Grieg was born on 3 August 1894, in Bergen, Norway. He was the son of Peter Lexau Grieg (1864–1924) and Helga Vollan (1869–1946). His brother
Nordahl Grieg was a writer and an active member of the
Norwegian Armed Forces in exile during the
Second World War. After graduation of artium at the
Bergen Cathedral School in 1912, he traveled to Kristiania (now Oslo) to continue his studies. He became
cand.philol. at the
University of Kristiania in 1917. He became Kristiania correspondent for the Bergen-based newspaper
Morgenavisen. In 1920, he received an offer to join the Norwegian department of
Gyldendalske Boghandel Nordisk Forlag. When the independent
Gyldendal Norsk Forlag was founded in 1925, with Grieg as CEO, the new publisher had a residual debt to its Danish counterpart, which was repaid in six years. During their
occupation of Norway starting in 1940, the
Nazi occupation authorities used Gylendal to publish its propaganda material. Noted novelist
Knut Hamsun (a friend of Grieg's) was heavily involved in the propaganda project. Grieg was also chairman of the board of
Nationaltheatret. In June 1941 the board rejected subordination under the so-called
Ministry of Culture and Enlightenment. This provoked the authorities, and Grieg, board member
Francis Bull and theatre director
Johannes Sejersted Bødtker were arrested on 26 June 1941. Grieg was incarcerated at
Grini concentration camp, but was later released. ==Awards==