Zafar Shayan
Fredrik Bajer was a Danish writer, teacher, pacifist, and the cowinner of the 1908 Noble Peace Prize. He was born in 1837 in Vester Egede, Denmark and died in 1922 in Copenhagen. He attended the Sorø Academy in 1848 but shortly before graduating, he left the school and started Military School in Copenhagen. Bajer took part in war against Prussia and Austria in 1864 and a year later he decided to leave army and become a peace activist. He studied French, Norwegian, and Swedish. Later started translating and teaching at different schools in Copenhagen.
In 1872, he was elected as a member of Danish Parliament and retained the seat for the next 23 years. In the course of his political career he always worked in favor of international peace and neutrality of Denmark, Scandinavian unity, women’s rights, and education. In 1870 Bajer founded the Nordisk Fristats Samfund (Society of Nordic Free States), through which he tried to promote unity and cooperation between Scandinavian countries. For two years, he edited a weekly journal, published by the Society of Nordic Free States. He was a leading spokesperson for women’s rights in Denmark. In 1871, he helped establishing the Danish Women’s Society.
In the field of peace, Mr. Bajer is known for his outstanding activities. While studying languages, he became acquainted with Frederic Passy peace activities and became interested to his works and International Peace League. In 1867, he joined the peace league and provided help through campaigning and distributing its literature in Scandinavian countries.
In 1882, he established Foreningen til Danmarks Neutralisering (Society for Promotion of Danish Neutrality), the first peace society in Denmark, and served as it’s president for ten years. Later the name of his association changed to the Danish Peace Society, and later the Danish Peace and League of Nations Society. He spent efforts for Scandinavian neutrality and proposed that their neutrality should be internationally recognized. His idea of neutrality was taken up by several international organizations between 1883 and 1889. Later Bajer believed that neutrality should be a way of life for Denmark in order to go after autonomously without dependence on other states to guarantee it. In 1888, Bajer suggested in Danish Parliament to form arbitration agreements with Sweden and Norway.
Bajer’s peace efforts do not end here, he took further important steps to promote peace internationally. He attended major peace congresses and meetings in Europe, including the European Peace Congress at Bern in 1884, first World Peace Congress at Paris in 1889 and frequently represented the Danish Peace Society until 1914, the first meeting of the Interparliamentary Union in Paris, and second World Peace Congress in London, where he proposed the establishment of a permanent bureau with headquarters in Bern. His idea was approved at the Rome Congress in 1891, and Bajer was named as the fist president of it’s governing body. Also, in 1891, he established the Danish Interparliamentary Group and led it for 25 years. He paved the way for establishment of Scandinavian Interparliamentary Union in 1908.
In 1907, he found a health problem and, since then he couldn’t continue as an active board member of Peace Bureau, still he kept informed on the world’s events. In 1908, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Klas Pontus Arnoldson, a Swedish peace activist.
The Noble Prize: www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1908/bajer/biographical