Bjartmar Gjerde

Bjartmar Alv Gjerde (6 November 1931 – 28 November 2009) was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He held several posts as a government minister between 1971 and 1980, and was Norway's first Minister of Petroleum and Energy. He was later the director-general of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and director of the government agency Aetat.

Early life and career Hailing from Larsnes in Sande Municipality, he was a son of smallholder Hjalmar Gjerde (1902–1979) and housewife Astrid Øvrelid (1907–1993). In his younger days he worked as a journalist, first in Sunnmøre Arbeideravis from 1948 to 1953 and then as editor-in-chief of Fritt Slag from 1953 to 1958. His only education beyond primary school was Sørmarka Folk High School in 1950. He also served in the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany. A newspaper article about alcohol drinking among brigade group officers in 1947 cost him fifteen days in military prison. He remained in this position—with interruptions—until 1981, and rejected offers to become both party secretary in 1969 and editor-in-chief of Arbeiderbladet in 1975. His time was marked by several extraordinary incidents, including the Alta controversy and the Alexander Kielland rig disaster.

Later career Gjerde was later director-general of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation from 1981 to 1989. From 1989 to 1995 he was director of Aetat (now a part of the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Service). He was a member of the Arts Council Norway from 1965 to 1985, and a board member of the Regional Development Fund from 1989 to 1992.