Didrik Cappelen (8 October 1900 – 27 August 1970) was a Norwegian jurist and politician. He was born at

Kviteseid Kviteseid is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Upper Telemark and Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kviteseid. The parish ...

in Telemark, Norway. He was a son of Supreme Court Attorney Didrik Cappelen (1873-1941) and Antoinette Therese von der Lippe (1876-1934). His brother was the jurist Hans Cappelen and his sister was the actress and singer Linge Langård. During the

occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until th ...

Cappelen worked together with his father, Carl P. Wright and Sverre Løberg in organizing resistance activities in the county of

Telemark Telemark is a traditional region, a former county, and a current electoral district in southern Norway. In 2020, Telemark merged with the former county of Vestfold to form the county of Vestfold og Telemark. Telemark borders the traditional ...

, Norway. Cappelen was arrested and in prison from 1940 to 1942 in Oslo, but escaped 30 January 1942. The escape was planned by his wife Gudrun née Knudsen (1910-1997), and assisted with great personal risk by Arne Qvenild, Kristian Aubert and Torolf Prytz junior.Haugen, Lambrecht: ''Cappelen-slekten 1627-2008'', Rosendal 2008, pages 107, 124-129 Cappelen was appointed at the

Norwegian Legation in Stockholm The Norwegian Legation in Stockholm played a significant role during the Second World War. Until 9 April 1940 the legation consisted of four persons, and at the end of the war about 1,100 persons were connected to the legation. Refugee cases wer ...

from 1942, and then at the Norwegian Ministry of Justice in exile in London. He served as prosecutor in

Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the ...

from 1946-1956 and as county judge from 1956 to 1970. He was elected as suppleant to the Parliament of Norway several times, and replaced Sveinung O. Flaaten after his death in 1962.

References

1900 births 1970 deaths People from Kviteseid Norwegian jurists Norwegian escapees Escapees from German detention Norwegian resistance members Didrik Deputy members of the Storting 20th-century Norwegian politicians {{norway-bio-stub