Harald Trefall
Encyclopedia
Harald Trefall was a Norwegian
professor of experimental physics
and later politician
. He graduated from and worked at the University of Bergen
, where he focused his work on cosmic radiation
, and held a Ph.D.
from the University of Oslo
. His political career started as a Bergen
city councillor for the Progress Party
in 1983, until he left the party in 1986 and finished his term as an independent
. He worked within various anti-immigration organisations in the late 1980s, and founded the Fatherland Party
in 1990. He was a Hordaland
county councillor for this new party from 1991 to 1995.
on 10 November 1925. He graduated with a degree
in mathematics and natural sciences at the University of Bergen in 1951, with an average of 1.21 or "exceptionally well". He became amanuensis
at the same university in 1955, docent
of physics in 1957, and was appointed professor of experimental physics from 1 April 1964. He obtained a Ph.D.
from the University of Oslo
in 1961 for six dissertations
concerning topics within cosmic radiation. His initial academic area was cosmic radiation, but in 1962 he started researching X-ray
phenomena brought forth by electron bombardment
of the upper atmosphere in the zone of the polar aurora
. He became internationally known for his balloon experiments at the Physics Institute at the University of Bergen, and initiated a cooperation with the Max Planck Institute of West Germany
in the early 1960s. He retired as professor in 1995. Trefall died 82 years old in March 2008.
when he was elected as a city councillor for the Progress Party in Bergen. He left the party in 1986 because he thought that it no longer followed its own political program, and claimed that he finished his term by only representing the party's program, rather than its party group. He believed that the party really wanted to open the borders, and that its policy thus was too liberal with regards to immigration. Trefall was one of the founders of Folkebevegelsen mot innvandring
(FMI) in 1987. For the 1989 parliamentary election
, he headed the list of the Stop Immigration
party in Hordaland
. He founded the Fatherland Party in 1990, and was elected as a Hordaland
county councillor following the 1991 local elections
. In 1993, he was part of a common Scandinavian meeting of immigration opponents in Oslo
, where notably Denmark's Mogens Glistrup
was harassed and beaten up by youth from the Blitz movement
and SOS Rasisme
.
s, rather than letting them come to Norway. While he confirmed the equality of all humans, he believed that each country's citizens should be given special rights in relations to migrants.
He was also opposed to the-then European Economic Community
, which he believed would eventually crumble like the Soviet Union
. He thought that the principle of open borders would destroy the common fellowship between the countries. In 2001 he argued that the call by Lars Sponheim
for increased work-based immigration to Norway was akin to the "slave-owner ideology" of former societies such as the import of slaves from Africa
to the Southern United States
. He also argued that it was racism
when Thorbjørn Jagland
promoted immigration in order for the immigrants to take the "dirty jobs" Norwegians don't want. He also considered that the immigrants in turn would soon become just as discerning as the Norwegians, and that it in turn would require a continuous increase of immigration.
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...
professor of experimental physics
Experimental physics
Within the field of physics, experimental physics is the category of disciplines and sub-disciplines concerned with the observation of physical phenomena in order to gather data about the universe...
and later politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He graduated from and worked at the University of Bergen
University of Bergen
The University of Bergen is located in Bergen, Norway. Although founded as late as 1946, academic activity had taken place at Bergen Museum as far back as 1825. The university today serves more than 14,500 students...
, where he focused his work on cosmic radiation
Cosmic ray
Cosmic rays are energetic charged subatomic particles, originating from outer space. They may produce secondary particles that penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and surface. The term ray is historical as cosmic rays were thought to be electromagnetic radiation...
, and held a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
. His political career started as a Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
city councillor for the Progress Party
Progress Party (Norway)
The Progress Party is a political party in Norway which identifies as conservative liberal and libertarian. The media has described it as conservative and right-wing populist...
in 1983, until he left the party in 1986 and finished his term as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
. He worked within various anti-immigration organisations in the late 1980s, and founded the Fatherland Party
Fatherland Party (Norway)
The Fatherland Party was a political party in Norway, which was founded by former local Progress Party politician Harald Trefall in 1990. Primarily based in Western Norway, the party supported nationalist positions such as opposition to immigration and the European Union...
in 1990. He was a Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
county councillor for this new party from 1991 to 1995.
Professional career and life
Trefall was born in BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
on 10 November 1925. He graduated with a degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in mathematics and natural sciences at the University of Bergen in 1951, with an average of 1.21 or "exceptionally well". He became amanuensis
Amanuensis
Amanuensis is a Latin word adopted in various languages, including English, for certain persons performing a function by hand, either writing down the words of another or performing manual labour...
at the same university in 1955, docent
Docent
Docent is a title at some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks below professor . Docent is also used at some universities generically for a person who has the right to teach...
of physics in 1957, and was appointed professor of experimental physics from 1 April 1964. He obtained a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
in 1961 for six dissertations
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
concerning topics within cosmic radiation. His initial academic area was cosmic radiation, but in 1962 he started researching X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
phenomena brought forth by electron bombardment
Electron ionization
Electron ionization is an ionization method in which energetic electrons interact with gas phase atoms or molecules to produce ions...
of the upper atmosphere in the zone of the polar aurora
Aurora (astronomy)
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
. He became internationally known for his balloon experiments at the Physics Institute at the University of Bergen, and initiated a cooperation with the Max Planck Institute of West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
in the early 1960s. He retired as professor in 1995. Trefall died 82 years old in March 2008.
Political career
Trefall started his political career in the 1983 local electionsNorwegian local elections, 1983
Country-wide local elections for seats in municipality and county councils were held throughout Norway in 1983. For most places this meant that two elections, the municipal elections and the county elections ran concurrently.-Municipal elections:...
when he was elected as a city councillor for the Progress Party in Bergen. He left the party in 1986 because he thought that it no longer followed its own political program, and claimed that he finished his term by only representing the party's program, rather than its party group. He believed that the party really wanted to open the borders, and that its policy thus was too liberal with regards to immigration. Trefall was one of the founders of Folkebevegelsen mot innvandring
Folkebevegelsen mot innvandring
Folkebevegelsen mot innvandring is a far-right organisation in Norway which campaigns against immigration. The organisation was founded in 1987, and was initially led by Arne Myrdal who was later squeezed out due to his violent activism...
(FMI) in 1987. For the 1989 parliamentary election
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1989
A general election to the Storting, the parliament of Norway, was held on 11 September 1989.-Results:1 This list was a cooperation between the Norwegian Communist Party, Workers' Communist Party, Red Electoral Alliance and independent socialists....
, he headed the list of the Stop Immigration
Stop Immigration
Stop Immigration was a political party in Norway, founded by Jack Erik Kjuus in 1987. The party was never particularly successful, and its only elected representative was in the Drammen city council, in both 1991 and 1995. The party was succeeded by the White Electoral Alliance in...
party in Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
. He founded the Fatherland Party in 1990, and was elected as a Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
county councillor following the 1991 local elections
Norwegian local elections, 1991
Country-wide local elections for seats in municipality and county councils were held throughout Norway in 1991. For most places this meant that two elections, the municipal elections and the county elections ran concurrently.-Municipal elections:...
. In 1993, he was part of a common Scandinavian meeting of immigration opponents 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...
, where notably Denmark's Mogens Glistrup
Mogens Glistrup
Mogens Glistrup was a controversial Danish politician, lawyer, and member of the Danish parliament and founder of the Progress Party....
was harassed and beaten up by youth from the Blitz movement
Blitz (movement)
Blitz is an anarchist, communist and socialist youth community in Oslo, Norway, founded in 1982. The group has often been criticized for their use of violent methods of political protest.- The house :...
and SOS Rasisme
SOS Rasisme
SOS Rasisme is a Norwegian activist organisation, whose stated goal is to reduce racism in society. It was founded in 1985, inspired by the French SOS Racisme...
.
Political views
Trefall's main political concern was the recent immigration to Norway. He saw the new ethnic groups as a threat to the homogenous Norwegian society, and believed that it would be devastating for the country in the long term. His solution for helping those in need, was to support them in local refugee campRefugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s, rather than letting them come to Norway. While he confirmed the equality of all humans, he believed that each country's citizens should be given special rights in relations to migrants.
He was also opposed to the-then European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
, which he believed would eventually crumble like the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He thought that the principle of open borders would destroy the common fellowship between the countries. In 2001 he argued that the call by Lars Sponheim
Lars Sponheim
Lars Sponheim is a Norwegian politician. He was leader of the Liberal Party from 1996 to 2010. He was a member of the Storting from 1993 to 2009, and a government minister from 1997 to 2000 and from 2001 to 2005. He is the current County Governor of Hordaland, serving since March 2010.Sponheim was...
for increased work-based immigration to Norway was akin to the "slave-owner ideology" of former societies such as the import of slaves from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
to the Southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He also argued that it was racism
Racism
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...
when Thorbjørn Jagland
Thorbjørn Jagland
is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party, currently serving as the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe...
promoted immigration in order for the immigrants to take the "dirty jobs" Norwegians don't want. He also considered that the immigrants in turn would soon become just as discerning as the Norwegians, and that it in turn would require a continuous increase of immigration.