The Association of 1948, Trondheim branch

Translator's Note: This is a machine-assisted translation completed on March 11, 2025. While care has been taken to maintain accuracy, this translation has not yet undergone human review or validation. Please note that specialized terms, historical references, and nuanced content may benefit from expert review.

The Trondheim branch of the Association of 1948 was the first branch of a homosexual organization in Norway. It existed for a short period in 1949 and 1950, likely not much more than half a year.

The first homosexual organization in Scandinavia was established in Denmark in 1948 under the name "The Circle of 1948," later the "Association of 1948." Early on, the organization had the intention of being a Scandinavian organization and had already established contacts in Norway the year after its founding.

From Copenhagen to the Seamen’s Hotel

In 1987, one of those who had been part of the Trondheim branch was interviewed – he was then a waiter at the gay nightclub Metropol in Oslo (DNF-48 Trondheim 1987). The person was referred to in the interview as "H." while the gay newspaper Fritt fram three years later called him “Hans” (Fritt fram 1990).

Hans explained that the contact with the Association arose during a trip to Copenhagen: "We then got in touch with the leadership of the Association, which contributed start-up capital and informational material."

The group initially met every other week at the Seamen’s Home Hotel (or Seamen’s Hotel) at Thomas Angells gate 12 B. Later, the group met once a week. According to Hans, they did not use a cover name for the organization: "On the contrary, the hotel staff was fully aware that this was an association for homosexuals."

Gramophone and Dancing

Hans further claimed that the organization did not engage in information dissemination or advertising, but they still managed to gather 12 members, all men. He added that the members met:

"[...] regularly for dancing to a crank gramophone. Piano music was also used. The hotel's staff handled the serving. T. was the chairman, I remember, and I myself was given the task of maintaining contact with the members. Recruitment of new members took place through natural methods, so to speak. Advertising, for instance, was an impossibility."

First in Norway

The founding of the Trondheim branch was mentioned in a note in the February issue of the Scandinavian gay magazine Vennen (Vennen 1950). According to this, the branch's name was "The Association of 1948, Trondheim branch," the address was "Lademoen box," and it was stated that the association had elected a "board." The same note mentioned that the Association had appointed a "representative" in Oslo, and that a "founding meeting" would later be convened there.

The founding meeting in Oslo eventually took place in May 1950. Both Hans's statements and the note in Vennen thus indicate that Trondheim was the first to establish its own branch of the Association of 1948 in Norway.

Short-lived but Important

The branch in Trondheim did not last long; exactly how long is unknown. Hans provided no details on what time of year the branch was established or how long it was active, but he claimed that it was dissolved half a year before the Association of 1948 established a branch in Oslo. If we are to believe him, this must have happened just before or around the time Vennen announced the branch’s establishment in February 1950 (Vennen 1950).

In the March issue, Bjørn Hansen, the Association of 1948’s representative in Oslo, referred to the Trondheim branch as though it still existed (Hansen 1950: 72).

Upon dissolution, the funds of the branch, approximately 1500 kroner, and some informational materials were sent back to Denmark, according to Hans. He believed the branch was dissolved because the community was too "small" and the recruitment of new members too limited. In addition, several members moved away from the city after a short time. Hans thought the group was important to those involved, even though it was not active for long.

Queer Archive Seeks More Information

In 1953, the Norwegian branch of the Association of 1948 became an independent organization, The Norwegian Association of 1948 (DNF-48). The organization would not have another branch in Trondheim until 1972.

The information about the Trondheim association is sparse, and the Queer Archive is seeking more information about this and the gay community in the city. No study of the community in Trondheim in the 1950s and 60s exists, so any information about this is of interest. If anyone knows of informants who might have been familiar with the community at the time, the Queer Archive would be eager to receive details about this. They are also looking for more information about who "Hans" and the mentioned chairman "T." might have been.