The question has haunted Norway, Scandinavia and the entire literary community for more than 50 years. More than 1000 books have been written on the subject. There are more than 100 websites about him, doctorats, opinions and debates. All his works, all his articles and speeches, thousands of personal letters have been read thouroughly by numerous researches in the entire world. Now the conclusion can be brought forward, and the question can be answered.
Was Hamsun a Nazi?
The answer is:
No.
Hamsun was NOT a nazi. Hamsun was NOT a fascist. Hamsun had nothing in common with nazism.
Fact:
- Hamsun was a child of life
- Hamsun’s art is open, tolerant and beautiful
- Hamsun’s political opinions were not nazi
- Hamsun was pro-german during his entire life, but not nazi
- Hamsun was aquitted of nazism in a post-war court of law
- Hamsun had a fight with Hitler and disliked Hitler
- Hamsun was against the German management of Norway
- Hamsun liberated many norwegians from german prisons
- Hamsun was old and unaware
- Hamsun was shocked to learn about the true nature of nazism
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| #2: Hamsun’s art is open, tolerant and beautiful Nothing in the works of Hamsun expresses nazi or fascist viewpoints or opinions. His art is open, tolerant and beautiful. Knut Hamsun published more than 50 works. They all sound off a common message: The love for life. He was awarded the nobel price in 1920 for his ways of expressing this. | |||
| #2: Hamsun’s art is open, tolerant and beautiful Nothing in the works of Hamsun expresses nazi or fascist viewpoints or opinions. His art is open, tolerant and beautiful. Knut Hamsun published more than 50 works. They all sound off a common message: The love for life. He was awarded the nobel price in 1920 for his ways of expressing this. | ||||
#2: Hamsun’s art is open, tolerant and beautiful Nothing in the works of Hamsun expresses nazi or fascist viewpoints or opinions. His art is open, tolerant and beautiful. Knut Hamsun published more than 50 works. They all sound off a common message: The love for life. He was awarded the nobel price in 1920 for his ways of expressing this. |
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| #3: Hamsun’s political opinions were not nazi Nothing in Hamsun’s public expression of political viewpoints has ever expressed nazi or fascist opinions. Hamsun has never expressed racist or anti-semitic opinions. Hamsun was a moral conservative, sometimes reactionary, sometimes revolutionary, a royalist who believed in authorities. But he was not a nazi. | |||
| #3: Hamsun’s political opinions were not nazi Nothing in Hamsun’s public expression of political viewpoints has ever expressed nazi or fascist opinions. Hamsun has never expressed racist or anti-semitic opinions. Hamsun was a moral conservative, sometimes reactionary, sometimes revolutionary, a royalist who believed in authorities. But he was not a nazi. | ||||
#3: Hamsun’s political opinions were not nazi Nothing in Hamsun’s public expression of political viewpoints has ever expressed nazi or fascist opinions. Hamsun has never expressed racist or anti-semitic opinions. Hamsun was a moral conservative, sometimes reactionary, sometimes revolutionary, a royalist who believed in authorities. But he was not a nazi. |
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| #4: Support of Germany since childhood Hamsun favored the rise of Germany in general, was anti-anglosaxon and anti-american, as well as anti-modernistic. This does not mean he was a nazi. Hamsun supported the German occupation of Norway, opposed the Norwegian resistance and feared a coming english invasion. He was also dissapointed of the Norwegian king fleeing Norway. This does not mean he was a Nazi. Hamsun was against communism and the bolscheviks, which was behind his supported for the german eastern expansion. This does not mean he was a nazi. | |||
| #4: Support of Germany since childhood Hamsun favored the rise of Germany in general, was anti-anglosaxon and anti-american, as well as anti-modernistic. This does not mean he was a nazi. Hamsun supported the German occupation of Norway, opposed the Norwegian resistance and feared a coming english invasion. He was also dissapointed of the Norwegian king fleeing Norway. This does not mean he was a Nazi. Hamsun was against communism and the bolscheviks, which was behind his supported for the german eastern expansion. This does not mean he was a nazi. | ||||
#4: Support of Germany since childhood Hamsun favored the rise of Germany in general, was anti-anglosaxon and anti-american, as well as anti-modernistic. This does not mean he was a nazi. Hamsun supported the German occupation of Norway, opposed the Norwegian resistance and feared a coming english invasion. He was also dissapointed of the Norwegian king fleeing Norway. This does not mean he was a Nazi. Hamsun was against communism and the bolscheviks, which was behind his supported for the german eastern expansion. This does not mean he was a nazi. |
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| #5: Hamsun was aqquited of nazism in a post-war court of law. Hamsun was aquitted in a post-war court of law, for having ever been member of the nazi parti. He was never enrolled in any such, or part of any nazi community or group. He never spoke with a Nazi voice. Hamsun spoke with a pro-german voice for 4 decades, supported the German occupation, for which he was sentenced to a fine. But he was aqquitted of being a nazi. | |||
| #5: Hamsun was aqquited of nazism in a post-war court of law. Hamsun was aquitted in a post-war court of law, for having ever been member of the nazi parti. He was never enrolled in any such, or part of any nazi community or group. He never spoke with a Nazi voice. Hamsun spoke with a pro-german voice for 4 decades, supported the German occupation, for which he was sentenced to a fine. But he was aqquitted of being a nazi. | ||||
#5: Hamsun was aqquited of nazism in a post-war court of law. Hamsun was aquitted in a post-war court of law, for having ever been member of the nazi parti. He was never enrolled in any such, or part of any nazi community or group. He never spoke with a Nazi voice. Hamsun spoke with a pro-german voice for 4 decades, supported the German occupation, for which he was sentenced to a fine. But he was aqquitted of being a nazi. |
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| #6: Hamsun argued with Hitler and disliked him Hamsun met Hitler in 1943 to complain the German management of Norway (Reichskommisar Terboven). Hamsun was amongst the very few people in history to have an open and loud argument with Hitler, and live to tell about it. Hitler was furious and ended the meeting. Hamsun was invited there in the first place as an asset for the Germans to harvest. Hamsun strongly critisized Hitler in private, and wrote a cryptic obituary for Hitler, in which he both praised and ridiculed him. | |||
| #6: Hamsun argued with Hitler and disliked him Hamsun met Hitler in 1943 to complain the German management of Norway (Reichskommisar Terboven). Hamsun was amongst the very few people in history to have an open and loud argument with Hitler, and live to tell about it. Hitler was furious and ended the meeting. Hamsun was invited there in the first place as an asset for the Germans to harvest. Hamsun strongly critisized Hitler in private, and wrote a cryptic obituary for Hitler, in which he both praised and ridiculed him. | ||||
#6: Hamsun argued with Hitler and disliked him Hamsun met Hitler in 1943 to complain the German management of Norway (Reichskommisar Terboven). Hamsun was amongst the very few people in history to have an open and loud argument with Hitler, and live to tell about it. Hitler was furious and ended the meeting. Hamsun was invited there in the first place as an asset for the Germans to harvest. Hamsun strongly critisized Hitler in private, and wrote a cryptic obituary for Hitler, in which he both praised and ridiculed him. |
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| #7: Hamsun was opposed to the German management of Norway Hamsun strongly opposed the German Reichskommisar Terboven. He expressed this to German management, to Hitler, and in public. | |||
| #7: Hamsun was opposed to the German management of Norway Hamsun strongly opposed the German Reichskommisar Terboven. He expressed this to German management, to Hitler, and in public. | ||||
#7: Hamsun was opposed to the German management of Norway Hamsun strongly opposed the German Reichskommisar Terboven. He expressed this to German management, to Hitler, and in public. |
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| #8: Hamsun liberated many norwegians from the prisons Hamsun was amongst those who through letters liberated the most Norwegians from german prisons. Hamsun was against the way, Germany occupied Norway. | |||
| #8: Hamsun liberated many norwegians from the prisons Hamsun was amongst those who through letters liberated the most Norwegians from german prisons. Hamsun was against the way, Germany occupied Norway. | ||||
#8: Hamsun liberated many norwegians from the prisons Hamsun was amongst those who through letters liberated the most Norwegians from german prisons. Hamsun was against the way, Germany occupied Norway. |
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| #9: Hamsun was old and unaware Hamsun knew nothing about the deeds of the nazis outside Norway. In Norway, he opposed what he knew. He lived, during most of WW2, isolated on his manor, and was both blind and deaf. He was 81-86 years at the time. | |||
| #9: Hamsun was old and unaware Hamsun knew nothing about the deeds of the nazis outside Norway. In Norway, he opposed what he knew. He lived, during most of WW2, isolated on his manor, and was both blind and deaf. He was 81-86 years at the time. | ||||
#9: Hamsun was old and unaware Hamsun knew nothing about the deeds of the nazis outside Norway. In Norway, he opposed what he knew. He lived, during most of WW2, isolated on his manor, and was both blind and deaf. He was 81-86 years at the time. |
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| #10: Hamsun was shocked to learn about the Nazis Hamsun learned about the nazi concentration camps during a forced post-war stay at a clinic. Hamsun was shocked and cried uncontrollably. He had, to that point, only been presented of the german side of the story through official media. | |||
| #10: Hamsun was shocked to learn about the Nazis Hamsun learned about the nazi concentration camps during a forced post-war stay at a clinic. Hamsun was shocked and cried uncontrollably. He had, to that point, only been presented of the german side of the story through official media. | ||||
#10: Hamsun was shocked to learn about the Nazis Hamsun learned about the nazi concentration camps during a forced post-war stay at a clinic. Hamsun was shocked and cried uncontrollably. He had, to that point, only been presented of the german side of the story through official media. |
Note: All of the above are conclusions to intensive research and facts from domains and fields of research, historical records and analysis. For each sentence of the above, two books and three doctorats could be written, flanked by hundreds of referencing sources. But that is not the point of this presentation. The point of this presentation is to communicate the final truth about Hamsun’s relationship with nazism in a shape, which the public needs and has always requested. The public has been deprived of this so far, because the facts have drowned in an complex academic presentation, that has been inaccesible due to its mere size, and untrustable, due to its political agenda.
The debate can be considered over, and there’s now only one thing left to do. Read his books.