Finn Kjelstrup
Encyclopedia
Finn Hannibal Kjelstrup was a Norwegian military officer and civil servant for Nasjonal Samling.
He graduated from the Norwegian Military Academy
in the same class as Vidkun Quisling
. He had a military and civil career, and was an assistant secretary in the Ministry of Defence
(headed by Quisling from 1931 to 1933) in 1940. He was also a member of Quisling's Fascist party Nasjonal Samling.
On 25 September 1940, Kjelstrup was hired in the Ministry of the Interior as head of the civil administration of the Norwegian Army and Navy. In 1941 he agitated for the formation of the Norwegian Legion
, a Foreign Legion under Waffen-SS
. He served as its chief of staff in Norway, from 29 June to 1 December 1941 with the rank of Colonel. The staff was soon dissolved because Germany wanted less Norwegian control. The Norwegian Legion existed until 20 May 1943.
The German occupation ended on 8 May 1945
, and as a part of the legal purge in Norway after World War II
Kjelstrup was sentenced to eighteen years of forced labour. He served some of the sentence before being released. He was afterwards active in the organization Forbundet for sosial oppreisning and wrote in the newspaper Folk og Land
. He died in 1961.
He graduated from the Norwegian Military Academy
Norwegian Military Academy
The Norwegian Army Academy was established in 1750. It is the oldest university-level educational institution in Norway, and one of the oldest active military academies in the world. Krigsskolen primarily educates officers for the Norwegian Army. There are separate academies for the Royal...
in the same class as Vidkun Quisling
Vidkun Quisling
Vidkun Abraham Lauritz Jonssøn Quisling was a Norwegian politician. On 9 April 1940, with the German invasion of Norway in progress, he seized power in a Nazi-backed coup d'etat that garnered him international infamy. From 1942 to 1945 he served as Minister-President, working with the occupying...
. He had a military and civil career, and was an assistant secretary in the Ministry of Defence
Norwegian Ministry of Defence
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence is a Norwegian government ministry in charge of the formation and implementation of national security and defence policy, and for the overall management and control of the activities of subordinate agencies. The ministry is located at Glacisgata 1, Oslo,...
(headed by Quisling from 1931 to 1933) in 1940. He was also a member of Quisling's Fascist party Nasjonal Samling.
On 25 September 1940, Kjelstrup was hired in the Ministry of the Interior as head of the civil administration of the Norwegian Army and Navy. In 1941 he agitated for the formation of the Norwegian Legion
Norwegian Legion
During World War II, the Norwegian Legion was formed by the Waffen-SS on 29 June 1941 in German-occupied Norway. Volunteers were assured that it would be a Norwegian unit with Norwegian officers, uniforms and language and that its area of operations would be Finland. Instead, the Norwegians were...
, a Foreign Legion under Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
. He served as its chief of staff in Norway, from 29 June to 1 December 1941 with the rank of Colonel. The staff was soon dissolved because Germany wanted less Norwegian control. The Norwegian Legion existed until 20 May 1943.
The German occupation ended on 8 May 1945
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
, and as a part of the legal purge in Norway after World War II
Legal purge in Norway after World War II
When the occupation of Norway ended in May 1945, several thousand Norwegians and foreign citizens were tried and convicted for various acts that the occupying powers sanctioned...
Kjelstrup was sentenced to eighteen years of forced labour. He served some of the sentence before being released. He was afterwards active in the organization Forbundet for sosial oppreisning and wrote in the newspaper Folk og Land
Folk og Land
Folk og Land was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Oslo. It was an organ of Historical revisionism for Norwegians who were found to be Nazi collaborators during the Second World War.-History:...
. He died in 1961.