Statspolitiet

Statspolitiet (English:The State Police) is a historical term for two different police forces that carried out law enforcement in Norway.

Statspolitiet was a reaction force, consisting of 76 men, who had fighting riots as their main task. It was established June 11, 1931 and directly subordinated the Norwegian Ministry of Justice. At this point of time the police in general was a municipal responsibility. Most famous and infamous were Statspolitiet for their efforts against the strikers during the Menstad conflict. This led to the Labour movement, after the Labour Party formed a government in 1935, to proceed to reform the police. Statspolitiet was dissolved with expanded duties and was renamed to Utrykningspolitiet in 1936. All police authorities in Norway were subordinated the Norwegian National Government.

Statspolitiet (shortened STAPO) was from 1941 to 1945 a National Socialist armed police force that consisted of Norwegian officials after Nazi German pattern. It operated independently of the ordinary Norwegian police. The force was established on June 1, 1941 during the German occupation of Norway. The initiative for the force came from the later chief Karl Marthinsen and other prominent members of the collaborationist party Nasjonal Samling. At its peak, in 1944 there were 350 employees in Statspolitiet, in addition to a larger number who collaborated or rendered services for them. Its purpose was primarily to combat so-called political crimes, refugees, espionage, sabotage, armed resistance and other kinds of resistance against the German occupation forces or the Norwegian collaborationist Quisling regime. Statspolitiet played an important role during the Holocaust in Norway, aiding in the deportation of the Jews in Norway. Norwegians were arrested by contemporary laws, and many were later sent to prison camps in Norway and concentration camps in what was then Germany. Statspolitiet was organized with a headquarters in Oslo and six subsidiaries in Oslo and Aker, Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim, Tromsø and Kirkenes. Statspolitiet was subordinate to the chief of the security police and the Norwegian Minister of Police, Jonas Lie. Statspolitiet also received orders directly from the German Sicherheitspolizei. The general of Statspolitiet, Karl A Marthinsen was liquidated by the Norwegian resistance movement on 8 February 1945. This caused massive reprisals, in which 34 imprisoned resistance fighters were executed at Akershus Fortress.

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