eidsfoss is a village in Holmestrand Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The village is located at the southern end of the lake Eikeren, about north of the village of Hof and about southeast of the village of Vestfossen (in Øvre Eiker ...

, where her father managed

Eidsfoss Station Eidsfoss is a village in Holmestrand Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The village is located at the southern end of the lake Eikeren, about north of the village of Hof and about southeast of the village of Vestfossen (in Øvre Eiker ...

. Her mother was a hotelier. She commenced her studies in 1926, and took courses as a stenographer in 1927 and 1928. From 1929 she worked as a stenographer, in 1942 she left Norway due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. She and her husband had been active members of the

Norwegian resistance movement The Norwegian resistance (Norwegian language, Norwegian: ''Motstandsbevegelsen'') to the German occupation of Norway, occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms: *As ...

, among others starting the illegal newspaper '' Fri Fagbevegelse''. She continued her work abroad, as a stenographer for the exiled

Norwegian High Command The Norwegian High Command () was Norway's top military leadership from 1970 to 2003. It was established in Northern Norway in 1940 by General Otto Ruge. It was then re-established by the Norwegian Government-in-exile in London in 1942, lasting unt ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. She was also a member of the program council of the exiled part of the

Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (), commonly known by its initialism NRK, is a Norwegian state-run, government-influenced radio and television public broadcasting company. The NRK broadcasts three national TV channels and thirteen nat ...

, from 1943 to 1945. Seweriin had been a member of

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) 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 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

city council from 1937 until the war broke out, and also served briefly in 1945. She was the deputy leader of the Workers' Youth League from 1937 to 1946. After the war she was a member of the Labour Party secretariat for women from 1945 to 1971—from 1953 to 1963 she chaired the secretariat, and was a member of the Labour Party's central committee. She was elected as a member of the

Parliament of Norway The Storting ( ; ) 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 based on party-list proportional represe ...

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat. Events World War II will be ...

from the constituency Oslo, and was re-elected in

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...

1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...

1961 Events January * January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union. * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...

and

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...

. In August of 1949, she was one of only ten women accredited to the first ever meeting of the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...

's Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg, from a total of 188 parliamentarian

On 2 November 1953, she temporarily stepped out of parliament as she became Minister of Social Affairs (Norway), Minister of Social Affairs in

Torp's Cabinet Torp's Cabinet governed Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard a ...

. She had worked with social policy as a parliamentarian, but in an interview with Trond Nordby she confessed to having lacked a clear purpose with her position as Minister of Social Affairs. Legislative work in the ministry slowed, and as leader of the ministry she was clearly dominated by the bureaucrat staff, especially

Karl Evang Karl Evang (19 October 1902 – 3 January 1981) was a Norwegian physician and civil servant. He was born in Kristiania as a son of assisting secretary Jens Ingolf Evang (1873–1914) and Anna Beate Wexelsen (1875–1954). He was a brother of Vil ...

. She continued as Minister of Social Affairs until 1 August 1955, a few months after the formation of

Gerhardsen's Third Cabinet Gerhardsen's Third Cabinet was the cabinet of Norway from 22 January 1955 to 28 August 1963. The government was led by Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen, marking his third term in said role. The cabinet was defeated in a motion of no-confidence in ...

. During this time, her seat in parliament was filled by

Hjalmar Larsen Hjalmar () and Ingeborg () were a legendary Swedish duo. The male protagonist Hjalmar and his duel for Ingeborg figures in the '' Hervarar saga'' and in '' Orvar-Odd's saga'', as well as in ''Gesta Danorum'', '' Lay of Hyndla'' and a number of Fa ...

, Aase Lionæs and Gunnar Alf Larsen. When she stepped down in 1969, her time of 24 years as a parliament member was a record for a woman in Norway. Seweriin was also a member of the board of the Norwegian Directorate of Labour from 1947 to 1953 and 1955 to 1967, and of the

Norwegian National Opera The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet () is a Norwegian opera company and ballet company. The first fully professional company each for opera and ballet in Norway and the only such professional organisation in the country, it is currently resi ...

from 1957. She was a member of several public committees, among others commenting on existing laws. From 1963 to 1971 she chaired Landslaget for språklig samling. Rakel Seweriin was married twice, first to teacher, journalist and writer Ernst Samuel Sørensen (1903–1972), then, from 1937, to physician Alf Christian Seweriin (1909–1961). She died in September 1995 in Oslo.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seweriin, Rakel 1906 births 1995 deaths People from Hof, Vestfold People from Eidsfoss Labour Party (Norway) politicians Politicians from Oslo Government ministers of Norway Women members of the Storting Norwegian socialist feminists Norwegian feminists Norwegian expatriates in England Norwegian resistance members Female resistance members of World War II Norwegian women in World War II 20th-century Norwegian women politicians Women government ministers of Norway Members of the Storting 1945–1949 Members of the Storting 1950–1953 Members of the Storting 1954–1957 Members of the Storting 1958–1961 Members of the Storting 1961–1965 Members of the Storting 1965–1969