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Norway Home Front Originally the word Hjemmefronten (Home Front) was a common term used for all forms of resistance that successfully engaged in the struggle to defend Norwegian democracy and freedom against the German occupation. In the eyes of the population the resistance had the appearance of young and old men in civilian clothes and bearing arms. The resistance and the people formed a unit. In retrospect, the struggle of the resistance was almost of equal importance to Norway's self-consciousness as a nation as the parliamentary and constitutional struggle for Norwegian independence in the 19th century. Little has changed since then in this evaluation of the Home Front. |
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The surrender of the Akershus Fortress in Oslo became the symbol of resistance of the Home Front. The fort was surrendered on 11 May 1945. In the photograph, two German officers are saluting the representative of the Norwegian Home Front troops, Terje Rollem. He takes over the fortress in knee breeches. The picture was circulated around the country after the War and hung (and still hangs) on the walls of many Norwegian apartments. It became a symbol of the struggle of the Small against the Big and an element in the symbolism of the Home Front. Although the situation came about more or less by accident, it is obvious why this event left an indelible mark on the perception of the resistance struggle. |
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In "Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water" (1948) by Titus Vibe-Müller, the underground organization wants to blow up the transport ship which supposed to bring the "heavy water" necessary for the production of an atom bomb to Germany. The attack succeeds by using a time bomb to delay the explosion. The attackers are on their way back home on skis long before anyone even suspects that the ship will explode. The film is a kind of documentary in the form of a feature film. Former active resistance fighters as well as actors played in the film. The core of the message is that all are equal and everyone is needed. The imagery of the film poster emphasizes the link between nature and resistance: it shows the Norwegian saboteurs on skis in their native countryside. |
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