Fritt Folk
Encyclopedia
Fritt Folk was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Oslo
. It was the official organ of the Fascist party Nasjonal Samling, and came to prominence during the Second World War
.
's legation
in Oslo
, it was published daily. However, after Nasjonal Samling suffered a large defeat in the Norwegian parliamentary election, 1936
, effort dwindled and it was an obscure, weekly newspaper. Editor from 1937 to 1944 was Arnt Rishovd. From 1 April 1940 it was again published daily, this time with funding from Nazi Germany
.
On 9 April 1940 Norway was invaded by Nazi Germany
, and an occupation
started. Two days after the invasion, Fritt Folk was sent out as a supplement to popular newspapers such as Aftenposten
. This ended on 15 April when Quisling
was intermittently deposed and the Administrative Council
was installed, but the newspaper continued to prosper under Nazi rule. It had certain competitors in that many existing newspapers were usurped by Nazis, including Aftenposten, and they brought the same kind of news as Fritt Folk. Other newspapers were stopped, and when Arbeiderbladet
was stopped in August 1940, Fritt Folk usurped its offices and printing press. A prerogative for Fritt Folk was that Norwegian businesses and companies were forced to advertise in the newspaper, which boosted the economy. The circulation was secret, and this and some other administrative aspects of the newspaper has not yet been unveiled.
Even though the newspaper was controlled by Presseabteilung
, it had a certain tendency to not follow German directions in all cases. Among others, it allowed Johannes S. Andersen
to respond to rumours that he was a Nazi by printing his statement "although I have done many wrong things in my life, a Nazi I am not. Yours sincerely Johs. S. Andersen". The newspaper sometimes criticized decisions made by Nasjonal Samling, especially under its last editor (1944–1945), Odd Erling Melsom
. The German occupiers issued their own, German-language newspaper, Deutsche Zeitung in Norwegen
with a circulation of about 40,000 copies.
The last issue came on 7 May 1945.
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...
. It was the official organ of the Fascist party Nasjonal Samling, and came to prominence during the Second World War
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
.
History
Fritt Folk had a predecessor in a party newspaper for Nasjonal Samling. The party was founded in 1933 and the party newspaper in 1934. Fritt Folk was published for the first time on 26 March 1936, and had the tagline ("national organ for Nasjonal Samling"). The first editor-in-chief was Herolf Harstad. Funded by party members and the Kingdom of ItalyKingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
's legation
Legation
A legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
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...
, it was published daily. However, after Nasjonal Samling suffered a large defeat in the Norwegian parliamentary election, 1936
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1936
The parliamentary election of 1936 was the last one held in Norway before World War II and the German invasion of Norway.-Results:*...
, effort dwindled and it was an obscure, weekly newspaper. Editor from 1937 to 1944 was Arnt Rishovd. From 1 April 1940 it was again published daily, this time with funding from Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
.
On 9 April 1940 Norway was invaded by Nazi 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...
, and an occupation
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
started. Two days after the invasion, Fritt Folk was sent out as a supplement to popular newspapers such as Aftenposten
Aftenposten
Aftenposten is Norway's largest newspaper. It retook this position in 2010, taking it from the tabloid Verdens Gang which had been the largest newspaper for several decades. It is based in Oslo. The morning edition, which is distributed across all of Norway, had a circulation of 250,179 in 2007...
. This ended on 15 April when 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...
was intermittently deposed and the Administrative Council
Administrative Council (Norway)
The Administrative Council was a council established by the Supreme Court to govern Norway. The council was established on 15 April 1940, replacing Quisling's First Cabinet, and sat until 25 September, when it was replaced by the Reichskommissariat Norwegen headed by Josef Terboven. The council...
was installed, but the newspaper continued to prosper under Nazi rule. It had certain competitors in that many existing newspapers were usurped by Nazis, including Aftenposten, and they brought the same kind of news as Fritt Folk. Other newspapers were stopped, and when Arbeiderbladet
Dagsavisen
Dagsavisen is a daily newspaper published in Oslo, Norway. The former party organ of the Norwegian Labour Party, the ties loosened over time from 1975 to 1999, and it is now fully independent...
was stopped in August 1940, Fritt Folk usurped its offices and printing press. A prerogative for Fritt Folk was that Norwegian businesses and companies were forced to advertise in the newspaper, which boosted the economy. The circulation was secret, and this and some other administrative aspects of the newspaper has not yet been unveiled.
Even though the newspaper was controlled by Presseabteilung
Presseabteilung
The Presseabteilung was a press department created shortly after the German occupation of Norway in April 1940. Through the department, Germans controlled the content of Norwegian newspapers....
, it had a certain tendency to not follow German directions in all cases. Among others, it allowed Johannes S. Andersen
Johannes S. Andersen
Johannes Sigfred Andersen was a Norwegian resistance fighter during the Second World War, a member of the Norwegian Independent Company 1 . He was nicknamed "Gulosten"; 'The Yellow Cheese'. He also used the surname Ostein during the war...
to respond to rumours that he was a Nazi by printing his statement "although I have done many wrong things in my life, a Nazi I am not. Yours sincerely Johs. S. Andersen". The newspaper sometimes criticized decisions made by Nasjonal Samling, especially under its last editor (1944–1945), Odd Erling Melsom
Odd Erling Melsom
Odd Erling Melsom was a Norwegian military officer and newspaper editor.He was born in Kristiania as a son of travellers. He finished his secondary education at Kristiania Cathedral School in 1918, and graduated from the Norwegian Military Academy in 1922...
. The German occupiers issued their own, German-language newspaper, Deutsche Zeitung in Norwegen
Deutsche Zeitung in Norwegen
Deutsche Zeitung in Norwegen was a daily newspaper published in Norway between 20 May 1940 and 8 May 1945, during the German occupation of Norway. It was the main publication of the German part of the Nazi regime in Norway, and had a circulation of about 40,000 copies.The paper served as a model...
with a circulation of about 40,000 copies.
The last issue came on 7 May 1945.