Erik Gottfrid Christian Brandt, called in Parliament, (31 August 1884 – 22 October 1955[1]) was a Swedish politician (Social Democratic) and a deputy in the Riksdag (parliament) from 1938 to 1943.
Brandt was born in Borrby, Kristianstad County, and came from a southern Swedish pastor's family. After studying at Lund University in 1911, he became a schoolteacher in Luleå. From 1915, he served as inspector of schools in the province of Dalarna. In 1938, he was elected as a substitute to the Första kammare (upper house) of the Riksdag, but was able to assume membership after the deaths of Smedh and and the resignation of Gunnar Myrdal.[2] He held the role until 1943.
Brandt is best known for his failed nomination of Adolf Hitler for the Nobel Peace Prize on the eve of World War II.[3] [4] The nomination was quickly withdrawn as Brandt, who was an antifascist, never intended for it to be a serious proposal and instead saw it only as a "satiric criticism" on another concurrent nomination, namely that of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. During World War II, Brandt firmly distanced himself from Nazi Germany's policies.[5] Brandt died in Stora Tuna parish, Kopparberg County, in 1955.