Czechoslovakia–Norway relations
Encyclopedia
Czechoslovakia–Norway relations refers to the foreign relations between Norway
and the now-defunct state Czechoslovakia
.
The Norwegian poet, playwright and political agitator Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
was a vocal defender of Slovak rights in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in his later life, in 1907 and 1908. He died in 1910. The engagement was sparked by the Černová tragedy
. Streets by the name Björnsonova have been named after Bjørnson in Bratislava
, Prešov
and Nové Zámky
.
of the League of Nations
.
On 11 March 1937 in Oslo
, Czechoslovakia and Norway signed a cultural cooperation treaty. The people who closed the agreement include Emil Franke, Halvdan Koht
and Nils Hjelmtveit
. According to Hjelmtveit, it was the first treaty of its kind signed by Norway. Olav Rytter
was the main translator at the negotiations and signing. The first large result of the treaty was an exhibition of Czech
and Slovak
books at the Norwegian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design
in April 1938. A planned Norwegian exhibition in Prague
in the autumn of 1938 was not held because of the events surrounding the Munich Agreement
.
in 1938–1939, and had an anti-German government-in-exile
during the Second World War. On 9 April 1940 Norway was invaded by Germany
too, and joined the Allies of World War II
with its government fleeing the country. The alliance was formalised in the Declaration by United Nations
on 1 January 1942, with Czechoslovakia and Norway as signatories.
During the war, the two exiled governments were headquartered in London
. On 8 December every year, the birthday of Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, the two governments held Czechoslovakia–Norwegian festivities, in spirit of the cultural cooperation treaty. Olav Rytter was stationed in London as well. He made a career as a Slavic philologist, and after the war he served from 1948 to 1953 as Director of the United Nations
Information Office in Prague.
took place on 25 February 1948. Joseph Stalin
soon tried to pressure Norway to sign a treaty of mutual assistance. The coup also had an impact on Norwegian interior politics. On 29 February 1948 Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen
held the Kråkerøy Speech in which he denounced the Communist Party of Norway
as possible supporters of a Czechoslovak-like coup d'état in Norway. The Communist Party supported the Czechoslovak coup d'état. Shortly after Gerhardsen's speech, at least 1,500 people demonstrated in Oslo
against the coup. Norway joined the NATO in 1949.
During the Cold War, the Czechoslovak intelligence StB
spied in Norway as an instrument of the KGB, and the Norwegian Intelligence Service
spied in Czechoslovakia as an instrument for the Central Intelligence Agency
. In both cases, the intelligence service of the small nation was used because it was less conspicious than the intelligence service of the superpower. The StB was interested in informants from the Czechoslovak diaspora, from people involved with NATO and from politicians in the Norwegian Labour Party
and from 1961 the Socialist People's Party
. Among the people convicted as spies, was the Czechoslovak former media celebrity Vladimír Veselý. He was sentenced to 25 years of prison in 1957. Veselý had allegedly had contact with Norwegian intelligence officer Einar Nord Stenersen, who had been dispatched to the Norwegian embassy in 1954.
eer Birgit Strøm married Czechoslovak diplomat Jan Bureš in the early 1950s. Bureš was summoned back to Czechoslovakia for marrying a westerner, and even though Strøm followed him to Prague, the marriage was dissolved. Both Bureš and Strøm were surveilled by StB. Strøm returned to Norway, but had made lasting bonds with the Czech puppeteering scene. Some emigrated to Norway, including Karel Hlavatý who is known for physically crafting Strøm's puppet character Titten Tei
. For having contacts in an Eastern European country, Strøm was also extensively surveilled by Norwegian intelligence.
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, for many years the only television channel in Norway, imported a fair amount of Czech television, especially children's shows
. Recurring shows include Zdeněk Miler
's series about Mole
, Beneš
and Jiránek
's Pat & Mat
, Beneš' Jája a Pája and Čtvrtek
and Pilař's Cipísek.
Preußler
and Smetana's Malá čarodějnice from the mid-1980s was a Czechoslovak-German production. The Czechoslovak-German film from 1973, Tři oříšky pro Popelku
, was first aired in Norway in 1975 and has been aired on 24 December
every year since 1987 except for 1993 and 1995. The Norwegian version features a single, overdubbed voice (male Knut Risan
) for the narrator and all characters which is uncommon in Norwegian television.
Norwegians who were decorated for contributions to Czechoslovak culture include Kjell Bækkelund
, who received the Janáček Medal.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and the now-defunct state Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
Up to World War I
Norway was an independent country since 1905, at the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905. Czechoslovakia became independent from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.The Norwegian poet, playwright and political agitator Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland...
was a vocal defender of Slovak rights in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in his later life, in 1907 and 1908. He died in 1910. The engagement was sparked by the Černová tragedy
Cernová tragedy
The Černová massacre was a shooting that happened in Csernova on 27 October 1907 in which 15 people were killed and many were wounded after gendarmes fired into a crowd of people gathering for the consecration of a church...
. Streets by the name Björnsonova have been named after Bjørnson in Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, Prešov
Prešov
Prešov Historically, the city has been known in German as Eperies , Eperjes in Hungarian, Fragopolis in Latin, Preszów in Polish, Peryeshis in Romany, Пряшев in Russian and Пряшів in Rusyn and Ukrainian.-Characteristics:The city is a showcase of Baroque, Rococo and Gothic...
and Nové Zámky
Nové Zámky
Nové Zámky is a town in southwestern Slovakia.-Geography:The town is located on the Danubian Lowland, on the Nitra River, at an altitude of 119 metres. It is located around 100 km from Bratislava and around 25 km from the Hungarian border. It is a road and railway hub of southern...
.
Interwar period
Both countries were founding membersLeague of Nations members
Between 1920 and 1946, a total of 63 countries became member states of the League of Nations. The Covenant forming the League of Nations was included in the Treaty of Versailles and came into force on 10 January 1920...
of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
.
On 11 March 1937 in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Czechoslovakia and Norway signed a cultural cooperation treaty. The people who closed the agreement include Emil Franke, Halvdan Koht
Halvdan Koht
Halvdan Koht was a Norwegian historian and politician representing the Labour Party.As a politician he served as the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1935 to 1941. He was never elected as a member of the Parliament of Norway, but was a member of Bærum municipal council in 1917–1919 and...
and Nils Hjelmtveit
Nils Hjelmtveit
Nils Hjelmtveit was a Norwegian educator and politician for the Labour Party. He was mayor of Stokken, MP from 1925 to 1930, Minister of Education and Church Affairs from 1935 to 1945 and County Governor of Aust-Agder from 1945 to 1961.-Early career:He was born at Hopland in Alversund as a son of...
. According to Hjelmtveit, it was the first treaty of its kind signed by Norway. Olav Rytter
Olav Rytter
Olav Rytter was a Norwegian newspaper editor, radio personality, foreign correspondent, philologist and translator....
was the main translator at the negotiations and signing. The first large result of the treaty was an exhibition of Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
and Slovak
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
books at the Norwegian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design
Norwegian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design
The Norwegian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design is a museum in Oslo, Norway. Since 2003 it is administratively a part of the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design.-History:...
in April 1938. A planned Norwegian exhibition in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in the autumn of 1938 was not held because of the events surrounding the Munich Agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
.
World War II
Czechoslovakia was annexed by GermanyGerman occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
in 1938–1939, and had an anti-German government-in-exile
Czechoslovak government-in-exile
The Czechoslovak government-in-exile was an informal title conferred upon the Czechoslovak National Liberation Committee, initially by British diplomatic recognition. The name came to be used by other World War II Allies as they subsequently recognized it...
during the Second World War. On 9 April 1940 Norway was invaded by Germany
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
too, and joined the Allies of World War II
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
with its government fleeing the country. The alliance was formalised in the Declaration by United Nations
Declaration by United Nations
The Declaration by United Nations was a World War II document agreed to on January 1, 1942 during the Arcadia Conference by 26 governments: the Allied "Big Four" , nine American allies in Central America and the Caribbean, the four British Dominions, British India, and eight Allied...
on 1 January 1942, with Czechoslovakia and Norway as signatories.
During the war, the two exiled governments were headquartered in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. On 8 December every year, the birthday of Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, the two governments held Czechoslovakia–Norwegian festivities, in spirit of the cultural cooperation treaty. Olav Rytter was stationed in London as well. He made a career as a Slavic philologist, and after the war he served from 1948 to 1953 as Director of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Information Office in Prague.
Cold War
The Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
The Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 – in Communist historiography known as "Victorious February" – was an event late that February in which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the government of Czechoslovakia, ushering in over four decades...
took place on 25 February 1948. Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
soon tried to pressure Norway to sign a treaty of mutual assistance. The coup also had an impact on Norwegian interior politics. On 29 February 1948 Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen
Einar Gerhardsen
was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. He was Prime Minister for three periods, 1945–1951, 1955–1963 and 1963–1965. With 17 years in office, he is the longest serving Prime Minister in Norway since the introduction of parliamentarism...
held the Kråkerøy Speech in which he denounced the Communist Party of Norway
Communist Party of Norway
The Communist Party of Norway is a political party in Norway without parliamentary representation. It was formed in 1923, following a split in the Norwegian Labour Party. The party played an important role in the resistance to German occupation during the Second World War, and experienced a brief...
as possible supporters of a Czechoslovak-like coup d'état in Norway. The Communist Party supported the Czechoslovak coup d'état. Shortly after Gerhardsen's speech, at least 1,500 people demonstrated in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
against the coup. Norway joined the NATO in 1949.
During the Cold War, the Czechoslovak intelligence StB
STB
STB is an acronym that can mean:* Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus – Bachelor of Sacred Theology* Set-top box – a television device that converts signals to viewable images* Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP -- a law firm...
spied in Norway as an instrument of the KGB, and the Norwegian Intelligence Service
Norwegian Intelligence Service
Etterretningstjenesten or the Norwegian Intelligence Service is a Norwegian military intelligence agency under the Chief of Defence and the Ministry of Defence....
spied in Czechoslovakia as an instrument for the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
. In both cases, the intelligence service of the small nation was used because it was less conspicious than the intelligence service of the superpower. The StB was interested in informants from the Czechoslovak diaspora, from people involved with NATO and from politicians in the Norwegian Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
and from 1961 the Socialist People's Party
Socialist People's Party (Norway)
Socialist People's Party was a splinter group of the Norwegian Labour Party . SF was principally dissatisfied with the pro-NATO/European Economic Community external policies of DNA. A group centered around the magazine Orientering had been expelled from DNA...
. Among the people convicted as spies, was the Czechoslovak former media celebrity Vladimír Veselý. He was sentenced to 25 years of prison in 1957. Veselý had allegedly had contact with Norwegian intelligence officer Einar Nord Stenersen, who had been dispatched to the Norwegian embassy in 1954.
Cold War cultural exchange
Norwegian puppetPuppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
eer Birgit Strøm married Czechoslovak diplomat Jan Bureš in the early 1950s. Bureš was summoned back to Czechoslovakia for marrying a westerner, and even though Strøm followed him to Prague, the marriage was dissolved. Both Bureš and Strøm were surveilled by StB. Strøm returned to Norway, but had made lasting bonds with the Czech puppeteering scene. Some emigrated to Norway, including Karel Hlavatý who is known for physically crafting Strøm's puppet character Titten Tei
Titten Tei
Titten Tei was a children's television character that first appeared on television in Norwegian fall 1971. The show aired on NRK on Saturdays.Titten Tei, full name Titten Tei André von Drei, is a puppet made by Karel Hlavaty and brought to life by puppeteer Birgit Strøm. Titten Tei appeared...
. For having contacts in an Eastern European country, Strøm was also extensively surveilled by Norwegian intelligence.
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, for many years the only television channel in Norway, imported a fair amount of Czech television, especially children's shows
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
. Recurring shows include Zdeněk Miler
Zdenek Miler
Zdeněk Miler was a Czech animator and illustrator best known for his Mole character and its adventures.-Early years:...
's series about Mole
Mole (Zdenek Miler character)
The Mole is an animated character in a series of cartoons, created by Czech animator Zdeněk Miler.It was first to be seen in 1956 in Prague, when Miler wanted to create a children's cartoon...
, Beneš
Lubomír Beneš
Lubomír Beneš was a Czech animator, director and author who lived in Roztoky, near Prague. He was married, and had a son and daughter....
and Jiránek
Vladimír Jiránek
Vladimír Jiránek is a Czech illustrator, film director and cartoonist.In 1962 he graduated from Philosophical faculty of Charles University in Prague, where he studied journalism. He closely cooperated with magazines . After the Velvet revolution he joined Lidové noviny...
's Pat & Mat
Pat & Mat
Pat & Mat is a Czech stop-motion animated series featuring two handymen, Pat and Mat...
, Beneš' Jája a Pája and Čtvrtek
Václav Čtvrtek
Václav Cafourek , commonly known under his pen name of Václav Čtvrtek was a Czech poet and author. His most famous works include Křemílek and Vochomůrka, Rumcajs, Manka and Cipísek and Víla Amálka...
and Pilař's Cipísek.
Preußler
Otfried Preußler
Otfried Preußler is a German children's books author. His best-known works are The Robber Hotzenplotz and The Satanic Mill ....
and Smetana's Malá čarodějnice from the mid-1980s was a Czechoslovak-German production. The Czechoslovak-German film from 1973, Tři oříšky pro Popelku
Tri oríšky pro Popelku
Tři oříšky pro Popelku is a Czechoslovak-German fairy-tale film from 1973.It was directed by Václav Vorlíček in co-production between DEFA-Studio für Spielfilme and Barrandov Studios. The story was based on a fairy tale written by Božena Němcová . Main roles were played by Libuše Šafránková and...
, was first aired in Norway in 1975 and has been aired on 24 December
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
every year since 1987 except for 1993 and 1995. The Norwegian version features a single, overdubbed voice (male Knut Risan
Knut Risan
Knut Risan was a Norwegian actor.He was born in Trondheim, and made his stage debut at Nationaltheatret in 1956. He was employed here until 1998, and had guest appearances at the Norwegian National Opera, Den Nationale Scene and Riksteatret...
) for the narrator and all characters which is uncommon in Norwegian television.
Norwegians who were decorated for contributions to Czechoslovak culture include Kjell Bækkelund
Kjell Bækkelund
Kjell Bækkelund was a Norwegian classical pianist, born in Oslo. He was known as a child prodigy.Bækkelund made his debut with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of eight. His final years of study took place at Stockholm, with Professor Boon, and at Vienna, with Professor Seidlhofer...
, who received the Janáček Medal.