Oscar Nissen

Elias Gottlieb Oscar Egede Nissen (31 October 1843 – 4 January 1911) was a Norwegian physician, newspaper editor and politician. He belonged to the Norwegian Labour Party from 1889 to his death, and was both party leader, party secretary as well as editor of the party organ Social-Demokraten for a period. He also made his mark as a campaigner for temperance and better health conditions. He was also chairman of the Norwegian Santal Mission.

Nissen was born in Tromsø as the son of physician Heinrich Nissen (1802–1866) and Fayette Ørbech (1806–1884). His father had migrated from Holstein to Norway in 1825, and his mother was born at Falster. Through his mother, Oscar Nissen was a descendant of missionary Hans Egede.

Nissen first married pianist Erika Lie. The marriage lasted from 1874 to 1895, and they had the daughter Erika Nissen-Lie, born in 1878. Oscar Nissen married Fernanda Nissen in 1895. He was the uncle of politician Adam Egede-Nissen.

After spending some time at sea during his youth, he enrolled as a student of medicine in 1863. His study period was interrupted twice, as he volunteered in the 1864 Second Schleswig War and as a surgeon for six months in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. He finally graduated with the cand.med. degree in 1873, and specialized in gynecology.

Nissen was a devout Christian in his early life. From 1883 to 1887 he chaired the Norwegian Santal Mission. From 1884 to 1890 he edited the magazine Sundhedsbladet. Since 1876 Nissen was also an avid supporter of the temperance movement, and from 1884 to 1890 he edited the temperance magazine Menneskevennen. In the aftermath of the death of founder Asbjørn Kloster, he chaired the temperance organization Det norske Totalavholdsselskap from 1879 to 1887. This period witnessed a tenfold increase of membership. He retired from the organization as the 1887 national convention would not support his proposition on prohibition.

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