Oscar Nissen

Elias Gottlieb Oscar Egede Nissen (31 October 1843 – 4 January 1911) was a Norwegian physician, newspaper editor and politician. He belonged to the Norwegian Labour Party from 1889 to his death, and was both party leader, party secretary as well as editor of the party organ Social-Demokraten for a period. He also made his mark as a campaigner for temperance and better health conditions. He was also chairman of the Norwegian Santal Mission.

Personal life Nissen was born in Tromsø as the son of physician Heinrich Nissen (1802–1866) and Fayette Ørbech (1806–1884). His father had migrated from Holstein to Norway in 1825, and his mother was born at Falster. Through his mother, Oscar Nissen was a descendant of missionary Hans Egede.

Nissen first married pianist Erika Lie. The marriage lasted from 1874 to 1895, and they had a daughter, Erika Nissen-Lie, born in 1878, and a son, Karl Nissen, born in 1879. Oscar Nissen married Fernanda Nissen in 1895. He was the uncle of politician Adam Egede-Nissen. He was not uncontroversial. At a meeting arranged by the Norwegian Students' Society on 17 November 1887, Nissen had made the claim that from his personal experience, only 10% of women had libido. He was lambasted by activist Ragna Nielsen, who tried, unsuccessfully, to channel her protest through the recently established (1884) Norwegian Association for Women's Rights. Nonetheless, the strike was given up in December.

He was the editor-in-chief of the party organ Social-Demokraten from 1894 to 1897, He was also a member of Kristiania city council from 1898 to 1907. From 1906 to his death he was the chairman of the Labour Party. He died in Kristiania.