Klaus Sunnanå
Encyclopedia
Klaus Sunnanå was a Norwegian Mot Dag
member, economist and fisheries director.
He was born in Avaldsnes
as a son of teacher and farmer Knut Andreas Søndenaa (1871–1948) and Lisa Kristine Thuestad (1880–1958). He took his secondary education
at Voss
in 1926, and graduated from the Royal Frederick University
with the cand.oecon.
degree in 1930. He was a member of Mot Dag
, and chaired the Norwegian Students' Society in 1932. As a Mot Dag member, he was a prolific contributor to Arbeidernes leksikon
, and Sunnanå followed as the organization became merged into the Labour Party
in 1936.
In 1935 Sunnanå was hired in the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries
. His publication Lofotfiskets lønnsomhet in 1936 was perhaps the world's first publication within fishery economics. In 1938 he became a secretary in the Norges Fiskarlag. He had to leave Norway in 1941 due to the German occupation of Norway, and travelled via Sweden to the United Kingdom, where he found work in the Ministry of Provisioning
-in-exile. After the war, from 1945 to 1947, he chaired Det økonomiske samordningsråd.
From 1948 to his retirement in 1973 he served as the director of the Directorate of Fisheries. He also served as chairman of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation subcommittee for fisheries from 1949 to 1958 and the Food and Agriculture Organization
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture from 1970 to 1972. He was also involved in the Norwegian development aid
project in Kerala
. The first Norwegian development aid project, it has been described as "an experiment for former Mot-Dag-ists". A significant motivation for the project was to please the leftist opposition within the Labour Party in a time of NATO membership and increased spendings on defence.
Satisfying the leftist opposition could not prevent a party split in the long run. In 1962 Sunnanå joined the group Aksjon mot norsk medlemskap i Fellesmarkedet – de 143, a group of 143 people, many of them former Mot Dag members, who opposed Norwegian membership in the European Community. In 1972 Sunnanå left the Labour Party and instead supported the Socialist People's Party
. He has been called "the Karl Evang
of the fisheries sector", due to their similar career paths: Mot Dag membership, directorate leadership for many years, international organization involvement, involvement in the Kerala project as well as membership of the Labour Party until breaking out in the 1970s.
Sunnanå was decorated as a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1974. He was married twice, and was an uncle of Lars Sigurd Sunnanå
. He died in January 1980 in Bergen.
Mot Dag
Mot Dag was a Norwegian periodical and a communist organization with the same name.It was established in 1921 under the initiative of Erling Falk, partly with origins in the debate forum in the Social Democratic student government in Oslo ; partly from a Falk-led study circle which from 1919...
member, economist and fisheries director.
He was born in Avaldsnes
Avaldsnes
Avaldsnes was an ancient centre of power on the west coast of Norway and is the site of one of Norway’s more important areas of cultural history...
as a son of teacher and farmer Knut Andreas Søndenaa (1871–1948) and Lisa Kristine Thuestad (1880–1958). He took his secondary education
Examen artium
Examen artium was the name of the academic certification conferred in Denmark and Norway, qualifying the student for admission to university studies. Examen artium was originally introduced as the entrance exam of the University of Copenhagen in 1630...
at Voss
Voss
is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Voss. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen....
in 1926, and graduated from the Royal Frederick University
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
with the cand.oecon.
Cand.oecon.
Candidatus oeconomices or Candidata oeconomices , often abbreviated cand.oecon. is an academic degree in economics at Danish and Norwegian universities. It is roughly equivalent to a Master of Economics, but it consists of 4+2 years, and was based on a four year cand.mag.. The degree was replaced...
degree in 1930. He was a member of Mot Dag
Mot Dag
Mot Dag was a Norwegian periodical and a communist organization with the same name.It was established in 1921 under the initiative of Erling Falk, partly with origins in the debate forum in the Social Democratic student government in Oslo ; partly from a Falk-led study circle which from 1919...
, and chaired the Norwegian Students' Society in 1932. As a Mot Dag member, he was a prolific contributor to Arbeidernes leksikon
Arbeidernes Leksikon
Arbeidernes Leksikon is a Norwegian encyclopedia published in six volumes in the 1930s.It was the first reference book in Norwegian to have a pronounced class bias, and the first encyclopedia outside of the Soviet Union to be directed specifically at the working class...
, and Sunnanå followed as the organization became merged into the Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
in 1936.
In 1935 Sunnanå was hired in the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries
Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries
The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries is Norwegian government agency under the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs.Established in 1900, it is responsible for advising and executing the ministry's policy. It formerly conducted research, but the Institute of Marine Research was split out in...
. His publication Lofotfiskets lønnsomhet in 1936 was perhaps the world's first publication within fishery economics. In 1938 he became a secretary in the Norges Fiskarlag. He had to leave Norway in 1941 due to the German occupation of Norway, and travelled via Sweden to the United Kingdom, where he found work in the Ministry of Provisioning
Norwegian Ministry of Provisioning and Reconstruction
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Provisioning and Reconstruction was a Norwegian ministry that existed from 1939 to 1950.It was established on 1 October 1939 as the Ministry of Provisioning, though having no relation to the Ministry of Provisioning which existed from 1916 to 1922. The name was...
-in-exile. After the war, from 1945 to 1947, he chaired Det økonomiske samordningsråd.
From 1948 to his retirement in 1973 he served as the director of the Directorate of Fisheries. He also served as chairman of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation subcommittee for fisheries from 1949 to 1958 and the Food and Agriculture Organization
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture from 1970 to 1972. He was also involved in the Norwegian development aid
Development aid
Development aid or development cooperation is aid given by governments and other agencies to support the economic, environmental, social and political development of developing countries.It is distinguished...
project in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. The first Norwegian development aid project, it has been described as "an experiment for former Mot-Dag-ists". A significant motivation for the project was to please the leftist opposition within the Labour Party in a time of NATO membership and increased spendings on defence.
Satisfying the leftist opposition could not prevent a party split in the long run. In 1962 Sunnanå joined the group Aksjon mot norsk medlemskap i Fellesmarkedet – de 143, a group of 143 people, many of them former Mot Dag members, who opposed Norwegian membership in the European Community. In 1972 Sunnanå left the Labour Party and instead supported the Socialist People's Party
Socialist People's Party (Norway)
Socialist People's Party was a splinter group of the Norwegian Labour Party . SF was principally dissatisfied with the pro-NATO/European Economic Community external policies of DNA. A group centered around the magazine Orientering had been expelled from DNA...
. He has been called "the Karl Evang
Karl Evang
Karl Evang was a Norwegian physician and civil servant.He was born in Kristiania as a son of assisting secretary Jens Ingolf Evang and Anna Beate Wexelsen . He was a brother of Vilhelm Evang, and a relative of Vilhelm Andreas Wexelsen, Per Kvist and Gunnar Jahn. He met physician Gerda S...
of the fisheries sector", due to their similar career paths: Mot Dag membership, directorate leadership for many years, international organization involvement, involvement in the Kerala project as well as membership of the Labour Party until breaking out in the 1970s.
Sunnanå was decorated as a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1974. He was married twice, and was an uncle of Lars Sigurd Sunnanå
Lars Sigurd Sunnanå
Lars Sigurd Sunnanå is a Norwegian journalist.He was born in Karmøy and grew up in Porsgrunn, and worked in Varden and Aftenposten. He was awarded the Narvesen Prize in 1971. In 1972 he was hired in the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation...
. He died in January 1980 in Bergen.