Ola Thommessen

Ola Thommessen
Thommessen in 1928
Born	(1851-09-23)23 September 1851 Borre, Norway
Died	10 February 1942(1942-02-10) (aged 90) Oslo, Norway
Nationality	Norwegian
Occupation	Newspaper editor
Known for	Chief editor of Verdens Gang (1878–1910) Founder and editor of Tidens Tegn (1910–1917)
Children	Rolf Thommessen
Relatives	Olaf D. Thommessen (grandson) Anne Thommessen (daughter-in-law)

Ola Thommessen (23 September 1851 – 10 February 1942) was a Norwegian newspaper editor. He was the long-time editor of Verdens Gang and Tidens Tegn.

Olaus Anthon Thommessen Holtan was born in Borre as the son of Thommes Kristoffersen Holtan (1817–1901) and Hella Marie Andersdatter (1824–1893). He was married twice, and was the father of newspaper editor Rolf Thommessen.

Thommessen studied at Heltberg's "student factory", and took the examen artium in 1870. He started studying philology, but abandoned the education to study law, finishing his cand.jur. degree in 1877.

Thommessen started working for Dagbladet in 1875. He worked for Verdens Gang from 1876, and as editor-in-chief from 1878 to 1910. Under his leadership Verdens Gang became the main publication for the Liberal Party, and a modern newspaper of high standard. The leadership period included the period of political turmoil in the 1880s. The newspaper supported the Liberal Party and Johan Sverdrup, and their endeavors to form a cabinet. Thommessen frequently corresponded with the writer Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson at this time, and was also a friend of Lars Holst, Oda Krohg, Mathilde Schjøtt as well as Maren, Ossian and Ernst Sars. Thommessen was a controversial person, and he is targeted in Knut Hamsun's novel Redaktør Lynge (1893), which is regarded as a personal attack on Thommessen, one of the strongest in the history of Norwegian literature. The novel still received good reviews in Verdens Gang.