A CAREFULLY PLANNED ACTION

However, the fact was that at an early stage the Nazis were making plans to act against the International Bible Students Association. Already in the summer of 1940 proposals were made to forbid the literature of the Society. This was not done, as they assumed that such action would stop our activity only to some extent and would act as a warning, giving the brothers an opportunity to get literature from abroad. Instead, the German safety police, Sipo, started gathering extensive information about the size and activities of the International Bible Students Association in Norway. Representatives of the German police came to the Society’s office to get literature, and Brother Øman was called in for several hearings.

The first effect of this action was that the book Enemies (published in Norwegian in 1939) was confiscated due to certain statements regarding Fascism and Nazism. This took place toward the autumn of 1940. However, the Society’s supply of books was not taken. Therefore, several hundred copies of Enemies were removed without the Germans knowing it and placed in the homes of various brothers.

The witness work continued without much interruption during the remainder of the year 1940. But the Nazis continued working on their plans. In October a proposal about the dissolving of the International Bible Students Association was sent to Berlin. The proposal was that the Northern European office of the Society in Copenhagen be closed. The decision, however, was postponed.

During the winter and spring of 1941 in several places throughout the country pioneers were arrested and examined by the police, charged with selling alleged “anti-German” literature. But the Kingdom activity was not forbidden and the pioneers were released.

In different congregations, German and Norwegian Nazis appeared at our meetings as spies. One woman was sent to the office of the Society in Oslo for the same reason and reported that she had seen “four obviously Jewish men” there. A German police report of March 13, 1941, reads in part: “The propaganda activity of the Earnest Bible Students [Jehovah’s Witnesses] has increased considerably during the last weeks. In different parts of Oslo, and also in many other towns, the ‘colporteurs’ appear, selling the publications of ‘The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.’ These publications are outright agitation publications, directed against the authoritarian states under the cover of religion.”

No doubt about it, our increasing activity was a growing irritation to the authorities. In the course of the winter and spring of 1941, officials made several applications to Berlin for the approval of the plans to dissolve the International Bible Students Association in Norway. On April 24, 1941, the signal came from Berlin. In the meantime, however, the matter had been submitted to Josef Terboven, the German Reichskommissar in Norway. He was of the opinion that the International Bible Students Association in Norway was so small in number that it was unnecessary to intervene. The decision was made to submit to him more extensive material about the organization, and the planned action again was postponed.

In the early summer the first sign of something being in progress was noticed. The Norwegian Nazi state police came and confiscated the Society’s booklets Fascism or Freedom and Government and Peace. Then, on Tuesday, July 8, came what the brothers had hoped would not happen. The Gestapo struck hard all over the country to put an end to the organization. Through their detailed investigation, the Germans had obtained the names and addresses of all of Norway’s presiding overseers, and they all received a visit on that day. All literature published by the Society found in their homes was confiscated, and the brothers were told that if they did not stop their preaching activity, they would be sent to concentration camps. In various places the leading brothers of the congregations were arrested and kept in custody for several days, though none were mistreated.

Five German police officers came to the Bethel home and confiscated all property of the Society, the literature in stock, cash on hand and the office machines. The value of the literature and money came to 40,000 Norwegian kroner (about 6,000 dollars). At the same time, the Bethel family was taken to the headquarters of the Sipo (safety police) organization and examined. No one was put in prison, but Brother Øman was ordered to report every day for twelve weeks to the Norwegian state police.

The literature stored at Bethel was not removed at once, but the door to the storage room was sealed. Later, the Germans arrived with three trucks and the literature was taken to a paper mill to be transformed into pulp. Shortly thereafter, the brothers learned that the workers had helped themselves to the books. The Society’s motorboat “Rut,” laying in west Norway, was towed away.

On July 21 the building of the Society was confiscated, together with all books and papers relating to the structure. The work was officially banned, and the congregations could no longer carry on their activities openly. From then on, no literature was sent from the office in Oslo. But, strangely enough, The Watchtower could be ordered directly from Denmark, at least until the turn of the year 1941-1942. As to Consolation, the issue of July was the last one that came out. The members of the Bethel family stayed in the building of the Society for some time, but eventually most of them moved, taking up secular work to earn their own living. Brother and Sister Øman, however, continued living in the building.

Also, Andreas Kvinge was able to continue in the zone work for some time in north Norway. He was arrested on July 12 and questioned for many hours. The Germans insisted on knowing where all the brothers in north Norway were staying, and where he was going, but he would not tell them. He was threatened and told that he would be shadowed everywhere and sent to a concentration camp if he continued his activity. But Brother Kvinge was not frightened, and in December 1941 he continued traveling, using ferries, walking and skiing.