| Summary: | The paper is aimed at presenting policy pursued by German occupants and Norwegian
fascists toward the Church in Norway during World War II. Resistance mounted by
the Lutheran Church to the Nazis, in Norwegian literature referred to as “kirkekampen“
(struggle waged by the Church), is hardly addressed by Polish authors.
The article is nearly completely based on Norwegian literature, and printed sources
are used as primary source material.
In 1940, after Norway had been invaded, the Norwegians had to face a new (occupation)
reality. The authorities of the German Third Reich did not however follow
a uniform policy toward the Church in the occupied Europe. In Norway, the Church was
state-run, in other words the state was obliged to propagate Lutheran religion and enable
Norwegian citizens to follow their religious practices. In 1940, the occupants did not
immediately take action against the Church. Furthermore, both the Nazi Germany and
the NS assured the invaded about their positive approach to religion. They did not intend
to interfere in the matters of the Church as long as the clergy did not oppose the new political
situation. Events that took place at the turn of 1940 and 1941 proved that the German
Third Reich and the NS planned to connect the Norwegians to gas supply system. Nevertheless,
the Church ceased to be loyal toward the occupants when the Norwegian law was
being violated by the Nazis. The conflict between the Church and the Nazi authorities
started at the end of January and the beginning of February 1941, yet it had its origin in
political and religious developments that took place in Norway during the first year of
occupation. Massive repressions against the clergy began in 1942, and bishops were the
first to suffer from persecution. In February 1942, they were expelled, lost their titles and
had to report to the police regularly. Very soon they lost the right to make speeches at
gatherings. It is worth mentioning Bishop Beggrav who was interned between 1942 and
1945, i.e. longest of all clergy members. Since temporary expelling of priests from their
parishes paralyzed their pastoral activity, in 1943 the Ministry of Church and Education
began to send the “non grata“ pastors to isles situated north of Norway. Nevertheless, the
internment conditions in which the clergymen lived were much better than the conditions
in which Norwegian teachers were being kept. What contributed to such a difference was
strong objection stated by the German Third Reich against continuing the conflict with
the Church. Just as in the Nazi Germany, Hitler postponed taking final decision about
the future of the Norwegian Church and planned to settle the matter after the war. In this
way, he prevented Quisling from pursuing his own policy toward the Church.
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