Rolf Stranger (15 January 1891 – 18 June 1990) was a Norwegian businessman and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

for the Conservative Party who served as Mayor of Oslo.

Biography

Rolf Stranger was born in

Kristiania 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, an ...

. He was the son of Anund Hanssen (1847–1931) and Hilda Theodora Jørgensen (1849–1910). He attended St. Hans Haugen school graduating artium in 1909. He studied at

University of Oslo The University of Oslo (; ) is a public university, public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation#Europe, oldest university in Norway. Originally named the Royal Frederick Univ ...

graduating cand.jur. in 1914. After graduation, he joined the family business Hanssen & Bergh A / S, where he was manager from 1917 to 1953. The company was a wholesaler and clothing manufacturer . During the

Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany 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 th ...

, he was imprisoned in Bredtveit concentration camp from November 1943 to May 1944. Stranger was a long-time member of the Oslo City Council serving from 1926–67. He served as Mayor of Oslo in the periods 1940–1941, 1945, 1955–1959 and 1962–1963. He represented Oslo in the Parliament of Norway in 1945 and was re-elected on one occasion. He had previously served in the position of deputy representative during the terms 1931–1933, 1934–1936 and 1937–1945.

Cultural and civic activities

Stranger maintained a strong interest in various cultural and civic activities throughout his lengthy career. His was active in film, theater, music and art. From 1924 to 1971, he served as chairman of the Norwegian Trade Fair (''Norges Varemesse''). He was chairman of the Oslo Nye Teater during the period 1959–84. In 1982, he established an endowment, Rolf Strangers kulturfon, which finances scientific research in Oslo's cultural history. In 1987, he produced his autobiograph
''Mitt hjertes Oslo''
(Oslo: Aschehoug, 1987. ). In his honor, the eastern part of Rådhusplassen in Oslo was named ''Rolf Strangers plass'' during 1998.

Honours and awards

Among his other honors, Stranger was awarded the King's Medal of Merit (''Kongens fortjenstmedalje'') in gold in 1957 and the Medal of St. Hallvard in 1960. He was made a Knight Grand Officer of the Order of St. Olav in 1965 and holder of Norwegian Commercial Association decorations in gold. He was made a Commander of the

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

(Sweden) and of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

(Denmark). In 1961, he was awarded the Petter Dass Medal (''Petter Dass -medaljen'') for his active efforts in the reconstruction of the Northern Norwegian Student Foundation (''Nordnorsk Student- og Elevhjem'').''Tidligere mottakere av St. Hallvard-medaljen'' (Oslo kommune)
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Foreign honours

* : Grand Officer of the Order of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria * : Knight Commander of the Order of Leopold I * : Commander of the

Order of the Lion of Finland Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

* : Officer of the Order of the Legion of Honour * : Commander of the

Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary The Hungarian Order of Merit () is the fourth highest Order (honour), State Order of Hungary. Founded in 1991, the order is a revival of an original order founded in 1946 and abolished in 1949. Its origins, however, can be traced to the Order of ...

* : Grand Officer of the

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...

* : Recipient of the

Medal for Merit The Medal for Merit was the highest civilian decoration of the United States in the gift of the president. Created during World War II, it was awarded by the president of the United States to civilians who "distinguished themselves by exceptiona ...

* : Knight Grand Officer of the

Order of Isabella the Catholic The Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OYC) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bestowed by the Kingdom of Spain, alongside the Order of Charles III (established in 1771) and ...

* : Knight Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown * : Grand Officer of the Order of the Republic

References

Other sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stranger, Rolf 1891 births 1990 deaths University of Oslo alumni Norwegian resistance members Bredtveit concentration camp survivors Conservative Party (Norway) politicians Mayors of Oslo Commanders of the Order of Vasa Commanders of the Order of the Dannebrog Recipients of the King's Medal of Merit in gold Commanders of the Order of the Lion of Finland Commander's Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (civil) Officers of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Recipients of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Commanders by Number of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Recipients of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria Members of the Storting 1945–1949 Members of the Storting 1950–1953