11 November 2016 – Person Anniversaries

Tor Jonsson was a writer and journalist, known for his strong opposition to the cultural and social factors in the farming communities and for his poems filled with desire for both love and death. He was born on 14 May 1916 and died on 14 January 1951, at the mere age of 34.

He grew up in poverty and lived almost all his life alone with his mother and sister in a tiny cabin on a cotter’s holding under the vicarage. The 1940s saw several poetry collections from Tor Jonsson. He was most known as a poet, but he was also a journalist and an award-winning playwright. Several collections of his poetry were issued after his death, and serve today as wonderful reminders of a great poet and lyricist.

Johan Sverdrup was a lawyer, politician, Member of Parliament and Prime Minister. He was born on 30 July 1816 and died on 17 February 1892. Sverdrup started his political career in 1850, when he was elected to Parliament. As Member of Parliament for over 30 years he came to lead the efforts to implement major political reforms.

Sverdrup’s personal mission was the fight to establish a parliamentary system in Norway,the fight that Parliament would select the government and that the power of the King would be reduced. The establishment of political parties was also a main issue for Sverdrup, who became the first chairman of the new liberal party,Venstre. Another area of the democratization process where Sverdrup was engaged, was the battle for universal suffrage for both women and men. Sverdrup was the Prime Minister of Norway from 1884 to 1889.

Facts:

NK 1946-1947
Date of issue: 11 November 2016
Values and subjects:
Kr 20.–: Tor Jonsson, with excerpt from the poem «Heimkjenning» in the background
Kr 30.–: Johan Sverdrup, with the Parliament Hall in the background
Design and engraving: Sverre Morken
Method of printing: Recess/offset
Printing house: Joh. Enschedé Security Print