Ferdinand Anker
Encyclopedia
Ferdinand Osvald Conrad Anker (12 December 1876 – 23 April 1954) was a Norwegian
businessperson.
, attended commerce school and resided in Germany
and France
between 1897 and 1899. In 1899 he started his own company, trading in iron, steel and other construction metals. He later expanded the company with the selling of agricultural machinery
. In 1910 he abandoned the company he had started in order to take the head job of P. Schreiner sen. & Co, a company ran by his father beforehand.
Anker became a board member of Kværner Brug in 1910, and advanced to chairman in 1914. He also chaired Myrens Verksted
, Moss Værft & Dokk, Landbruk Maskin (in both Oslo and Florø), A/S Staal & Jern and Jernmetal. He was a main shareholder in Landbruk Maskin, Staal & Jern and Jernmetal, and a board member of Elektrisk Bureau
, supervisory council member of Nationaltheatret
and Christiania Bank og Kreditkasse, and also chaired two philanthropical institutions run by his family. Heavily engaged in politics, Anker was a member of the financial committee of the Conservative Party's central board from 1909 to 1916. From 1925 he chaired the employers' association Jerngrossistenes Forening.
. Specific accounts were his involvement in the collection of 8000 tons of tin
for Wehrmacht
, stockpiling of 12,100 tons of iron for the Kriegsmarine
werft in Horten
, stockpiling of iron at the grounds of his companies in Florø, Harstad and Trondheim, as well as utilization of forced labour in doing so, delivery of spikes to a Luftgau-Kommando, building of armed whaling vessels for the Kriegsmarine, "statements during the war" and collection of business orders issued by Germany while the Second World War
was still ongoing in Norway.
Anker pleaded not guilty, and referred to his office manager who handled the daily affairs. He was found not guilty of the spike deliverance. In spite of this, he was found guilty of high treason, and sentenced to one year of prison and a fine. , This represents about in currency (about ). In 1950 Anker was sued, as chairman of Moss Værft & Dokk, by Øivind Lorentzen
's company Sobral. Sobral claimed that Moss Værft & Dokk negliged their contract agreement regarding the construction of two vessels during the war. First, claimed Sobral, Moss Værft & Dokk had instead used their capacity on arming whaling vessels. The two vessels had been delayed, and when they were completed, they had been taken over by Kriegsmarine as minesweeper
s. The court case lasted several years, reaching the Court of Appeal in 1954.
Anker was decorated as a Commander, Second Class of the Belgian Royal Order of the Lion
before the Second World War. He died in April 1954 and was buried at Vestre gravlund
.
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...
businessperson.
Pre-war career
Anker was born in ChristianiaOslo
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...
, attended commerce school and resided in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
between 1897 and 1899. In 1899 he started his own company, trading in iron, steel and other construction metals. He later expanded the company with the selling of agricultural machinery
Agricultural machinery
Agricultural machinery is machinery used in the operation of an agricultural area or farm.-Hand tools:The first person to turn from the hunting and gathering lifestyle to farming probably did so by using his bare hands, and perhaps some sticks or stones. Tools such as knives, scythes, and wooden...
. In 1910 he abandoned the company he had started in order to take the head job of P. Schreiner sen. & Co, a company ran by his father beforehand.
Anker became a board member of Kværner Brug in 1910, and advanced to chairman in 1914. He also chaired Myrens Verksted
Myrens Verksted
Myrens Verksted is a industrial area in Norway on the east side of the Akerselva river, situated between the bridges Bentsebrua and Vøyenbrua in the southwest part of Torshov, in what is today the Sagene Borough of Oslo. Production started in this area in 1854 based on Øvre Foss Mekaniske verksted...
, Moss Værft & Dokk, Landbruk Maskin (in both Oslo and Florø), A/S Staal & Jern and Jernmetal. He was a main shareholder in Landbruk Maskin, Staal & Jern and Jernmetal, and a board member of Elektrisk Bureau
Elektrisk Bureau
Elektrisk Bureau or EB was a Norwegian manufacturer of telecommunication equipment. It was founded in 1882 and lasted until 1993 when it became part of Asea Brown Boveri . The company was located at Billingstad in Asker.-History:...
, supervisory council member of Nationaltheatret
Nationaltheatret
The National Theatre in Oslo is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts.The theatre had its first performance on 1 September 1899 but can trace its origins to Christiania Theatre, which was founded in 1829...
and Christiania Bank og Kreditkasse, and also chaired two philanthropical institutions run by his family. Heavily engaged in politics, Anker was a member of the financial committee of the Conservative Party's central board from 1909 to 1916. From 1925 he chaired the employers' association Jerngrossistenes Forening.
Second World War and later life
In February 1946 Anker was arrested together with the office manager in P. Schreiner sen. & Co, on suspicion of "economic treason", as a part of the legal purge in Norway after World War IILegal 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...
. Specific accounts were his involvement in the collection of 8000 tons of tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
for Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, stockpiling of 12,100 tons of iron for the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
werft in Horten
Horten
is a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the villages of Borre, Åsgårdstrand, Skoppum, and Nykirke....
, stockpiling of iron at the grounds of his companies in Florø, Harstad and Trondheim, as well as utilization of forced labour in doing so, delivery of spikes to a Luftgau-Kommando, building of armed whaling vessels for the Kriegsmarine, "statements during the war" and collection of business orders issued by Germany while the Second World War
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
was still ongoing in Norway.
Anker pleaded not guilty, and referred to his office manager who handled the daily affairs. He was found not guilty of the spike deliverance. In spite of this, he was found guilty of high treason, and sentenced to one year of prison and a fine. , This represents about in currency (about ). In 1950 Anker was sued, as chairman of Moss Værft & Dokk, by Øivind Lorentzen
Øivind Lorentzen
-Pre-war life and career:He was born in Holmestrand as a son of ship-owner Hans Ludvig Lorentzen and Thala Margrethe Bredrup . His family lived in Argentina and Brazil between 1891 and 1895. Lorentzen finished his secondary education in 1901, and studied shipbuilding at Berlin Institute of...
's company Sobral. Sobral claimed that Moss Værft & Dokk negliged their contract agreement regarding the construction of two vessels during the war. First, claimed Sobral, Moss Værft & Dokk had instead used their capacity on arming whaling vessels. The two vessels had been delayed, and when they were completed, they had been taken over by Kriegsmarine as minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
s. The court case lasted several years, reaching the Court of Appeal in 1954.
Anker was decorated as a Commander, Second Class of the Belgian Royal Order of the Lion
Royal Order of the Lion (Belgium)
The Royal Order of the Lion was established by King Leopold II of Belgium on 9 April 1891, in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State, and was awarded for services to Congo and its ruler that did not deserve the award of the Order of the African Star and were not necessarily performed from...
before the Second World War. He died in April 1954 and was buried at Vestre gravlund
Vestre gravlund
Vestre gravlund is a cemetery in the Frogner borough of Oslo, Norway, located next to the Borgen metro station. At , it is the largest cemetery in Norway...
.