Building “Something that lasts”: Jewish Reactions to Persistent Nazi Antisemitism in Norway

Building “Something that lasts”:Jewish Reactions to Persistent Nazi Antisemitism in Norway, 1945–1978

Author

Noa Ben David

Abstract

This article analyses Jewish reactions to post-Holocaust hostility and discrimination in Norway, through three case studies: (1) Trials against Nazis and Norwegian collaborators in the National Legal Purge of the immediate postwar years. (2) The 1960 ‘Swastika Epidemic,’ characterized by graffiti on properties and threats against Jewish individuals, which prompted Jewish community efforts to promote an anti-racist bill. (3) The trial against neo-Nazi high school teacher Olav Hoaas in 1976, among the first to be convicted in accordance with the new Article 135a of the law against incitement to racial hatred. Using archival records from the Jewish community and press material, this study explores how the actors defined and developed response strategies against antisemitism. The article explains the integrationist function of combatting antisemitism, as individuals asserted themselves as part of the national community by defending Norway’s democratic values. It highlights collective action and alliances in countering antisemitism, marking Norway as an early example legislating against racism in Europe after 1945.

Citation

Ben David, Noa. "Building “Something that lasts”: Jewish Reactions to Persistent Nazi Antisemitism in Norway, 1945–1978", European Journal of Jewish Studies (published online ahead of print 2024), doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/1872471x-bja10084