1908

Klas Pontus Arnoldson

Fredrik Bajer

for their long time work for the cause of peace as politicians, peace society leaders, orators and authors

Klas Pontus Arnoldson (1844 - 1916)

Sweden

Author and Peace Activist

Norway and Sweden were formally united from 1814 to 1905, but in 1895 the two countries were on the verge of war. Norway demanded equality within the union, whereas Sweden threatened to use force. At that point Arnoldson sent out his handbill demanding “Peace with Norway, whether the union sinks or swims”. For him, what counted most was peace: The Swedish and Norwegian “brother peoples” must never go to war with one another. Arnoldson strove for peace all his life. He opposed all use of arms, and supported arbitration and international law. He was a pioneer in the Swedish peace movement, with an intense faith in international cooperation. This should begin in the Nordic countries, and Norway, Sweden and Denmark should join together in a union of autonomous republics with a common foreign policy. This dream was shattered when Norway broke out of the union with Sweden in 1905. Arnoldson nevertheless spoke up for Norway's right to independence, and looked ahead: “the idea of Europe's United States may gradually prove stronger than the idea of Nordic unity”. The 1908 Peace Prize was a reward for efforts in connection with the conflict over the union, and a step towards the reconciliation of the two independent states.

Fredrik Bajer (1837 - 1922)

Denmark

Soldier, Politician, Organizer and Peace Activist

The son of a clergyman, Fredrik Bajer decided early in life to pursue a career as an officer. He fought in the Dano-German war in 1864, but left the forces the following year, disillusioned with military life. From then on, he devoted his life to the cause of peace. He was elected a member of the Danish national assembly, figured prominently in inter-parliamentary work, and has been given the credit for the establishment of the International Peace Bureau in 1891. Bajer believed that organizing the forces for peace was an important means of bringing peace about. He was a strong supporter of international arbitration. Bajer was moreover a republican, and maintained vigorously that the Nordic countries ought to be neutral and conduct a joint foreign policy. Together with his wife, Mathilde Bajer, he founded the Danish Women's Society. As Fredrik Bajer saw it, work for equal rights was also work for peace.