Marcus Thrane

Marcus Thrane

Marcus Møller Thrane (born October 14, 1817 in Christiania (now Oslo), Norway , † April 30, 1890 in Eau Claire , Wisconsin ) was an early Norwegian socialist and head of the first Norwegian labor movement , which was named after him Thranitter movement .

Thrane drew his ideas from the March Revolution in 1848 and, among other things, advocated universal suffrage , equality before the law, a better school system, fair taxation policy (to relieve the poor) and state support for farmers in need. At times up to 30,000 members joined his movement, who decided at a meeting in February 1851 to start a social revolution in Norway. Although Thrane successfully campaigned for the vote to be withdrawn, he was arrested on June 7 of the same year. In 1855 he became four years prison sentenced after he had spent four years in custody. Approximately 200 other figures in the movement were indicted and most of them were given long prison sentences, with the result that the association gradually disintegrated. The few acquittals were obtained by the lawyer Bernhard Dunker , who was honored with a torchlight procession for the workers. The supporters of the Thranitter movement included many poets and other intellectuals, such as the young Henrik Ibsen .

After the death of his wife Josephine in 1862, he emigrated to the USA, where he worked as a photographer and journalist and gave lectures on current social issues. In his will , the staunch atheist had decreed that no Christians were allowed to attend his funeral. In 1949 his body was transferred to Oslo. His grave is now in the so-called Grove of Honor at Vår Frelsers Gravlund cemetery .

His uncle, Waldemar Thrane , was a pioneer in Norwegian musical life.

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Commons : Marcus Thrane  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Biography (Norwegian)