Albert Wiesener
Encyclopedia
Albert Wiesener was a Norwegian lawyer.
He graduated with the cand.jur. degree in 1925, he studied in Berlin
from 1926 and 1927. He joined the Norwegian Fascist party Nasjonal Samling (NS), which was established in 1933, and was a central figure in the party's founding and relative success (two city council seats in its first election outing) in Hamar
. In Hamar he also chaired the tennis group in Hamar IL
in 1930. He left the party in 1937. As a Germanophile
, his thinking clashed with the Norwegian cultural nationalism
of Nasjonal Samling chairman Vidkun Quisling
.
In 1939 Wiesener became a barrister with access to work with cases in the Supreme Court
. During the German occupation of Norway, from 1940 to 1945, he worked as a defender for members of the Norwegian resistance
who were tried in Nazi-controlled courts. Among others he was the defender of Gunnar Eilifsen, the first Norwegian during the occupation to receive the death sentence from a Norwegian court.
Nonetheless, as a part of the legal purge in Norway after World War II
, Wiesener received a small sentence for a piece he wrote in 1940. He was active in the Nazi movement in the spring and summer of 1940, when Quisling's first period as a national leader was over, and the German occupants tried to find Germanophile collaborators in the Norwegian society. Wiesener held lectures in the German-controlled Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, so did people like Jonas Lie
, Johan Bernhard Hjort, and Ranik Halle. However, Wiesener and others faded into the background from July 1940, as Nasjonal Samling and its members returned to the upper echelons.
Wiesener criticized the legal purge in the 1964 book Seierherrens justis. He had previously published Nordmenn for tysk krigsrett (1954), chronicling his time as a defender. He died in 1986.
He graduated with the cand.jur. degree in 1925, he studied in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
from 1926 and 1927. He joined the Norwegian Fascist party Nasjonal Samling (NS), which was established in 1933, and was a central figure in the party's founding and relative success (two city council seats in its first election outing) in Hamar
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
. In Hamar he also chaired the tennis group in Hamar IL
Hamar IL
Hamar Idrettslag is a Norwegian sports club from Hamar. It has sections for bandy, curling, association football, athletics, sport shooting, rowing, speed skating, diving, swimming, tennis and gymnastics....
in 1930. He left the party in 1937. As a Germanophile
Germanophile
A Germanophile is a person who is fond of German culture, German people, and Germany in general, exhibiting as it were German nationalism in spite of not being an ethnic German or a German citizen. Its opposite is Germanophobia...
, his thinking clashed with the Norwegian cultural nationalism
Cultural nationalism
Cultural nationalism is a form of nationalism in which the nation is defined by a shared culture. It is an intermediate position between ethnic nationalism on one hand and liberal nationalism on the other....
of Nasjonal Samling chairman Vidkun Quisling
Vidkun Quisling
Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling was a Norwegian politician. On 9 April 1940, with the German invasion of Norway in progress, he seized power in a Nazi-backed coup d'etat that garnered him international infamy. From 1942 to 1945 he served as Minister-President, working with the occupying...
.
In 1939 Wiesener became a barrister with access to work with cases in the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Norway
The Supreme Court of Norway was established in 1815 on the basis of the Constitution of Norway's §88, prescribing an independent judiciary. It is located in Oslo and is Norway's highest court...
. During the German occupation of Norway, from 1940 to 1945, he worked as a defender for members of the Norwegian resistance
Norwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...
who were tried in Nazi-controlled courts. Among others he was the defender of Gunnar Eilifsen, the first Norwegian during the occupation to receive the death sentence from a Norwegian court.
Nonetheless, as a part of the legal purge in Norway after World War II
Legal purge in Norway after World War II
When the occupation of Norway ended in May 1945, several thousand Norwegians and foreign citizens were tried and convicted for various acts that the occupying powers sanctioned...
, Wiesener received a small sentence for a piece he wrote in 1940. He was active in the Nazi movement in the spring and summer of 1940, when Quisling's first period as a national leader was over, and the German occupants tried to find Germanophile collaborators in the Norwegian society. Wiesener held lectures in the German-controlled Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, so did people like Jonas Lie
Jonas Lie (government minister)
Jonas Lie was a Norwegian councillor of state in the Nasjonal Samling government of Vidkun Quisling in 1940, then acting councillor of state 1940–1941, and Minister of Police between 1941 and 1945 in the new Quisling government...
, Johan Bernhard Hjort, and Ranik Halle. However, Wiesener and others faded into the background from July 1940, as Nasjonal Samling and its members returned to the upper echelons.
Wiesener criticized the legal purge in the 1964 book Seierherrens justis. He had previously published Nordmenn for tysk krigsrett (1954), chronicling his time as a defender. He died in 1986.