Einar Beer (1887–1982)
 
Einar Beer was known as the engineer and rich man’s son from Oslo who left everything to stay with the Indian professor and sage Swami Sri Ananda Acharya on Tronsvangen in Alvdal, Norway. In his later years he was also known as “the Buddhist monk on Mt.Tron” and as “Norway’s only Buddhist”. None of these were completely true but that was how the press loved to portray him. However, it is a fact that of all the religions Mr. Beer felt that Buddhism was the most logical and attractive. But he also maintained that he was just as much Christian as Buddhist and that he recognized all the great religions and spiritual traditions of the world. His emphasis on Buddhism may, however, have showed signs of opposition against the establishment, and being a nonconformist in that way at that time was very different from being so to-day. But first and foremost Einar Beer was the faithful Norwegian friend and helper of Sri Ananda during all his years in Norway. And it was he who built Shantibu in 1946 and lived there for the rest of his life. It was also he who built the Monument on Mt.Tron in the memory of Sri Ananda and as the first stone to the University of Peace.