Hirden

Hirden
The insignia of the Hirden

Vidkun Quisling and Oliver Møystad inspecting Rikshirden.
Organization overview
Formed 1940
Dissolved 1945
Type Paramilitary
Jurisdiction German-occupied Norway
Headquarters Hirdens hus, Oslo
Parent organization Nasjonal Samling

Hirden[1] (the hird) was a uniformed paramilitary organisation during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany, modelled the same way as the German Sturmabteilungen.[2]

Overview

Vidkun Quisling's fascist party Nasjonal Samling frequently used words and symbols from the old Norse Viking era. During the Second World War, membership was compulsory for all Nasjonal Samling members. In total, about 8,500 Norwegians were members of Hirden during the war. The organisation was dissolved after the liberation, and many of its former members were prosecuted and convicted for treason and collaboration.

History

During the German occupation Hirden got a more military slant. The intention was that it should form the nucleus of a future Norwegian Nazi army, and a "hirdmarine" (Hirden navy)[3] and a "Hirdens flykorps" (Hirden's air force corps)[4] were created in 1942 in addition to the real Hirden, Rikshirden. However, many Hirden members volunteered to Norwegian military units in the war on Nazi German side or served as guards in the various prison camps. Hirden had a broad mandate to conduct operations against dissidents, independent of all police authorities, many of which included the use of violence.[5]

A 2014 Dagsavisen article said that "8 of 10 died in the prison camps where Hirden performed guard duty under the leadership of SS".[6]

Ranks and rank insignia

See also

References

  1. ↑ NRK. "Stiller ut fargefoto frå 30-talet". Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Erik Veum page 33
  3. ↑ Veum pp. 92-98
  4. ↑ Veum 98-106
  5. ↑ Veum
  6. ↑ Pål Nygaard (2014-11-18). "2. Verdenskrig: Etter krigen benektet alle i Vegvesenet at de hadde noe med de jugoslaviske fangene å gjøre. - Kunne de stoppet massedrap?" [World War Two: After the war, everyone in the Public Roads Administration denied involvement with the Jugoslavian prisoners. - Could they have stopped mass murder?]. Dagsavisen. p. 6. Pål Nygaard - Forsker, senter for profesjonsstudier, HiOA (...) 8 av 10 døde i leirene hvor Hirden sto vakt under ledelse av SS.
  7. ↑ Hvad enhver NS-mann bør vite - side 5 Retrieved 2017-02-05.

Sources

  • Eirik Veum: Nådeløse nordmenn - Hirden, Kagge Forlag, Oslo 2013, (in Norwegian) ISBN 978-82-489-1451-8
  • Dahl, Hans Fredrik (1995). "Hirden". In Dahl, Hans Fredrik. Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45. Oslo: Cappelen. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2010. (in Norwegian)
  • Her er Eirik Veums liste over de 20 verste torturistene i Hirden: [Here is Erik Veum's list of the 20 worst torturers in Hirden] (in Norwegian)

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