Reidun Aune

1915-2004

Reidun Aune's parents migrated to Trondheim from the outer Trøndelag islands of Hitra and Frøya. Her father worked for the company Paulsen & Co., which the family later took over.

Reidun would always recall her happy childhood years from the area around Skansegata and the steep Stensbakken hill (Brubakken), which she loved racing down wearing horn skates! This relative fearlessness stayed with her in later phases of her life.

In the 1930s she stayed in a cloister for a while, and studied music in Cologne, Germany. She completed her music studies at the music conservatory in Oslo.

During the war she was an active member of the resistance movement in Trøndelag. She undertook intelligence and courier assignments, often very dangerous assignments. But it took a long time, not until 2000, before she received the Deltakermedaljen [the medal for participation] for her efforts.

After the war she made her mark as a versatile, inquisitive and not least energetic cultural activist. Music and teaching music were her true professions, but she was also a performer in arts and crafts and drama. The play Det gamle Christie fødselsspill [The old Christ birth play] was performed every year before Christmas, thus becoming a 50-year-old tradition in Trondheim under her direction! Later versions were performed as puppet theatre, with enthusiastic helpers and puppets Reidun had made. For her work with children, drama and music Reidun Aune was awarded Teskjekjerring-prisen [The Teaspoon woman cultural award] in 1978.

Even if she had been actively present in Trondheim for several decades, it was only after 1980 that she was really noticed in the town. Her social engagement had been aroused: She was an ardent supporter of the peace movement, opposing nuclear weapons, and was particularly active in solidarity activities for Afghanistan. She went to Alta to take part in the protests against the damming of the river there for hydropower, and was present during the peak of the campaign in the winter of 1981. For this she was sentenced to 60 days in the Trondheim local prison at Tunga, in the autumn of 1983.

Eventually age took its toll, also for Reidun Aune. Her flame never faltered, as she kept active right to the last. Some may have felt it was too much of a good thing at times, but her unstoppable will and commitment to a cause must be admired by all. One of her last major efforts was to have the sculpture of Adrian Posepilt [Adrian Beggar Boy] erected outside Kristian Kristiansen's house in Ringvebukta. The initiative and funding were all Reidun's doing, and the unveiling took place in 1997.

Reidun Aune passed away in August 2004.

Recommended reading: Johan O. Jensen: Trondheim. Vår barndoms by [Trondheim. The town of our childhood]. Gyldendal, 1996