Only few efforts have been done to do research on the development of Norwegian Critical pedagogy through time. Even though in the 70s of 20^th century Critical pedagogy as term and theoretical framework (e.g. E. Dale, H. Skjervheim, R. Myhre) shortly appeared in the Norwegian educational discourse, it is not common yet to relate it to earlier epochs – like it is done for the history of German Critical Pedagogy, whereas socialistic pedagogy is seen as heritage (A- Bernhard).

One basic assumption guiding the investigation is that periods of political transforming also implicate a paradigmatic shifting of meaning or even a politicization of language. So the aim of this small study was not only to sharpen the understanding and position of critical thinking within Norwegian historiography of education, but to identify genuine (social) democratic ideas as conceptualities within concepts/words used in debate and thus to identify critical reform pedagogical attempt as substantial source of latter Critical Pedagogy. The question raised is how far the leitmotif or thread of critical thinking could be traced back within the historiography of Norwegian philosophy of education.

The time span chosen is the era of Reformpädagogik or educational reformism from the last half of 19^th century to the first three decades of 20^th century which stayed abreast of the political awakening of Socialism or Social Democracy and changed Europe ideologically, politically and philosophically.

To answer to that question the investigation relies on primary sources like essays and articels or protocols of those reform pedagogical discussions in journals like Samtiden or in the documentation of annual schoolmeetings (skolemöte) or jubilee journals of teacher colleges. Besides it is the referred to monographies by f.i. H. Trier, K. Aas, O. Anderssen, F. Ording and Nils Hertzberg.

Due to a better understanding of tradition the method used is Reinhart Kosellecks Begriffsgeschichte because the main task of Begriffsgeschichte is to investigate the convergencies or discrepancies, shiftings or ruptures of meaning in between the relation of concept and things or circumstances within the course of history.

This paper presents the results of this investigation, whereas it is emphasized that: 1. the assumption scientific and cultural relations or “Wahlverwandschaften” (B. Hennigsen) between German and Norwegian science and pedagogy in order to underline the reasonable intercultural comparison; 2. the democratic or socialistic ideas of labour movement had also influence on pedagogues, because the thoughts of solidarity, equality and equity implicated a more or less coherent understanding of education and Bildung. So the pedagogical reform movement is seen as part of an ideological modernisation of the Norwegian nation/ folkeligheten at all. 3. the term folkelighet is hardly to translate and marks a speciality in the context of Scandinavian tradition political as well as philosophical and thus pedagogical thinking; 4. the existence of a thread of critical thinking within Norwegian historiography of education which will be explicated first along the passionate dispute on the process of secularisation of schooling (folkedanning) since 1860, and secondly along the criticism of labour class on conditions of education, socialization and enculturation of working class-children.

This paper is essentially based upon sources from the latest decades of 19th century and the first decades of 20th century as seen above. Further secondary literature is also used, e.g.: Berhard, A.; Rothermel,L. (Eds.): Handbuch Kritische Pädaogik. Weinheim, 2001. Deutsche Gesllschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (Ed.): Jahrbuch für Historische Bildungsforshcung. Vol. 10. Bad Heilbrunn, 2004. Hellern, Victor: Den norske skoles idegrunnlag. Olso, 1968. Lorenz, Einhart: Arebeiderbeveglesens historie. Oslo, 1972. Slagstad, R.; Korsgaard, O.; Lövlie, L. (eds.): Dannelsens forvandlinger. Oslo, 2003. Slagstad, R: Kunskapens hus. Oslo, 2000. Thuen, H.; Vaage, Sveinung (Eds.): Pedagogiske profiler. Norsk utdanningstenkning fra Holberg til Hernes. Olso, 2004. Tippelt, R. (Ed.): Handbuch Bildungsforschung. 2009.