Benjamin Hermansen
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Hermansen was a Norwegian-Ghanaian
boy whose father was born in Ghana
, his mother was Norwegian. He was stabbed
to death at Holmlia
in Oslo
, Norway, just before midnight on January 26, 2001 by people from the Neo-Nazi
group BootBoys. Joe Erling Jahr and Ole Nicolai Kvisler were convicted of the murder and sentenced to 18 and 17 years in prison respectively. A third defendant, Veronica Andreassen, was convicted on a lesser charge of abetting bodily harm causing death and sentenced to three years in prison.
, it mobilised large parts of the Norwegian population. Throughout the entire country, marches were organised to protest against the murder, with nearly 40,000 people participating in Oslo.
and Briskeby
.
was founded in Hermansen's memory. It is awarded on January 27 every year.
dedicated his 2001 album Invincible to Benjamin Hermansen (and also to his own parents and grandmother). The reason for this has partly to do with the fact that the Holmlia boy Omer Bhatti and Jackson were close friends, and Bhatti was at the same time a good friend of Benjamin Hermansen. On the album cover, next to the image of a rose, it reads:
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
boy whose father was born in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, his mother was Norwegian. He was stabbed
Stabbing
A stabbing is penetration with a sharp or pointed object at close range. Stab connotes purposeful action, as by an assassin or murderer, but it is also possible to accidentally stab oneself or others.Stabbing differs from slashing or cutting in that the motion of the object used in a stabbing...
to death at Holmlia
Holmlia
Holmlia is a part of Oslo, Norway located in the southeastern borough of Søndre Nordstrand.It is served by Holmlia station.Holmlia is a highly ethnically diverse part of the city of Oslo, where ethnic minorities outnumber ethnic Norwegians....
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway, just before midnight on January 26, 2001 by people from the Neo-Nazi
Neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism consists of post-World War II social or political movements seeking to revive Nazism or some variant thereof.The term neo-Nazism can also refer to the ideology of these movements....
group BootBoys. Joe Erling Jahr and Ole Nicolai Kvisler were convicted of the murder and sentenced to 18 and 17 years in prison respectively. A third defendant, Veronica Andreassen, was convicted on a lesser charge of abetting bodily harm causing death and sentenced to three years in prison.
Response to the murder
Since the murder was motivated by racismRacism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, it mobilised large parts of the Norwegian population. Throughout the entire country, marches were organised to protest against the murder, with nearly 40,000 people participating in Oslo.
"Song to Benjamin"
Hermansen was buried on February 6, 2001. Song to Benjamin, written by several of his friends for the service, was presented at his funeral. The song was later recorded in studio by artists including Noora NoorNoora Noor
Noora Noor aka Noora is a Norwegian neo soul singer. She is often noted as Norway's Queen of Soul.Noor started early on her musical journey, performing locally from the age of 8. She got a recording contract with Warner Music at only 15. She then began working with Stargate to make her first album...
and Briskeby
Briskeby
Briskeby is an electro-pop band from Norway. Bjørn Bergene, Claus Heiberg Larsen and Bård Helgeland are from Larvik, while Lise Karlsnes is from Tønsberg.-Band name:The band's name is derived from the neighbourhood where their rehearsal room was located....
.
The Benjamin Prize
In 2002, the Benjamin PrizeBenjamin Prize
The Benjamin Prize was established as a Norwegian prize to counter racism in 2002. The prize is awarded in memory of Benjamin Hermansen, who at the age of 15 years, was murdered in Holmlia, Søndre Nordstrand in Oslo, Norway. The death was racially motivated.The prize is awarded each year on...
was founded in Hermansen's memory. It is awarded on January 27 every year.
Michael Jackson's Invincible dedicated to Benjamin
Pop singer Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
dedicated his 2001 album Invincible to Benjamin Hermansen (and also to his own parents and grandmother). The reason for this has partly to do with the fact that the Holmlia boy Omer Bhatti and Jackson were close friends, and Bhatti was at the same time a good friend of Benjamin Hermansen. On the album cover, next to the image of a rose, it reads: