Conrad Bonnevie-Svendsen

Conrad Bonnevie-Svendsen (born April 11, 1898 in Kristiania , † June 12, 1983 in Oslo ) was a clergyman and politician of the Hjemmefronten , who was chief pastor of the deaf pastoral care for 35 years from 1933 to 1968 and in 1945 in the first government of Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen Advisory Minister for Church Affairs was. During the German occupation of Norway by the Weser Exercise company , he played a key role in church resistance work in World War II and was also actively involved in church social work .

Life

Family origins, studies and marriage

Conrad Bonnevie-Svendsen was the son of Conrad Svendsen, who was also involved as a clergyman in the pastoral care of the deaf and was also the chief pastor, and of Hanne Bonnevie, a sign language teacher . His maternal grandfather was the politician Jacob Aall Bonnevie , who was a member of the Storting between 1880 and 1897 and Minister of Churches and Education from July 1889 to March 1891.

He grew up in a deaf shelter in the Oslo district of Solveien and later in the Oslo district of Aker, which was founded by his father in 1898, the year he was born. Thanks to the commitment of his parents, he too learned sign language at an early age and began studying theology after attending school in 1916 . In the same year, by decision of the board of the deaf home, there was also a teacher.

After completing his studies as Candidatus theologiæ (Cand. Theol.) At the age of 22 in 1920, he also worked as an employee of the Theological University of Kristiania University and in 1921 also passed the examination in practical theology . A short time later he married Marit Lien in 1921, the daughter of the factory owner Simen Johnsen Lien and his wife Olga Holmsen.

Commitment to the deaf

In the following years he continued to work closely with his father and became an assistant pastor in the pastoral care of the deaf, before he took over from him in 1933 as the main pastor for the pastoral care of the deaf. He held this position for 35 years until he reached retirement age in 1968.

He also played a central role within the home for the deaf. In 1931 he bought a farm in Andebu , a community in Fylke Vestfold , and opened a labor and nursing home for the deaf there. In addition to the local farms and carpenters, he finally founded a special school for deaf children there in 1948. In the 1930s he founded a vocational school for tailors and shoemakers in the deaf shelter in Oslo's Nordstrand district . In 1941 the old connection between the Home for the Deaf and the Norwegian Lutheran Society for Inner Mission (Det Norske Lutherske Indremisjonsselskap) was ended, but the Christian-social work in Nordstrand and Andebu continued in the spirit of Hans Nielsen Hauge . Bonnevie-Svendsen acted as head of the home for the deaf between 1942 and 1968. In the following years he was also committed to helping people affected by deafblindness , and in 1963 he began systematic vocational training for deafblind people for the first time.

Second World War and involvement in the resistance movement

During the German occupation of Norway by the Weser Exercise company, Bonnevie-Svendsen played a key role in church resistance work and was also actively involved in church social work. Through his numerous contacts and his organizational talent, he particularly supported the resistance movement against the German occupying power and against the Norwegian fascist party Nasjonal Samling des Vidkun Quisling .

In addition, he represented the church in the resistance movement KK (coordination committee) and later in the leadership of the home front (Hjemmefrontens Ledeles) . In the autumn of 1942 he also became a member of the provisional church leadership (Den Midlertidige Kirkeledelse) in the Quisling government and during this time he was particularly responsible for establishing secret communication between the provisional church leadership in Oslo and around 650 pastors in Norway. It turned out to be an advantage that Bonnevie-Svendsen, as the main pastor in the pastoral care of the deaf, was not subject to travel restrictions and was therefore able to make numerous trips across the country. At the same time he was the organizer of the effort to make pastors independent of the state salary.

Towards the end of the war, he too had to flee to Sweden , where in the spring of 1945 he played a leading position in the church work of the Norwegians in exile there. In memory of his involvement in the resistance movement, the Bonnevie-Svendsenbreen in the Antarctic is named after him.

Advisory church minister and engagement in the reconstruction of the Norwegian Church

After the end of the Second World War Bonnevie-Svendsen was on July 25, 1945 in the first government of Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen Advisory Minister for Church Affairs (Konsultativ Statsråd for Kirkesaker) . He held this position in the all-party government (Samlingsregjeringen) until November 5, 1945, making him the closest advisor to the then Minister for Churches and Education, Kaare Fostervoll .

Bonnevie-Svendsen also played a key role in founding the National Association for Church Care (Menighetspleienes Landsforbund) and later initiated, with Pastor Henrik Hauge, the foundation of a church organization to support those in need abroad, not least in Germany. Subsequently, he was chairman of the Central Committee of National Aid and in 1947 became chairman of the National Aid Foundation (Nasjonalhjelpens Fond) , an organization to support people in need because of the war. At the same time he acted as chairman of a committee to manage a donation fund of 5 million crowns , which were collected by Lutheran churches in the USA for the reconstruction of the Norwegian Church .

Engagement in international church work and social organizations

Bonnevie-Svendsen, who became chairman of the Church Emergency Aid (Kirkens Nødhjelp) in 1948 , was also one of the founders of the Nordic-German Church Convention in 1949 and was the first president of its leadership, which also included the Danish clergyman Halfdan Høgsbro .

He was also active in numerous church and humanitarian organizations in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Among other things, he was involved in the newly founded Institute for Churches (Menighetsinstituttet) , the Christian Mission (Kristen Innsats) , the Christian Film Council (Kristent Filmråd) and the Institute for Church Relations (Mellomkirkelig Institutt) , but also in youth work. Bonnevie-Svendsen, who was also an active follower of Freemasonry , was first vice president of Rotary International from 1949 to 1950 .

In 1952, the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel awarded him an honorary doctorate in theology for his long-term commitment and services . In addition, in 1958 he became a Star Commander of the Order of Saint Olav .

Background literature

• F. Jor: En nøkkel til nytt liv. Hjemmet for døve gjennom 60 år 1898–1958 , 1958
• P. Voksø (editor): Krigens dagbok. Norge 1940-1945 , 1984
• P. Voksø: Kirkeliv and Kirkelov. Inntrykk fra 50 års historie , 1994
• M. Dehli / H.-C. Vadseth: Tro, håp og kjærlighet. Stiftelsen Hjemmet for Døve 100 år. 1898-1998 , 1998

Web links

• Biography in the store norske leksikon
• Biography in the Norsk biografisk leksikon