About Lise Børsum
Lived 1908 – 1985 (aged 76). Lise Børsum was a Norwegian writer, non-fiction writer, organizational worker and housewife.
Milly Elise "Lise" Børsum (18 September 1908 – 29 August 1985) was a Norwegian resistance member during World War II, survivor from the Ravensbrück concentration camp, and known for her writings and organizing work after the war.
Personal life Lise Alnæs was born in Kristiania, as the daughter of pianist and composer Eyvind Alnæs and his wife Emilie Thorne. She was married to physician Ragnar Børsum from 1930 to 1949, and was mother of actress Bente Børsum.
World War II During World War II, Børsum was active in warning and helping Jews that risked deportation to German camps, and came to be member of a network which helped people escape to Sweden. She was arrested in April 1943, and incarcerated at the Grini concentration camp for two months. 28 June 1943 she was sent to Germany, with MS Monte Rosa from Oslo to Århus, and further with railway transport to Hamburg. After a short stay at the Hütten Gefängnis in Hamburg she ended up as Nacht und Nebel prisoner at the Ravensbrück concentration camp, a camp specifically for women. She was held at Ravensbrück until 8 April 1945, when the surviving Scandinavian prisoners were transported home with the White Buses organized by the Swedish Red Cross.
Postwar career After World War II Børsum wrote books on her experiences as a prisoner and on the characteristics of concentration camps. In 1951 she published a book on Soviet concentration camps, Fjerndomstol Moskva. Fra dagens Berlin og Sovjets fangeleirer.
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Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Lise Børsum's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Lise Børsum's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Lise Børsum?
Norwegian resistance member
When was Lise Børsum born?
Lise Børsum was born on 18 September 1908 in Oslo, Oslo Municipality.
When did Lise Børsum die?
Lise Børsum died on 29 August 1985 in Oslo.
What was Lise Børsum's occupation?
Lise Børsum was a writer, non-fiction writer, organizational worker and housewife.
What nationality was Lise Børsum?
Lise Børsum was Norwegian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Lise Børsum. https://biography.guide/lise-borsum/
MLA: "Lise Børsum." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/lise-borsum/.
Chicago: "Lise Børsum." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/lise-borsum/.
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