Osvald Group

The Osvald Group was a Norwegian organisation that was the most active World War II resistance group in Norway from 1941 to the summer of 1944.[1][2][3] Numbering more than 200 members, it committed at least 110 acts of sabotage against Nazi occupying forces and the collaborationist government of Vidkun Quisling.[1][4][note 1] The organisation is perhaps best known for conducting the first act of resistance against the German occupation of Norway, when on 2 February 1942 it detonated a bomb at Oslo East Station in protest against Quisling's inauguration as Minister-President.

Osvald Group
LeadersAsbjørn Sunde
Dates of operation1940–1944
Active regionsNorway
SizeAround 150 saboteurs and helpers (1944)
AlliesCommunist Party of Norway,
Milorg, XU, SOE, 2A
OpponentsNazi Germany, Nasjonal Samling
Battles and warsSabotage, assassinations

The Osvald Group was originally the Norwegian branch of the Wollweber League, an anti-fascist group founded in 1936 by German communist Ernst Wollweber, with the support and direction of the Soviet secret police, the NKVD. Norwegian communist Martin Hjelmen was its first leader, whose pseudonym Osvald became the group's namesake.[5] Following Hjelmen's arrest in 1938 by Swedish authorities, Asbjørn Sunde, who used Osvald as a cover name, led the group through the end of the German occupation. The Osvald Group became independent in 1940 after the Wollweber League dissolved following Wollweber's arrest.[5]

History

After the arrest of Ernst Wollweber and the revelation of the Wollweber League, the Osvald Group was intact in Oslo, but had lost contact with Moscow,[3] and had no funding. The group stored explosives around the country. They initiated their sabotage activities shortly after Operation Barbarossa, the German attack on the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, and continued until the Osvald Group was demobilised in 1944, by orders from Moscow. Their first railway sabotage mission was undertaken on 20 July 1941, the explosion of a Wehrmacht train at Nyland Station in Oslo. In July 1942 Sunde held his first sabotage course at Rukkedalen (where they had their headquarters)].[6] "A short time later he actioned against German friendly" companies in Hadeland.[6]

The Osvald group's active resistance policy was in opposition to the Communist Party of Norway (NKP), Milorg and other organizations that preferred a more passive resistance. The group cooperated with the group 2A and 2A's police group, as well as with Milorg, SOE and XU.

From the winter of 1942 NKP formed military groups, and Sunde had meetings with their leader Peder Furubotn. Sunde established a sabotage training center in Rukkedalen and recruited a network of saboteurs in the Torpo-Gol and Nesbyen area—and through Hallingdal and towards Oslo and Bergen. In September 1942 Sunde agreed to supply guards at the communist party's central camp in Hemsedal, in exchange for practical and financial support. Sunde became NKP's military leader, and the organisation became more efficient.

In 1944 there was a break between the group and NKP's leader Peder Furubotn, when Furubotn demanded that the group should subordinate itself to his leadership.

The Osvald Group was closed down in 1944, following orders from Moscow. During its operative period from July 1941 to July 1944 the group was responsible for around 110[1] known actions, dominating sabotage activity in Norway during this period.

35 of the saboteurs were killed, excluding the one killed in Bergen.[1]

Continued resistance by Saborg after summer of 1944

After the decommissioning of the Osvald Group, Saborg continued.[7] ("Saborg was originally created and developed as the Bergen chapter of the international ship sabotage organization under Ernst Wollweber's leadership. This happened before World War Two".[7]) In November and December 1944 the leaders of Saborg were arrested.[8] Saborg was the only resistance organization, that at times was subordinate to Milorg in Bergen, SOE, or the Communist Party's section in[9] Bergen.[7] (The latter relationship lasted a few days until Saborg was destroyed, and it is regarded as insignificant,[9] according to Borgersrud.)

Violent actions

The Saborg section of the Osvald Group was responsible for 30 actions.[7]

Organization

The number of members was over 200.[1]

"The communist sabotage organization in Bergen"[16] was called Saborg, and the core[7] of the organization counted around 60–65 members.

The Vågård Group (Vågårdsgruppa[17]) was another section of the Osvald Group, and it was based North of Hønefoss, in the forest.[18]

Post-war

Saboteur Josef Monsrud said that "I am proud of having been part of the Osvald organization. And the recognition that we have not received, I can [accept or] live with. Because I know what we have done", according to a 2009 LO-Aktuelt article.[6]

Sunde received an award[19] (the Defence Medal 1940–1945 in bronze)—by certified mail—from the Norwegian government.[6]

In 2013, then minister of defence honored[1] 8 members—of the 17 who are still alive. Sunde and his organization received award and recognition the Soviet Union for their contributions during the war.

2014 lawsuit over research project

In 2014 Lars Borgersrud filed a lawsuit against Museum Vest,[20] and he demanded the return of documentation that he had gathered.[21] Later that year the lawsuit was settled out of court.

Monument and plaquettes

On 30 May 1995 a plaquette was installed on a wall of an atrium that leads to Østbanehallen (from Jernbanetorget in Oslo), listing employees of the State Railways [whereof at least two were "Osvald members"] who died during World War II. In 2015 the plaquette was moved onto the base of the monument located at Jernbanetorget in Oslo. Other[22] plaquettes are at other places in Norway.

On 29 April 2015 a monument was installed at Jernbanetorget,[23] and unveiled on 1 May. The monument—["crush nazism"] Knus nasismen[24] by Bjørn Melbye Gulliksen—shows a hammer[25] (specifically a mukkert[26][27]) that is crushing a swastika,[28][29] with the swastika nearly[30] becoming "invisible (...) What we now see is a sledgehammer slamming at Norway's bedrock". On the base of the monument are two plaquettes and one inscription: an Asbjørn Sunde quote, "It was worth fighting for the freedom—for all nations, for all races, for all classes, for all people".[30] (One plaquette is dedicated to dead Osvald members; another larger plaquette is for State Railway employees killed in World War II. Two of the names appear on both plaquettes.) Present at the unveiling were 4 surviving members.[31] The permit (from the municipality) for the monument's current location, lasts for six months, whereupon placement of the monument will be reviewed.[32] Controversy has lasted since 2014.[22][28][30][33][34][35][36][37]

Members

Members of Saborg
  • August Rathke,[16] claimed chief of recruiting for Saborg[43] (and [a] leader in[9] the Communist Party's youth organization[8] during a period of World War II)
  • Alf Bjørkman[7]
  • Frank Nilsen[7][44]
  • Olaf Rutledal[7]
  • Martin Lundberg[7]
  • Leif Myrmel[7]
  • Martin Hjelmen[7] was the Osvald Group's first leader.[9]
  • Norman Iversen[7] was the leader of Saborg when it was unraveled and destroyed.[9]
  • Reidar Olsen
  • Arvid Abrahamsen (member who helped hiding weapons and equipment; imprisoned in January 1945 and tortured; attendee at 2015 unveiling of monument.[45])

Other participants in the illegal work of the Osvald Group
  • Oskar Johansen had a general store (landhandel) at Rugda, together with his wife Karen Helene.[46] "[H]e participated in the illegal work of the Osvald Group" according to Halvor Hegtun.[47]

See also

Notes
  1. There were 39 sabotage actions according to Asbjørn Sunde; see Asbjørn Sunde: Menn i mørket. Dreyer Forlag. Oslo (1947), pp. 245–248.

References
  1. Lars Borgersrud (2013-11-13). "I spissen for sabotasjekampen". Aftenposten. p. 5.
  2. Borgersrud, Lars (1995). "Osvald-gruppen". In Hans Fredrik Dahl (ed.). Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45 (in Norwegian). Oslo: Cappelen. pp. 319–320. ISBN 82-02-14138-9. Archived from the original on 2010-01-05. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  3. Borgersrud, Lars (1995). "Sunde, Asbjørn". In Hans Fredrik Dahl (ed.). Norsk krigsleksikon 1940–45 (in Norwegian). Oslo: Cappelen. pp. 404–405. ISBN 82-02-14138-9. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  4. Guri Kulås (2015-02-16). "Rettssaka mot Asbjørn Sunde har vorte tema for ny dramadokumentar: Kaldkrigsdrama". Klassekampen. p. 24.
  5. Uklart om likvidasjoner
  6. Glemte sabotører Archived 2014-12-19 at the Wayback Machine. LO-Aktuelt nr. 11/2009
  7. Jenny Heggsvik; Lars Borgersrud; August Rathke; Egil Christophersen; Ole-Jacob Abraham. "Prosjektbeskrivelse for det historiske forskningsprosjektet SABORG I BERGEN". Archived from the original on 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
  8. Kristen, krigshelt og sosialdemokrat Archived 2012-11-10 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Saborgs historie må skrives
  10. Mathilde Becker Aarseth (2015-02-07). "Sier nei til monument". Klassekampen. p. 47.
  11. "East Railway Station". Oslo Byleksikon. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  12. Christensen, 2006: p. 115
  13. Christensen, 2006: p. 114
  14. "PFU-sak 059/05". Norwegian Press Complaints Commission. Archived from the original on 2014-02-24. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
  15. "Uheldig skittkasting". Archived from the original on 2014-03-04. Retrieved 2014-02-18.
  16. Saborg i Bergen må sikres
  17. "Vi trodde ikke vi skulle overleve – Leif Kjemperud – Motstandsmann fra Ringerike". Archived from the original on 2014-02-28. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
  18. ""Bekkestua" åpnet" (PDF). Heggedalsposten. October 2013. p. 36.
  19. Odd Bergfald: KGB "OPERASJON NORGE". HJEMMENES FORLAG, Oslo, 1975, side 96 og 103. ISBN 82-7006-151-4
  20. "Sjokkerende fra Borgersrud". Bergens Tidende. 2014-04-27.
  21. Trekker museum for retten
  22. Steinar R. Paulsen; et al. (2015-05-09). "Hammer og hakekors i tigerstaden". Klassekampen. p. 41.
  23. Her kommer det omstridte Osvald-monumentet til Jernbanetorget
  24. Omstridt monument på plass 1. mai
  25. Korslund, Frode (2015-05-06). "Hammer eller slegge eller begge". Klassekampen.
  26. Laberg, Inge (2015-05-08). "Ganske sikkert en mukkert". Klassekampen.
  27. mukkert
  28. Må krympe monument [Must shrink the monument]
  29. Russiske Anna Karpova om Osvald-monumentet: – Dette minner om monumentene fra sovjettiden
  30. Bård Larsen (2015-05-08). "Skivebom om Osvald-monumentet". Dagsavisen. p. 48.
  31. "1. MAI-TALE V/NKPS INTER-NASJONALE SEKRETÆR SVEND HAAKON JACOBSEN ■ PÅ NORDRE GRAVLUND 2015 – 70 ÅR ETTER SEIEREN OVER FASCISMEN". Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-05-10.
  32. Beskyldes for å sette opp kommunistpropaganda i Oslo
  33. "Nytt Osvald-monument skal vise Stanghelle som knuser Stalin".
  34. Sculpture stirs resistance debate
  35. Bjørgulv Braanen (2015-05-12). "Kjempet ikke Osvald-grupp for et fritt og selvstendig Norge? Motstandskampen". Klassekampen. p. 2.
  36. Halvorsen, Terje (2015-05-12). "Foreløpig bunnpunkt". Klassekampen.
  37. Sørheim, Erle Marie (2015-05-16). "Bråket rundt Osvald-monumentet på Jernbanetorget i Oslo er absurd, sett fra Berlin. Russernes inntogsmarsj". Klassekampen.
  38. War hero rejects military medal
  39. Oslogryta : motstandens hovedsentrum
  40. Pelle-gruppens minnesmerke avdukes neste måned
  41. Osvald-medlemmer kan likevel få Krigskorset
  42. paywall: Vigdis Alver (2014-06-14). "Med fare for sine liv spionerte de, var kurerer og likviderte forrædere" [While risking their lives, they spied, they were couriers and they assassinated traitors]. Dagbladet Magasinet. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
  43. Godt besøkt frokostmøte i LO i Bergen og omland. "August Rathke fortalte om sine opplevesler i SABORG under krigen. Han var rekrutteringsansvarlig i SABORG. [August Rathke told about his experiences in SABORG during the war. He was chief of recruiting in Saborg.]"
  44. Våre falne. p. 386.
  45. Torturert på det grusomste midt i Bergen sentrum
  46. Halvor Hegtun (2014-10-24). "Jødiske Sally skjulte seg ved nazileir i fem år". Aftenposten A-Magasinet.
  47. Halvor Hegtun (2014-10-24). "Jødiske Sally skjulte seg ved nazileir i fem år". Aftenposten A-Magasinet. Johansen var medlem av Norges Kommunistiske Parti og med på det illegale arbeidet til Osvald-gruppen.

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