Thomas Christian Wyller

Thomas Christian Wyller (16 September 1922 – 24 April 2012) was a professor of political science at the University of Oslo. He is regarded as one of the founders of political science as an academic discipline in Norway, and his area of interest was modern political history.

Early and personal life Wyller was born in Stavanger, as a son of barrister Trygve Christian Wyller (1888–1960) and Anne Kathrine Dons (1891–1982). He is a brother of philosopher Egil A. Wyller.

Career Wyller finished his secondary education in 1941, and enrolled at the University of Oslo as a student of philology. During his stay at Grini, he passed an examination in Latin with best possible result, with professor of philology Eiliv Skard as examinator, and Francis Bull as censor, both professors being long-term camp detainees. Wyller was involved in the secret news service inside the camp, where news from London Radio was distributed to the prisoners. In 2002 he published the book W/25X. Motstandskampen på Grini, about the resistance work at Grini. W and 25 X was the code name for the outside and inside espionage leaders, respectively, and 25 X was also used as codename for the espionage group inside the camp. Shortly after the war, Wyller was a member of the group of former Grini prisoners who started the magazine Ungdom!, Wyller being one of the editors. When Wyller received his dr.philos. degree in 1958, this was the first doctorate in political science in Norway.

Selected works