Odd Nansen and His The writings of Odd Nansen, June 1945: Odd nansen is reunited with his family son of Norway’s beloved statesman, after WWII. chronicle an important chapter in WWII history. By Timothy J. Boyce ost Norwegian-Americans know of Fridtjof Nansen—polar explorer, statesman and M humanitarian. His memory and achievements are widely celebrated in Norway, as attested by the October 2011 sesquicentennial celebration of his birth. But far fewer in America know about the remarkable y L life and achievements of his son, Odd Nansen, and in i M FA s particular his World War II diary, “From Day to Day.” ’ Odd Nansen, the fourth of five children of Fridtjof NANSEN and Eva Nansen, was born in 1901. He received a f ODD f O degree in architecture from the Norwegian Institute of esy rt u Technology (NTH), and from 1927 to 1930 lived and O PH c PH a worked in New York City. His father’s failing health R g brought Odd back to Norway, and after Fridtjof’s death PHOTO in May 1930 Nansen decided to remain. Following in 16 Viking May 2013 sonsofnorway.com sonsofnorway.com Viking May 2013 17 Nansen never intended to publish the diary, Fridtjof’s humanitarian secret diary, recording his From Day to Day Norwegians arrested during His entries also reveal but wrote it simply as a way to communicate with footsteps, Odd Nansen experiences, hopes, dreams The diary, later published the war, almost 7,500 were the quiet strength, and his wife Kari, and as a means of sorting out his helped establish and fears. Nansen knew as “From Day to Day,” sent abroad, to Germany, sometimes ugly prejudices, Nansenhjelpen (Nansen that its discovery could lead spans three and a half years, France and Poland, many of his fellow Norwegian thoughts and impressions; it became, he wrote, Relief) in 1936 to assist to severe punishment— from Nansen’s initial arrest never to return. inmates, his constantly his “private manner of forgetting.” Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi or worse. Nevertheless and imprisonment in Grini With an unsparing eye frustrated hopes for an early persecution. This work, his his compulsion to write Prison, located outside Nansen recorded the casual end to the war, his longing survive, but to preserve to Kari under various his writing in light of the family’s close connection overcame his fears. “I must Oslo, to his experience as a brutality and random terror for his wife and children, his sanity and maintain subterfuges: slipped into a thorough searches every to the Royal family and his unburden my memory,” slave laborer in Kvænangen that was the fate of a camp and his horror at the his humanity in a world visitor’s pocket; hidden in incoming and outgoing vehement disagreements he recorded. Nansen never in Troms County, to his prisoner. A typical entry: “[A] especially barbaric treatment engulfed by fear and hate. the surrounding woods for prisoner faced. In a moment with Vidkun Quisling all intended to publish the diary, final eighteen months transport of prisoners reached reserved for the Jews. These And through it all he later pickup; Nansen even of inspiration, he realized led to his arrest by the but wrote it simply as a way in Sachsenhausen, a the camp. As usual they were latter were consigned to the wondered whether anyone bribed a German soldier that he could safely hide Nazis in early 1942. to communicate with his concentration camp north counted. ... There were two “trotting gang” in Grini, would “believe this when we to deliver a section directly his work in the hollowed- Nansen spent the wife Kari, and as a means of of Berlin, which by war’s men extra. ... And German and were forced to perform come to describe it.” In fact to Kari at home. En route out interior of the one item remainder of the war in sorting out his thoughts and end housed over 58,000 figuresmust and shall come all work at double time. Nansen was unsure he could to Kvænangen, Nansen routinely allowed to all concentration camps in impressions; it became, he prisoners from every right. A few revolver shots ... Jews were not allowed in adequately describe all that entrusted diary sections to prisoners—their breadboards. Norway and Germany. wrote, his “private manner country in Europe. Of the worked out the sum. ... The the hospital or infirmary, he saw and heard; it “was so complete strangers in hopes Upon liberation in April 1945 Through it all he kept a of forgetting.” approximately 40,000 two were carried away.” nor permitted to purchase horrible, so incomprehensible they would make it back by the Swedish Red Cross, tobacco, privileges accorded in ghastliness, that it defies to Kari. Once in Germany, Nansen and five friends even to criminals. all description.” however, Nansen needed spirited out his entire record The diary depicts Nansen’s Nansen initially smuggled to devise a more ingenious for the preceding eighteen daily struggle, not only to diary pages out of Grini method for preserving months, right under the noses n O sweden kills border i May 8 V-e Day, the allied military T 1939 ec 1944 1945 1946 n policeman; Jews are oll mission arrives in norway to O c isi T V September 1 germany invades blamed. With the ai June 6 D-Day, the allied invasion January 17 Thomas Buergenthal coordinate german capitulation Odd nansen is first director of s Di s ph portr Poland; start of WWII in europe shooting as a pretext, a of europe begins starts auschwitz Death March May 9 Quisling arrested norwegian aid to europe (now R D e g T i all Jewish men over M July 20 assassination attempt on February 16 nansen meets June 7 king Haakon VII returns norwegian Refugee council) January, 1945: Norwegian hoto P es Li es 1933 D right-wing leader Vidkun age 15 are arrested M adolf Hitler Buergenthal to norway y Ti y s an s L 1940 T Quisling, left, meets January 30 adolf Hitler November 26 in March 20 nansen transported to June 10 Odd nansen returns to with Adolf Hitler. R & Week & 1950 appointed chancellor of germany April 9 german invasion first deportation of P ess neuengamme Prison, germany Oslo and is reunited with family R LD sachsenhausen Prison a R May 17 Vidkun Quisling founds of norway norwegian Jews to ng April 28 Odd nansen evacuated October 24 Quisling executed at Odd nansen visits germany on Co f T) He T) O ef y nasjonal samling June 9 norway surrenders; europe aboard SS R from neuengamme on White akershus castle behalf of UNESCO a br (TOP L (TOP (NS) Party king Haakon VII establishes Donau; most sent L Buses to Denmark, then sweden a government-in-exile in London immediately to gas chambers th April 30 Hitler commits suicide gen R at auschwitz Li (BOTTOM) 2 Veidal, kvænangen, norway Bue om .c om 1934 1942 R a H T) T T) ac ef 1941 H May 11 January 13 nansen arrested, Thomas Buergenthal born in June 12 grini Prison opened as sent to grini Prison .guys PRISONER OF (BOTTOM L (BOTTOM WWW , Roll call at grini Prison WAR JOURNEY L’ubochna, czechoslovakia a Polizeihäftlingslager (police February 1 Vidkun Quisling R AGES a M H i P ac detainee camp) installed as Minister-President a ) sH Grini, Bærum, norway HT 1 uy ig g June 22 Operation Barbarossa: August 5–November 22 R ) top 1936 top Hitler invades Russia nansen sent to Veidal camp f ( f f ( f O 1943 O esy July 12 construction of (kvænangen) to work on snow esy rt rt u u O sachsenhausen begins tunnels October 6 Odd nansen sent to O 4 Neuengamme, germany 3 Sachsenhausen, Oranienburg, germany ages c ages Fall/Winter nansen forms October Border pilot attempting sachsenhausen in germany c ages M M i i Nansenhjelpen (nansen Relief) to help nine Jews escape to of their SS guards. In fact, despite all his travels and adventures over almost 40 months in prison, only one “ segment of the original diary failed to survive the war. Nansen’s Humanity n the words of William L. Shirer, Nansen’s diary is replete author of “The Rise and Fall of with examples of how I the Third Reich,” Odd Nansen’s he tried to help those diary stands as an eloquent testament less fortunate, and more to “how noble and generous the hu- vulnerable, than he. “It isn’t man spirit can be in the face of terrible well to be ‘well off’ among adversity.” It was a bestseller when it so many who are badly off. appeared in Norway, and was praised The only possible relief is Drawing of sachsenhausen Prison by Odd nansen following its U.S. publication in 1949 by to share the material goods G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Critics, including which are divided among us Shirer, called it “extraordinary,” “profoundly moving” and “the best realization . in either film or print so unequally and unjustly,” . of Nazi concentration camps.” The book has been out of print for over 60 years, and today is virtually he wrote. In the Darwinian impossible to find. Timothy J. Boyce, a member of Norsk Carolina 3-679, is currently editing “From Day to world of the camps, where Day” and hopes to see it republished in the near future. Thomas Buergenthal will contribute a preface to many looked out only for the revised edition. themselves, Nansen often shared a kind word, a willing ear, some clothes or an extra scrap of food.