<< Standing up
In 1937, the Norwegian poet Arnulf Øverland released his famous poem Du må ikke sove (best known in English as Dare not to sleep). One of the books I have recently been spending my time with Motstandskamp fra Trondheim (1), shares one its paragraphs that I find deeply inspiring and can be roughly translated as it follows (2):
Don’t forgive them, they know what they have done!
They breathe hate and evil they do!
They like to muder, they rejoice in conflict,
They want to see the world in flames!
They want to drown us all in blood!
Don’t you believe it? You know it!
Clearly this has to be read within the context of WWII, the eventual occupation of norway some years later (1940), and the multiplicity of the historical events taking place at the time. However, there’s plenty that can be learned from this richly historical period.
Lessons not only about mankind's capacity for evil and destruction; but many more stories about the indomitable spirit of good and the willingness to sacrifice displayed by good men and women in the face of indeterminate odds.
While it’s true that many took part in building and running concentration camps (and other structures of its kind) it’s out of doubt that it was also regular people who routinely and actively tried to sabotage and dismantle the nazi savagery spread throuought Europe. Unsung heroes who through small actions did what they could to safeguard life at incredible personal risk in a fight with no end in sight.
NRK in a recent podcast about Vidkun Quisling (3) present us with a very strong testament about people’s capacity to bring about both destruction and redemption (I recall the following as I remember from the podcast, please bear inaccuracies):
As part of an agreement during the German occupation; Quisling (Norway’s most renowned traitor), signed an order that sent 10,000 Norwegians to death simply for being jew. Their forceful relocation was to be carried away by police services, and this of course had to be carried in the cover of the night (like any classic coward would do).
A police officer upon coming to the door of a jew family was given the reasoning that the occupants were not that family and the name on the door had simply not been changed. His response was of course repeating what he had heard and simply moving forward.
Not much is said from the officer that night; we know that what he heard was not true tough, and that actions like his; to sabotage, and hinder nazi machinery during the war went to be carried systematically by citizens looking to do what is right.
Our generation, for all its merits, means and capacities has yet to learn that systems are worth as much as our belief in them and our willingness to keep the ship afloat.
The reason why we continue in this imperfect, crooked, unfair and apparently irredeemable world is so that through our efforts we can make it just one little bit better.
It’s good to remember every now and then that it’s the small actions and contributions of the many that determine the outcome of our societies and ultimately the world.
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Notes:
Motstandskamp fra Trondheim/ roughly translated as Resistance fight from Trondheim by Tor Busch
Original quote in Norwegian:
Tilgi dem ikke, det vet hva de gjør!
De puster på hatets og ondskapens gjør!
De liker å drepe, de frydes ved jammer,
De ønsker å se verden i flammer!
De ønsker å drukne oss alle i blod!
Tror du det ikke? Du vet det jo!
Hele historien: Quislings koffert, five part series https://radio.nrk.no/podkast/hele_historien/sesong/quislings-koffert/l_89345d64-5cc5-4b2b-b45d-645cc57b2bf3
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