| Anthon Bernhard Elias Nilsen | |
| Constituency Mp: | Fredrikstad |
| Parliament: | Norwegian |
| Term Start: | 1895 |
| Term End: | 1897 |
| Birth Date: | 1855 |
| Birth Place: | Svelvik, Norway |
| Death Date: | 1936 |
| Nationality: | Norwegian |
| Party: | Conservative |
| Occupation: | Businessperson Novelist |
Anthon Bernhard Elias Nilsen (30 June 1855 - 6 December 1936) was a Norwegian businessman and politician for the Conservative Party. He also wrote novels, under the pseudonym Elias Kræmmer.
He was born in Svelvik.[1] A small town, Svelvik nonetheless played an important role, being the nearest port of the larger town Drammen when the Drammensfjord inlet was frozen over during the winter.[2] Nilsen later moved to Drammen,[1] and in 1879 he established a company to export pulp and paper products as well as lumber.[3] The company, named Anth. B. Nilsen & Co from 1912,[1] was taken over by his sons in the 1930s.[3] It still exists today, under the name Anthon B Nilsen AS. Mainly emphasizing investment, it owns several Norwegian colleges.[4]
Anthon Nilsen also lived in Fredrikstad for many years. He came to the city in 1877[5] to work as manager of Fredrikstad Dampsag (Fredrikstad sawmill), but also co-founded the newspaper Fredriksstad Blad, which still exists today.[6] Nilsen was elected from Fredrikstad to the Norwegian Parliament in 1895, but served only one term.[7] He was also active in local politics. He left Fredrikstad in 1901,[5] and later lived at Larkollen and Jeløya.[6]
Under the pseudonym Elias Kræmmer, Nilsen had a sizeable literary production. His debut came in 1894 with Glade Borgere, a collection of small town depictions.[1] He was not acknowledged for high literary quality,[6] but nonetheless became popular for his humour.[1] Later books include the novels Sigurd Seiersborg (1920), Fyrgangen (1923), Bølgerne ruller (1925), Asylet (1928), Evensen (1930), Elias Kræmmers oplevelser (1932), Glade ungdom (1933) and Paa livets høislette (1934).[1] One of his plays, written in 1912, was staged at the National Theatre.[6] Nilsen also published a collection of poetry in 1919 under his real name.[1]
A bust of Nilsen was raised in Svelvik in 1955.[8] A street in Fredrikstad has been named after Elias Kræmmer.[5]