Karl Marthinsen
| Karl Alfred Nicolai Marthinsen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
25 October 1896 Karlsøy in Troms |
| Died | 8 February 1945 (aged 48) Oslo |
| Police career | |
| Department | Nazi, chief of Statspolitiet and Sikkerhetspolitiet in Norway |
| Years of service | 1940–1945 |
| Rank | General |
| Other work | Army officer, sailor |
Karl Alfred Nicolai Marthinsen (sometimes spelled Karl Martinsen) (25 October 1896, Karlsøy – 8 February 1945, Blindern) was the Norwegian commander of Statspolitiet and Sikkerhetspolitiet in Norway during the Nazi occupation during World War II.
Marthinsen enlisted in the Norwegian Army toward the end of World War I and finished his training as a non-commissioned officer in 1918 and was promoted to sergeant in 1919. After his military service, he most likely served as a sailor until 1928, when he re-enlisted in the army. He was assigned to duties in the border regions between Norway and the Soviet Union and was an intelligence officer in Finnmark during the Winter War, monitoring suspected Communist sympathizers.
Marthinsen joined Nasjonal Samling as one of its first members, in 1933. After Nazi Germany had invaded and occupied Norway in April, 1940, Police minister under the puppet Quisling regime, Jonas Lie appointed Marthinsen to command the newly formed National Mobile Police Service, which was later renamed Sikkerhetspolitiet. He was made police general and became a key liaison between Norwegian police forces, the Quisling cabinet, and German Gestapo. He also became leader of the nationwide, paramilitary Hird organization.
Marthinsen quickly earned notoriety as the leader of the all-Norwegian police force. He played an instrumental role in implementing the Holocaust in Norway, resulting in the murder of more than 700 Jews and the brutal mistreatment of many more; he was also known to take a relaxed view of legal process, and tolerated if not encouraged torture among his forces.
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