Online Encyclopedia
Johan Bernhard Hjort
Johan Bernhard Hjort (1895 - 1969) was a member of the Norwegian "Nasjonal Samling" party from 1933 to 1937, when he broke with its leader Vidkun Quisling. He was arrested by Gestapo in 1941 and sent to Germany, where he after leaving prison carried out important resistance work, contributing to the saving of many Scandinavian lives. After the war he fought as a lawyer for the artistic freedom of controversial artists and for the natural legal rights of homosexuals. He was a spokesman for "Riksmålsforeningen", which fought for the free evolution of the Norwegian language, as opposed to state-controlled artificial restrictions on its use. (See also Ivo de Figueiredo's 2002 biography on Johan Bernhard Hjort, "Free man" (in Norwegian).)
Last updated: 11-08-2004 04:18:40