Nobel Prize

by Olav Njølstad Research Director, the Norwegian Nobel Institute, 1999 – Since the end of the Cold War, many surprising facts and well-kept secrets about the policy-making in the former Soviet Union have been disclosed through the release of newly declassified documents. In more ways than one, this new openness has added to our knowledge…

by Bo Svensén* Organisation of work Once the of the Nobel Foundation had been ratified in June 1900, the Swedish Academy immediately set to work on the preparations required to enable the award of the first Nobel Prize in 1901. A Nobel Committee consisting of five members of the Academy was established in October 1900.…

by Judith Goodstein California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology is a small, independent university of research and teaching in science and engineering, with 900 Ph.D. level researchers, including almost 300 regular faculty, 900 undergraduates, and 1,000 graduate students. In spite of its small size, it has become one of the world’s leading…

Short biography Kostøl, Esther Marie 1936 – Trade union leader and politician Labour Esther Kostøl worked for the Norwegian Civil Servants’ Association (Norsk Tjenestemannslag) in 1977 and in the period 1978-1985, she worked for the Civil Servants’ Cartel (Statstjenestemannskartellet). She was Secretary of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions in 1985-1989, its Deputy Chairman in…

The KWImF was barely three years old when unanticipated difficulties began to create severe problems for the Institute. The first blow to Krehl’s vision for the KWImF came in 1933 with the death of Karl Hausser. Besides the loss to his family and friends, Hausser’s colleagues seriously missed the scientific approach of a man who…

Short biography Sanness, John Christian Munthe 1913 – 1984 Norwegian historian Labour John Christian Munthe Sanness took his M.A. in 1940 and his Ph.D. in history in 1959. He was editor of the foreign affairs section of Arbeiderbladet, the organ of the Labour Party in 1946-1950. In 1960 he became Director of Norsk Utenrikspolitisk Institutt…

Short biography Rønbeck, Sissel Marie 1950 – Politician Labour Sissel Marie Rønbeck became engaged in politics when she was in her teens. She worked for the youth organisation of the Labour Party in 1970-1972 and was chairman of the organisation in 1975-1977. Later she held different leading positions within the Labour Party. She was a…

Short biography Kristiansen, Kåre Gulbrand 1920-2005 Politician Christian people’s party Kåre Gulbrand Kristiansen entered NSB, the Norwegian State Railway Company in 1941 and became Railway Director from 1968. He was chairman of the youth organisation of the Christian People’s Party in 1953-1954, deputy chairman of the party 1961-1975, and chairman in 1975-1977 and again in…

Short biography Stålsett, Gunnar Johan 1935 – Theologian Center party Gunnar Johan Stålsett graduated in Theology in 1961. He taught at the Missionary School in the City of Stavanger in 1964-1969. From 1969 until 1977 he was Secretary General of Mellomkirkelig Råd, the Church of Norway’s council on Ecumenical and International Relations. Stålsett was State…

Short biography Jahn, Gunnar 1883 – 1971 Economist Liberal Gunnar Jahn obtained the degree of Master of Law in 1907. After having worked as a solicitor in 1907-1908, he studied economics and statistics at universities in Heidelberg, Berlin and Paris. In 1910, he was employed at the Norwegian Central Bureau of Statistics, where he worked…