About Ole Siem
Lived 1882 – 1979 (aged 96–97). Ole Siem was a Norwegian businessperson.
Ole Siem (11 January 1882 – 1979) was a Norwegian naval officer, businessman, and politician.
He was director of Troms Fylkes Dampskibsselskap from 1929 to 1934, and of Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab from 1936 to 1950. He was head of the sea transport during the Battles of Narvik in 1940, and among the resistance pioneers in Northern Norway during the German occupation.
Personal life Siem was born in Trondheim to Martin Olsen Siem and Gjertrud Christlock. He married Marie Augusta Ursin Holm in 1912, and was the father of Martin Siem.
His daughter Augusta Sofie was married to diplomat and civil servant Thore Boye.
Career Siem graduated as naval officer in 1904, and studied electrical engineering and diesel engine at the TH Charlottenburg from 1911 to 1912. An officer in the Norwegian Navy, he held the rank of captain from 1919, and commander-captain from 1937. During the German occupation of Norway he was among the resistance pioneers in Northern Norway. He was incarcerated at Ånebyleiren and then Grini from April to July 1941, as a "Svolvær hostage". He was later arrested by the Gestapo in December 1942, but was transferred to the Wehrmacht as prisoner-of-war in 1943 when about 1,100 Norwegian military officers were sent to prisoner-of-war camps in Poland and Germany for the rest of the war.
He was decorated Knight, First Class of the Order of St. Olav in 1946.
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Important facts
People in Ole Siem's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ole Siem's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ole Siem?
Norwegian naval officer, businessman, and politician
When was Ole Siem born?
Ole Siem was born on 11 January 1882 in Trondheim municipality, Trondheim.
When did Ole Siem die?
Ole Siem died in 1979 in Gjøvik Municipality.
What was Ole Siem's occupation?
Ole Siem was a businessperson.
What nationality was Ole Siem?
Ole Siem was Norwegian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ole Siem. https://biography.guide/ole-siem/
MLA: "Ole Siem." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ole-siem/.
Chicago: "Ole Siem." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ole-siem/.
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