Gunnar Reiss-Andersen

Gunnar Reiss-Andersen (21 August 1896 – 29 July 1964) was a Norwegian lyric poet and writer.

Biography He was born at Larvik in Vestfold, Norway. Reiss-Andersen went to sea at 17 years of age, sailing the Baltic and North Seas for a year in the brig “Baron von Holberg", which was commanded by his uncle, Knut Knutsen. After completing the Examen artium with emphasis in Latin in 1916 he went into the military, becoming a non-commissioned officer. There he followed his inclination towards the arts, painting portraits. He subsequently studied painting in Copenhagen (1917–1919) and Paris (1919–1921). For several years he worked as an artist, illustrator, and the art reviewer for the Arbeiderbladet newspaper in Oslo.

In 1921 he debuted as a lyric poet with his poetry collection titled Indvielsens aar. In 1925 he married Tordis Castberg Anker (1899–1967). They had a son, Helge Reiss-Andersen (1926–2009). Gunnar Reiss-Andersen was also the father of Dag Halvorsen (1934–2007), who was a journalist and foreign correspondent. He is the paternal grandfather of attorney Berit Reiss-Andersen (born 1954) who is best known for her work as Norwegian State Secretary.

In 1962, King Haakon awarded him the rank Knight, First Class in the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. Reiss-Andersen died in 1964 and was buried at Undersbo kirke in Larvik. In 1977, a bust of Reiss-Andersen by Stinius Fredriksen (1902–1977) was placed in the market square at Larvik city center.