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This is a list of heads of government of Norway, who held, inter alia, offices and titles such as steward (rigsstatholder), viceroy (vicekonge), first minister (førstestatsraad) and prime minister (statsminister).
Until 1873, the king of the personal union between Sweden and Norway governed Norway through two cabinets: one in Stockholm and another in Christiania (now Oslo). The newly created Stockholm cabinet consisted of a prime minister and two ministers, whose role was to convey the attitudes of the Christiania cabinet to the Swedish king.
The cabinet in Christiania was led by a steward (rigsstatholder). For brief periods, the incumbent crown prince was appointed Viceroy of Norway by the king, in which case the viceroy became the highest authority in Christiania.
Whenever the king was present in Christiania, however, he assumed the highest authority, thus putting the governor or viceroy temporarily out of charge. Likewise, when there was no governor, viceroy or king present in Christiania (which was not unusual), the cabinet was led by the first minister, who was the most prominent member of the cabinet.
In July 1873, the position of governor was abolished after being vacant since 1856. Simultaneously, the post of first minister in Christiania was upgraded to Prime Minister of Norway. Although the office of Norwegian Prime Minister in Stockholm still existed, the real power and influence over state affairs was moved to the prime minister in Christiania. When the union was dissolved in 1905, the prime minister in Stockholm simply ceased to function.
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The Steward of Norway, styled Rigsstatholder in Danish (riksstattholder in modern Norwegian spelling), meaning Lieutenant of the realm (see Steward (office)), was the appointed head of the Norwegian Government in the absence of the Monarch during the Dano-Norwegian personal union. As Norway was a separate kingdom, with its own laws and institutions, the position of steward of Norway was arguably the most influential position for a Danish-Norwegian nobleman or royal to hold, second to the King.
In 1873, the position of First Minister was upgraded to Prime Minister.
# | Name | Picture | Took office | Left office | Political Party | Term |
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1 | Peder Anker | 1814 | 1822 | N/A | 1 | |
2 | Mathias Sommerhielm | 1822 | 1827 | N/A | 2 | |
3 | Severin Løvenskiold | 1828 | 1841 | N/A | 3 | |
4 | Frederik Due | 1841 | 1858 | N/A | 4 | |
5 | Georg Sibbern | 1858 | 1871 | N/A | 5 | |
6 | Otto Richard Kierulf | 1871 | 1873 | N/A | 6 |
Liberal Party of Norway (Venstre) Conservative Party (Høyre) Coalition Party (Samlingspartiet)
In 1905, the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved. Since then the office of the Prime Minister of Norway has been in Oslo, except for the years of Nazi-German occupation during World War II when the Norwegian government was in exile in London.
Liberal Party of Norway (Venstre) Conservative Party (Høyre) Centre Party (Senterpartiet) Norwegian Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) Christian Democratic Party(Kristelig Folkeparti) Liberal Left Party (Frisinnede Venstre)
# | Name | Picture | Took office | Left office | Political Party | Cabinet |
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1 | Christian Michelsen | 11 March 1905 | 23 October 1907 | Liberal Party | Michelsen V–H–MV |
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2 | Jørgen Løvland | 23 October 1907 | 19 March 1908 | Liberal Party | Løvland V–FV–MV |
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3 | Gunnar Knudsen | 19 March 1908 | 2 February 1910 | Liberal Party | Knudsen I V |
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4 | Wollert Konow | 2 February 1910 | 20 February 1912 | Liberal Left Party | Konow H–FV |
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5 | Jens Bratlie | 20 February 1912 | 31 January 1913 | Conservative Party | Bratlie H–FV |
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(3) | Gunnar Knudsen | 31 January 1913 | 21 June 1920 | Liberal Party | Knudsen II V |
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6 | Otto Bahr Halvorsen | 21 June 1920 | 22 June 1921 | Conservative Party | Bahr Halvorsen I H–FV |
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7 | Otto Albert Blehr | 22 June 1921 | 23 March 1923 | Liberal Party | Blehr II V |
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(6) | Otto Bahr Halvorsen | 23 March 1923 | 30 May 1923 | Conservative Party | Bahr Halvorsen II H–FV |
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8 | Abraham Berge | 30 May 1923 | 25 July 1924 | Liberal Left Party | Berge H–FV |
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9 | Johan Ludwig Mowinckel | 25 July 1924 | 5 March 1926 | Liberal Party | Mowinckel I V |
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10 | Ivar Lykke | 5 March 1926 | 28 January 1928 | Conservative Party | Lykke H–FV |
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11 | Christopher Hornsrud | 28 January 1928 | 15 February 1928 | Labour Party | Hornsrud Ap |
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(9) | Johan Ludwig Mowinckel | 15 February 1928 | 12 May 1931 | Liberal Party | Mowinckel II V |
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12 | Peder Kolstad | 21 May 1931 | 5 March 1932 | Agrarian Party | Kolstad B |
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13 | Jens Hundseid | 14 March 1932 | 3 March 1933 | Agrarian Party | Hundseid B |
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(9) | Johan Ludwig Mowinckel | 3 March 1933 | 20 March 1935 | Liberal Party | Mowinckel III V |
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14 | Johan Nygaardsvold | 20 March 1935 | 25 June 1945 | Labour Party | Nygaardsvold Ap |
During the German occupation of Norway during World War II there were four cabinets, that ruled as part of Josef Terboven's administration of Norway. These Governments were the de facto ruling body of Norway during the war, though Johan Nygaardsvold was still the de jure prime minister, in exile in London, United Kingdom.
# | Name | Picture | Took office | Left office | Political Party | Cabinet |
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— | Vidkun Quisling | 9 April 1940 | 15 April 1940 | Nasjonal Samling | Quisling I NS |
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— | Ingolf Elster Christensen as Chairman of the Administrative Council |
15 April 1940 | 25 September 1940 | Non-party | Administrative Council | |
— | Josef Terboven as Reichskommissar |
25 September 1940 | 1 February 1942 | National Socialist German Workers' Party | Reichskommissariat NSDAP |
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— | Vidkun Quisling as Minister President |
1 February 1942 | 9 May 1945 | Nasjonal Samling | Quisling II NS |