Leif Rode

{{Short description|Norwegian rower (1885–1967)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}

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| name = Leif Rode

| image = LeifRode-OB.F06363a.jpg

| caption = Rode in the 1930s

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| birth_date = {{Birth date |1885|1|27|df=y}}

| birth_place = Kristiania, Norway

| death_date = {{Death date and age |1967|11|2|1885|1|27|df=y}}

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| occupation = competitive rower, jurist, sports official, poet and playwright

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Leif Sundt Rode (27 January 1885 – 2 November 1967) was a Norwegian competitive rower, jurist, sports official, poet and playwright.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/39128 |title=Leif Rode |work=Olympedia |access-date=28 May 2021}}

Personal life

Rode was born in Kristiania as the son of physician Emil Ferdinand Rode (1825–1921) and Ragna Louise Drejer Sundt (1857–1909). He was a maternal grandson of Lauritz Sundt,{{cite encyclopedia|year=|title=Lauritz Sundt|encyclopedia=Norsk biografisk leksikon|first=Else|last=Boye|editor=Helle, Knut|publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget|location=Oslo|url=http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Lauritz_Sundt/utdypning|language=Norwegian|accessdate=21 January 2012}} and thus a great-grandnephew of Eilert Sundt{{cite encyclopedia|year=|title=Sundt – slekt fra Egersund|encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon|editor=|publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget|location=Oslo|url=http://www.snl.no//Sundt/slekt_fra_Egersund|language=Norwegian|accessdate=21 January 2012}} and first cousin once removed of Harald, Halfdan and Vigleik Sundt.

He married Anna Sundt Bøckmann Puntervold Falkenberg, a maternal granddaughter of Tønnes Puntervold, in 1911. He died in Oslo in November 1967.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Leif S Rode |encyclopedia=Norsk biografisk leksikon|first=Magne |last=Bolme |editor=Helle, Knut |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |location=Oslo|url=http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Leif_S_Rode/utdypning |language=Norwegian|accessdate=28 February 2011}}

Career

Rode finished his secondary education in 1903, and graduated with the cand.jur. degree in 1908. While a student he joined the sports club Norske Studenters RK. He became a competitive rower, and competed in coxed fours at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ro/leif-rode-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417191653/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ro/leif-rode-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Leif Rode |publisher=Sports-reference.com |accessdate=28 February 2011 }} At the end of his active career he served as a sports administrator, as chairman of his club from 1913, and board member of the National rowing federation from 1914. He was president of {{lang|no|Norges Riksforbund for Idræt}} from 1918 to 1919, and of {{lang|no|Norges Landsforbund for Idræt}} from 1925 to 1930.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Leif S. Rode |first=Jon Gunnar |last=Arntzen |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |location=Oslo |url=http://www.snl.no/Leif_S._Rode |language=Norwegian | accessdate=28 February 2011 }} He chaired the Association for the Promotion of Skiing from 1951 to 1953.

He was a barrister at the Eidsivating Court of Appeal from 1933 to 1945. During the German occupation, in his role as a barrister, he appeared at the defence in German courts-martial. He contributed to the civil resistance through the establishment of the "sports front". After the war he took part as defender in the legal purge, and was a barrister at the Supreme Court of Norway from 1945 to 1955.

Rode published a song book in 1928, the poetry collection Men det steg en grotid in 1945, and the non-fiction book Forsvareren i praksis in 1949. His audio play Bevisbyrden was aired in 1950.

References