Sverre Munck

Sverre Munthe-Kaas Munck (5 July 1898 – 26 January 1970) was a Norwegian businessperson.

Early life and career He was born in Høvik as the son of dean Oskar Albert Munck (1868–1956) and Mathilde Munthe-Kaas (1871–1906). He was also a great-grandson of Johan Storm Munch. He grew up in the islands northwest of the city of Bergen (present-day Øygarden Municipality). He took his examen artium at Frogner School in 1916 and a degree in electrical engineering at the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1921. In October 1925 he married Elisa Margrethe "Lisken" Anthonisen. Their son Oskar A. Munck became best known among their children.

In 1924 he founded his own company, which came to be known as Sverre Munck Elektro-Mekanisk Industri. After a time of struggle, the company profited from the upward economic cycles of the late 1930s and the post-World War II period. The main products were cranes, elevators and tackles, but also trolleybuses and excavators. The company had production facilities in Bergen, Fusa, Bøvågen, Hamar, and Langesund, and also expanded abroad.

Munck's own political views has been described as idiosyncratic. He was a supporter of politician Bertrand Dybwad Brochmann during the 1930s. He was an opponent of national socialism, but also socialism and trade unionism. He was a strong proponent of individual "spiritual" development, and of a "quality democracy" instead of a "mass democracy". Norsk biografisk leksikon notes that "often, he was not understood" as a public debater. Munck took over as editor, and sat until 1969. Munck continued as newspaper owner, but died in January 1970 in Oslo.