Kai Holst
Encyclopedia
Kai Christian Middelthon Holst (24 February 1913 – 27 June 1945) was a Norwegian
resistance fighter and member of Milorg
. He was from Lillehammer
and became a central leader of the resistance movement
from the autumn of 1942, when many of the leaders were arrested by the German
s.
Holst was the person with detailed knowledge about the resistance movement in Norway, and he played a vital role in the reorganisation of Milorg. He had to escape to Sweden
in the autumn of 1943. From there, he worked at the Norwegian embassy; one of his tasks was to organise the courier service to and from occupied Norway.
Holst returned to Norway in May 1945 and participated in the arrests at the Wehrmacht
headquarters at Lillehammer in the end of June. He then suddenly went back to Stockholm
, where he was found dead on 27 June 1945, in an apartment building.
Officially, his death was declared as suicide. After the war, there were discussions whether his death could have been a liquidation connected with his findings in Lillehammer. Many of the central German intelligence personnel had escaped to Sweden, possibly arranged by the Americans in Operation Paperclip
or TICOM
as part of securing their knowledge against the Soviets. According to one of Holst's friends, the same apartment building where he was found dead also housed a MI6
apartment, implying that Holst was trying to reach one of his contacts.
Holst was post-mortem honoured when the British prime minister Clement Attlee
, on 24 June 1950, cited his wartime service "for brave conduct."
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...
resistance fighter and member of Milorg
Milorg
Milorg was the main Norwegian resistance movement in World War II....
. He was from Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
and became a central leader of the resistance movement
Norwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...
from the autumn of 1942, when many of the leaders were arrested by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
s.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in the autumn of 1943. From there, he worked at the Norwegian embassy; one of his tasks was to organise the courier service to and from occupied Norway.
Holst returned to Norway in May 1945 and participated in the arrests at the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
headquarters at Lillehammer in the end of June. He then suddenly went back to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, where he was found dead on 27 June 1945, in an apartment building.
Officially, his death was declared as suicide. After the war, there were discussions whether his death could have been a liquidation connected with his findings in Lillehammer. Many of the central German intelligence personnel had escaped to Sweden, possibly arranged by the Americans in Operation Paperclip
Operation Paperclip
Operation Paperclip was the Office of Strategic Services program used to recruit the scientists of Nazi Germany for employment by the United States in the aftermath of World War II...
or TICOM
TICOM
TICOM was a project formed in World War II by the United States to find and seize German intelligence assets, particularly cryptographic ones. The project was stimulated chiefly by the US military cryptography organizations, and had support from the highest levels.Several teams were sent into the...
as part of securing their knowledge against the Soviets. According to one of Holst's friends, the same apartment building where he was found dead also housed a MI6
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
apartment, implying that Holst was trying to reach one of his contacts.
Holst was post-mortem honoured when the British prime minister Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
, on 24 June 1950, cited his wartime service "for brave conduct."