Ola Thommessen

A caricature from 1905 (Andreas Bloch, Korsaren). Thommessen is depicted as an angry dog, and the conservative editors Amandus Schibsted (Aftenposten) and Nils Vogt (Morgenbladet) are shielded by politician Carl Berner. Ola Thommessen (23 September 1851 – 10 February 1942) was a Norwegian newspaper editor. He was the long-time editor of Verdens Gang and Tidens Tegn.

Early and personal life Olaus Anthon Thommessen Holtan was born in Borre as the son of Thommes Kristoffersen Holtan (1817–1901) and Hella Marie Andersdatter (1824–1893). He was married twice, and was the father of newspaper editor Rolf Thommessen.

Thommessen studied at Heltberg's "student factory", and took the examen artium in 1870. He started studying philology, but abandoned the education to study law, finishing his cand.jur. degree in 1877. The leadership period included the period of political turmoil in the 1880s. The newspaper supported the Liberal Party and Johan Sverdrup, and their endeavors to form a cabinet. Thommessen frequently corresponded with the writer Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson at this time, and was also a friend of Lars Holst, Oda Krohg, Mathilde Schjøtt as well as Maren, Ossian and Ernst Sars. Thommessen was a controversial person, and he is targeted in Knut Hamsun's novel Redaktør Lynge (1893), which is regarded as a personal attack on Thommessen, one of the strongest in the history of Norwegian literature. The novel still received good reviews in Verdens Gang.

He was a member of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights.

In the interwar period Thommessen was known for his anti-communism. He was skeptic to the Norwegian Parliament, and advocated a strong bourgeois leadership as a leading member of Fedrelandslaget. Thommessen also wrote several books.

He died in 1942, 91 years old, surviving both his sons.