Mišo Grundler awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit
Mišo Grundler was recently awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in rank of Knight, class I, in recognition of his formidable efforts as a translator and disseminator of Norwegian literature in Croatia.
Grundler received the decoration by the Norwegian Ambassador, Mr. Arne Sannes Bjørnstad, during an event at the Ambassador’s residence in Zagreb, which was followed by a reception.
Everyone at NORLA offers Mišo Grundler our very warmest congratulations!
In his acceptance speech, Mišo Grundler said, among other things:
“I am deeply honored and grateful to receive the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, Fortjenstorden.
To be recognized by Norway, a country whose language, literature and culture have been such an important part of my professional and personal life, means more to me than I can easily express. I sometimes refer to Norway as my other homeland.
As a translator, I have spent many years trying to build bridges between Croatia and the Nordic countries. Translation is often described as a form of travel between languages, but it is also a journey between people, histories and ways of seeing the world.
Norwegian literature has been a faithful companion on that journey. Tarjei Vesaas once wrote what literature is: Menneske møter menneske – a human being meets another human being. I have always felt that this is also what translation is about. Languages meet, cultures meet, and through them, people meet. This honor reminds me how fortunate I have been to take part in that encounter.
This distinction is therefore not only a personal honor. I see it as recognition of the importance of cultural exchange, of literary translation, and of the many friendships and collaborations that have connected Croatia and Norway over the years."
Read more
In 2024, Mišo Grundler was the recipient of NORLA’s Translator’s Award 2024 for his translations of Norwegian non-fiction. Read more.
See the list of Mišo Grundler’s Norwegian translations here.
Read more about the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit here.
