Johannes S. Andersen
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Norwegian resistance movement The Norwegian resistance (Norwegian: ''Motstandsbevegelsen'') to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms: *Asserting the legitimacy of the exiled government, ...

SOE SOE may refer to: Organizations * State-owned enterprise * Special Operations Executive, a British World War II clandestine sabotage and resistance organisation ** Special Operations Executive in the Netherlands, or Englandspiel * Society of Opera ...

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Norwegian Independent Company 1 Norwegian Independent Company 1 (NOR.I.C.1, pronounced ''Norisén'' (approx. "noor-ee-sehn") in Norwegian) was a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) group formed in March 1941 originally for the purpose of performing commando raids during ...
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Operation Bittern Operation Bittern ( no, Bittern-ekspedisjonen, known as Bitern in the oldest sources) was a military operation in occupied Norway planned and carried out in 1942 by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Norwegian government-in-exile ...
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(her death)
Hertha Bergstrøm
(post-war) , laterwork = Sailor
Mason's assistant
Smuggler
Burglar
Factory owner Johannes Sigfred Andersen (9 July 1898 – 29 July 1970) was a Norwegian resistance fighter during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, a member of the
Norwegian Independent Company 1 Norwegian Independent Company 1 (NOR.I.C.1, pronounced ''Norisén'' (approx. "noor-ee-sehn") in Norwegian) was a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) group formed in March 1941 originally for the purpose of performing commando raids during ...
(NOR.I.C.1). He was nicknamed "Gulosten"; 'The Yellow Cheese'. He also used the surname Ostein during the war. Andersen was a controversial character, because of his pre-war life as a well-known career criminal and a series of incidents that occurred during the war years. These incidents included Andersen working as an assassin during the war, and shortly after the war killing two German prisoners of war during a drinking binge. After the war, Andersen started a wood furniture business. He was supported financially by King
Haakon VII of Norway Haakon VII (; born Prince Carl of Denmark; 3 August 187221 September 1957) was the King of Norway from November 1905 until his death in September 1957. Originally a Danish prince, he was born in Copenhagen as the son of the future Frederick V ...
, whose friendship he had gained during the war. Andersen was repeatedly accused of crimes after the war, and on one occasion convicted.


Early life

Andersen was born on 9 July 1898 in
Kristiania Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
(now Oslo), and had a difficult childhood, the latter part of it in an
orphanage An orphanage is a Residential education, residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the Childcare, care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parent ...
. He was the son of construction worker Ole Andersen and Josefine Hansen. Soon after Johannes was born, Norway entered a period of economic difficulties, with little construction work available. This led to his father having to change jobs from
mason Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cut ...
to milkman. Johannes' mother became obsessed with religion.


Institutionalization

At age 10 Johannes was declared a ward of court and sent to the school institution '' Toftes gave'' on the island Helgøya in the lake
Mjøsa Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe. It is the fourth-deepest lake in Norway. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about north of the city of Oslo. Its main tributary is the rive ...
. While at the strict institution Johannes received parcels from home, with yellow cheese. The cheese was needed because of the meagre rations given the boys at ''Toftes gave''. The parcels with yellow cheese led to Johannes being given the nickname "Gulosten" ( en, "The Yellow Cheese") by the other boys at the institution, a name that stuck with him for the rest of his life. After four years on Helgøya he was transferred to Bastøy school home for maladjusted boys, an equally harsh institution. When 29 boys rebelled at Bastøy in 1915, police officers and the Norwegian Armed Forces were employed to crush the riot, and the leaders taken away in handcuffs. Physical punishment was common at Bastøy, including being locked away in a dark cellar, a punishment Johannes had to endure.Ulateig 1996: 16 When Johannes was 15 his mother died, and he was not informed until several days after her funeral. This led to him making suicide threats and going amok at the warden's office, for which he was punished with a stay in the dark cell.


Leaving Helgøya

Andersen went to sea at age 15, and later found work as a mason's assistant. On 7 November 1916 he married Lovise Kristine Klausen, who worked as a waitress at a restaurant frequented by Andersen. They soon got an apartment at
Torshov Torshov is a neighborhood north of Grünerløkka and Lilleborg in the borough Sagene in Oslo, Norway. Oslo Tramway (''Trikken i Oslo'') provides connections with lines running between Majorstuen and Kjelsås. Vogts gate serves as the main str ...
and had a son. Andersen got a better-paid job, laying the foundation for the headquarters of
Oslo Lysverker E-CO Energi is a Norwegian power company and after Statkraft the second largest producer of electricity in Norway. Structure E-CO is wholly owned by the City of Oslo. Operations are divided into E-CO Vannkraft, E-CO Norne and Oslo Lysverker. E-C ...
, but when that job was done he had to seek day-to-day work at the harbour. After an upturn during the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Norway's financial situation again turned for the worse, no-one would hire a man with an institutional background, and he was out of work. He made a last-ditch attempt to make money, buying liquor in Tønsberg and selling it on the black market in Kristiania, but this was not enough for his wife, who left him to pursue a more financially secure future. It has been written that the marriage did not end until 1931. In the meantime, Andersen befriended a woman named Nancy. She helped hide him when he was wanted by the authorities, she lied during a police interrogation at Møllergata 19 to cover for him and she also helped him with practical things such as acquiring a passport. They agreed to part ways when Andersen decided to pursue a
trapper Animal trapping, or simply trapping or gin, is the use of a device to remotely catch an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including food, the fur trade, hunting, pest control, and wildlife management. History Neolithic ...
career in Canada; when going to visit her one last time he stumbled upon a police officer who recognized him and arrested him.Bjørnsen 1968: pp. 99–101 Also, when frequenting Hamburg, Andersen spent time with two prostitutes. They were described as "not ..extraordinarily beautiful", and Andersen helped them with buying food.


Criminal career

Norway's
prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
from 1916 onwards opened up possibilities for a lucrative criminal career, and Andersen joined up in 1921 with old friends from his days at ''Toftes gave'' in grand-scale smuggling operations. Using ingenious methods for hiding the spirits, they smuggled alcohol into Norway by sea. In his smuggling years Andersen cooperated with future award-winning author
Arthur Omre Arthur Omre (17 December 1887, in Brunlanes – 16 August 1967) was a Norwegian novelist and writer of short stories. Omre hailed from Vestfold. With a background as sailor, journalist, constructor in the United States, engineer in Oslo, busines ...
, serving as both crew and skipper on Omre's boats before getting his own smuggling vessel. Eventually his cover was blown, and being a wanted man in Norway he had to flee to
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. While in Germany he worked for one of the biggest suppliers of spirits for the illegal Norwegian market. In 1925 Norway requested that Germany extradite him, and he was arrested in the harbour of
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
. Prison life was harsh, but Andersen managed to get transferred to a hospital when faking
syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...
by burning his member with a cigarette. He was then deported under police escort back to Norway on the steamship ''Kong Dag'', but when the ship entered the
Oslofjord The Oslofjord (, ; en, Oslo Fjord) is an inlet in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the and lighthouses and down to in the south to Oslo in the north. It is part of the Skagerrak strait, connecting the Nor ...
, Andersen escaped by jumping overboard near Spro. For several months he was on the run before being recaptured. In the years that followed he was in and out of prison repeatedly. He gained considerable renown for his elegantly executed burglaries, being labelled by the media "gentleman-forbryter i Grünerløkka-utgave" ( en, gentleman criminal, Grünerløkka edition). He was also well known for his
safe-cracking Safe-cracking is the process of opening a safe without either the combination or the key. Physical methods Different procedures may be used to crack a safe, depending on its construction. Different procedures are required to open different safes ...
skills.Fjørtoft 1997: 34 Andersen once more tried to evade justice when he fled a crowded court room in Drammen in 1929, jumping out a window as the sentence was being proclaimed. He was then smuggled from Drammen inside a chest of drawers which was to be repaired in Oslo. He was recaptured shortly before intending to board a cargo ship bound for Canada. His criminal escapades made Andersen a national celebrity in pre-war Norway, and his nickname "Gulosten" a household name.Ulateig 1996: 17 Between 1919 and 1937 he was sentenced to prison terms nine times, spending a total of around seven years behind bars. During the mid-1930s Andersen attempted to end his criminal career, became engaged, and started a furniture repair business. He remarried on 18 March 1939, wedding Ruth Johanne (born 1905),
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Nilsen. They had one son.Ulateig 1996: 26 In 1935 Andersen attempted to get a children's book published, but it was rejected because of its inclusion of a number of "brutal scenes, unsuited for youths". The nature scenes in the book were, however, commended by the reviewer. After yet another spell in prison, Andersen was released on 9 April 1940, the day Germany invaded Norway as a part of World War II.


Second World War


Early resistance work

The German invasion of Norway in 1940 led to Andersen's life once more taking a turn into illegal activities. His furniture workshop was used as a weapons depot by the
Norwegian resistance movement The Norwegian resistance (Norwegian: ''Motstandsbevegelsen'') to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms: *Asserting the legitimacy of the exiled government, ...
, and he took part in looting German military stores. He was first arrested by the Germans after he had responded to rumours that he was a Nazi by writing the Norwegian national socialist party Nasjonal Samling's official publication ''
Fritt Folk ''Fritt Folk'' ("Free People") was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Oslo. It was the official organ of the fascist party Nasjonal Samling, and came to prominence during the Second World War. History ''Fritt Folk'' had a predecessor in a party ...
'' and stating that "although I have done many wrong things in my life, a Nazi I am not. Yours sincerely Johs. S. Andersen". no, Vel har jeg gjort mye galt i min tid, men nazist er jeg ikke. Ærbødigst Johs. S. Andersen Ulateig 1996: 18 The letter was published unedited by the newspaper, although Andersen was later arrested by the occupying authorities and sentenced to one year in prison, after spending half a year in detention. Using techniques he had learned during his earlier criminal career, Andersen managed to be transferred to prison hospital during his time in detention. While there he acquired false x-ray images and tuberculosis germs to fake illnesses in other captured resistance men who were on their way to interrogation. He also infected a German interrogator with
malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
by contaminating his
insulin Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the ''INS'' gene. It is considered to be the main anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabolism o ...
. At night, he would sneak out of the hospital and operate in Oslo, amongst other activities breaking into Nasjonal Samling offices and stealing documents, copying them and having them shipped to the United Kingdom together with evidence of torture in Nazi-run prisons. He served the last part of his sentence in
Fuhlsbüttel is an urban quarter in the north of Hamburg, Germany in the Hamburg-Nord district. It is known as the site of Hamburg's international airport, and as the location of a prison which served as a concentration camp in the Nazi system of repression. ...
near
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
, Germany.Ulateig 1996: 19 His wife was also active in resistance work, dealing with propaganda and espionage. Author
Egil Ulateig Egil Ulateig (born March 16, 1946) is a Norwegian journalist and non-fiction writer. Ulateig served as the editor of the magazine '' Alle Menn'' in the 1970s. He also wrote for the newspaper ''Ny Tid'', which at the time was owned by the Socialis ...
doubts the veracity of Andersen's prison exploits, which are based mostly on Andersen's own testimony.


Assassin, SOE agent and naval rating

After his return to Norway in 1942, Andersen carried out the assassination of well-known informer Raymond Colberg and then made good his escape to Sweden. Colberg had been active in the Sandefjord area, uncovering an illegal radio transmitter. This led to the arrest of eight resistance members in March 1941, three of whom were executed (Øivind Ask, Andreas Bertnes and Johan Midttun were shot 4 December 1941).Sæther 2007: 294Lund 1945: 212 Andersen carried out the assassination of the
Abwehr The ''Abwehr'' (German for ''resistance'' or ''defence'', but the word usually means ''counterintelligence'' in a military context; ) was the German military-intelligence service for the ''Reichswehr'' and the ''Wehrmacht'' from 1920 to 1944. A ...
agent together with his wife and two acquaintances, kidnapping him and killing him in the basement of the Oslo animal hospital ''Cheval''. According to Ruth Andersen's later interrogation records, the killing was carried out by crucifying him with four knives and crushing his bones with iron pipes, then dismembering the body, putting it in a container for animal carcasses and dumping it in the river Akerselva. The confession may have been made under torture, and included no reference to the bullet holes found on Colberg's corpse when it was recovered.Ulateig 1996: 21 According to historian and leader of
Norway's Resistance Museum Norway's Resistance Museum also known as the Norwegian Home Front Museum ( no, Norges Hjemmefrontmuseum) is a museum located at the Akershus Fortress in Oslo. The museum collection focuses on Norwegian resistance during the occupation of Norway b ...
,
Arnfinn Moland Arnfinn Moland (born 25 August 1951) is a Norwegian historian. He was born in Kvinesdal. He finished his secondary education in Flekkefjord in 1970, served in His Majesty the King's Guard from 1973 to 1974, and graduated from the University of Os ...
, the claims of Colberg having been tortured and mutilated are fabrications. Moland cites autopsy reports and German archives to back up his claims.Moland 1999: 102–104 Colberg's body was discovered by a Norwegian civilian on 15 June 1942 with two 7,62 mm calibre bullet holes in the head, and was identified through Colberg's dental records. The killing was, according to Ulateig, also motivated by Andersen's personal feelings towards Colberg, and Moland states that Andersen "may have had" such motives, a claim that is refuted by history professor
Tore Pryser Tore Pryser (born 9 January 1945) is a Norwegian historian, who has served as professor at the Lillehammer University College since 1993. Born in Oslo, he took a cand.philol. degree at the University of Oslo. He was appointed at the Lillehamm ...
. Andersen then fled to Sweden, and travelled on to the United Kingdom, where he was recruited by Professor Leif Tronstad for work with the British Special Operations Executive. In this context he used the surname Ostein during the war. In the United Kingdom, Andersen suggested a series of further assassinations in Oslo, naming targets and describing plans for how to carry out the killings.Ulateig 1996: 23 The British saw great potential as an agent in a man with Andersen's background. Andersen and his group was parachuted from a Halifax bomber to
Kjerkeberget Kjerkeberget is a mountain in Nordmarka, Oslo, Norway. It is the highest point in the county and municipality of Oslo. It lies on the border of Oslo and the municipality Lunner in Viken, between the lakes Sandungen in the southeast and Katnosa ...
near Sandungen in Nordmarka, Oslo. Received by
Gunnar Sønsteby Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann Sønsteby DSO ( 1918 – 10 May 2012) was a member of the Norwegian resistance movement during the German occupation of Norway in World War II. Known by the nickname "Kjakan" ("The Chin") and as "Agent No. 24", ...
and Sverre Ellingsen, this was the first parachute drop received by the resistance group
Milorg Milorg (abbreviation of militær organisasjon – military organization) was the main Norwegian resistance movement during World War II. Resistance work included intelligence gathering, sabotage, supply-missions, raids, espionage, transport of ...
's District 13. The group spent a month training Milorg resistance people in weapons handling. They were originally intended to carry out assassinations of leading Norwegian Nazis and informers as part of
Operation Bittern Operation Bittern ( no, Bittern-ekspedisjonen, known as Bitern in the oldest sources) was a military operation in occupied Norway planned and carried out in 1942 by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Norwegian government-in-exile ...
, first and foremost police minister and ''
Germanske SS Norge The Germanic SS () was the collective name given to paramilitary and political organisations established in parts of German-occupied Europe between 1939 and 1945 under the auspices of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS). The units were modeled on the '' ...
'' leader Jonas Lie, but this was refused by the local resistance leaders because of fears of reprisals. Andersen had suggested killing the top-ranking Nazi leader, and the SOE approved. According to a plan formulated by the SOE, Andersen was to don a light suit, enter Lie's office in broad daylight, shoot the police minister in the head with a
Colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: *Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People * Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places *Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...
pistol, change to a dark suit hidden underneath the light one, and disappear in the confusion. Andersen commented on the SOE plan: "Lie might survive this assassination attempt, but I won't." no, Dette attentatforsøket vil muligens Lie overleve, men ikke jeg. Ulateig 1996: 24 Andersen instead wanted to kill Lie on his way from the office to his home. The Bittern operation was severely criticized by the Norwegian Home Forces in a letter to the Norwegian exile government in London.Riste 1979: 33Gjelsvik 1977: 97Moland 1999: 60–64 Andersen returned to the United Kingdom via Sweden, after episodes of unruly behaviour in Oslo. In the United Kingdom he had a personal
audience An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature (in which they are called "readers"), theatre, music (in which they are called "listeners"), video games (in which they are called "players"), or ...
with King
Haakon VII of Norway Haakon VII (; born Prince Carl of Denmark; 3 August 187221 September 1957) was the King of Norway from November 1905 until his death in September 1957. Originally a Danish prince, he was born in Copenhagen as the son of the future Frederick V ...
. During the audience, Andersen and the King lunched at the Norwegian Club in London, and Andersen entertained the exiled monarch with stories. The King promised to take care of Andersen once the war was over.Ulateig 1996: 27 Andersen then joined the
exiled ''Exiled'' () is a 2006 Hong Kong action drama film produced and directed by Johnnie To, and starring Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Nick Cheung, Josie Ho, Roy Cheung and Lam Suet, with special appearances by Richie Jen and Simon Yam. The action ta ...
Royal Norwegian Navy The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, 3 ...
and served on a Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) for the duration of the war. The MTB on which Andersen served repeatedly attacked shipping off the Norwegian coast. Many resistance people in Norway had been shocked when they found out that Andersen had been allowed to serve in NOR.I.C.1. Leading saboteur Max Manus wrote shortly after the war in his book ''Det vil helst gå godt'': "It was one hell of a risk to send a man with Gulosten's reputation and history out on secret military missions. It would have been a great embarrassment if ''Fritt Folk'' had been able to publish that Gulosten made a career in King Håkon's armed forces". no, Det var en jevli risk å sende en mann med Gulostens rykte og fortid på hemmelig militært oppdrag. Det ville blitt en meget pinlig historie om Fritt Folk hadde kunne publisere at Gulosten hadde laget karriere i Kong Håkons væpnede styrker. Ulateig 1996: 25. Manus 1945: 192 Andersen protested against Manus' account when it was published.


Post-war life


Loss of wife and third marriage

When Andersen returned to Norway after the German surrender in 1945, he had hoped to reunite with his wife Ruth.Bjørnsen, 1968: pp. 185–186 Instead, he discovered that his wife had been arrested by the Germans on 9 May 1944. She had been taken to Møllergata 19, tortured during her captivity and executed at
Grini detention camp '', '' no, Grini fangeleir'', location=Bærum, Viken, Norway, location map=Viken#Norway, built by=Norway, original use=Constructed as a women's prison, operated by=Nazi Germany, notable inmates= List of Grini prisoners, liberated by= Harry Söderm ...
by '' Sonderkommando Hans'' on 21 July 1944 together with five others. They were buried in a mass grave but her body was exhumed and identified on 25 May 1945.Ulateig 1996: 28Kraglund 1987: 113 Ruth's sister together with Ruth's friend Hertha Bergstrøm organized a proper funeral. Andersen and Bergstrøm later married.


POW killing controversy

On 3 July 1945 Andersen killed two German prisoners of war with his
Thompson submachine gun The Thompson submachine gun (also known as the "Tommy Gun", "Chicago Typewriter", "Chicago Piano", “Trench Sweeper” or "Trench Broom") is a blowback-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed selective-fire submachine gun, invented by United Stat ...
. Andersen had broken into German barracks in
Vadheim Vadheim is a village in the municipality of Høyanger in Vestland county, Norway. It is located on the north shore of the Sognefjorden, along the small Vadheimsfjorden branch. The European route E39 highway runs through the village. It is locat ...
in
Sogn Sogn is a traditional district in Western Norway ''(Vestlandet)''. It is located in the county of Vestland, surrounding the Sognefjord, the largest/longest fjord in Norway. The district of Sogn consists of the municipalities of Aurland, Balestra ...
during a drinking binge, killing the German soldiers Herbert Neumann and Hermann Beckmann. He later claimed to have acted in rage over his wife's death.Ulateig 1996: 28–29 The Norwegian court system started working on Andersen's case, eventually reaching judge advocate Ivar Follestad. Andersen was defended by Reidar Skau, who was made Supreme Court Justice in 1945. Follestad deemed it necessary to prosecute Andersen, but wanted to pardon him after the verdict. After spending more than a year in the civilian and military court systems Andersen's murder case reached the top levels of the Royal Norwegian Navy, and on 5 August 1946 it was decided to take the case to the Gulating Military Court of Appeal. Three months later Follestad made a decision of non-indictment, despite there being evidence to convict Andersen. In January 1947 the general jurisdiction chief,
Thore Horve Thore Horve (6 October 1899 – 15 August 1990) was a Norwegian naval officer and businessperson. He is best known for his naval commands and efforts during World War II, for leading the Royal Norwegian Navy from 1946 to 1949 and in 1951, and for ...
, also declared for a decision of non-indictment. Follestad and Horve were supported in this by Minister of Defence
Jens Christian Hauge Jens Christian Hauge (15 May 1915 – 30 October 2006) was a Norwegian who was leader within the World War II resistance—and one of the two incumbent Milorg Council members in May 1945. Njølstad p.125 He served as Minister of Defence from 19 ...
, and the decision was made final by royal resolution on 25 April 1947. This led to protests from, amongst others, leading Norwegian psychiatrist
Johan Scharffenberg Johan Scharffenberg (23 November 1869 – 1 February 1965) was a Norwegian psychiatrist, politician, speaker and writer. Early life Scharffenberg was born in Moss as the son of military officer Hedvard Carl Scharffenberg (1819–1893) and Car ...
.Ulateig 1996: 29


Later life

With starting help from his new wife, Andersen started the wood product factory ''Apenes Trevarefabrikk'' in
Horten is a town and municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the town of Åsgårdstrand an ...
, running it for fifteen years. King Haakon VII personally helped him with money and credit, remaining Andersen's friend and patron the rest of the king's life. One time, Andersen's company was hired to perform maintenance work on the
Bygdøy Royal Estate Bygdøy Royal Estate ( no, Bygdøy kongsgård), also known as the ''Bygdø Royal Farm'', is a Kongsgård estate and manor house that occupies a large part of the northwestern part of the Bygdøy peninsula in Oslo, Norway. It is the official summer ...
. He eventually had to retire because of health problems sustained during the war. Andersen was accused of crimes on several occasions in the post-war years, but was most often acquitted in court. Amongst the crimes of which he was charged but acquitted in court was the theft of building materials in 1954. Another time he was tricked into lending his car to two people who broke into a goldsmith's shop in Tønsberg. Strongly intoxicated at the time of the crime, he was charged but fully acquitted. In 1955 he was, however, convicted and sentenced to 36 days in prison for selling 30 bottles of denatured alcohol, alcohol that was supposed to have been used at his factory. In his later years Andersen became involved in speaking about children's rights and correctional institutions. He called the institutions for maladjusted youths "schools for criminals", and said that the loss and suffering of institutionalization naturally lead youths to crime, using his own life as an example. To explain his views on incarceration and of society's response to institutionalized children and ex-convicts Andersen said: "You are to be punished for having been punished." no, Man skal straffes for å ha vært straffet. Ulateig 1996: 15 Johannes "The Yellow Cheese" Andersen died on 29 July 1970, aged 72. He was buried in Horten. In late 1968 the book ''En mann kalt Gulosten'' was released, written by Bjørn Bjørnsen. Already before the book was released, film rights for the story were bought by the company Teamfilm. Teamfilm employee
Knut Bohwim Knut Bohwim (12 March 1931 – 16 June 2020) was a leading Norwegian film director. He co-founded the company ''Teamfilm A/S'' in 1962. His debut as film director was ''Operasjon Sjøsprøyt'' from 1964. He directed the war drama '' Det størs ...
stated that the book contained enough material for three motion pictures, but that they would concentrate the story into one film at best.


Works

* (autobiography)


References


Notes


Footnotes


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Andersen, Johannes S. 1898 births 1970 deaths 20th-century Norwegian criminals Norwegian male criminals Norwegian assassins Burglars Norwegian escapees Escapees from Norwegian detention Furniture makers Norwegian autobiographers Norwegian expatriates in Germany Royal Norwegian Navy personnel of World War II Norwegian people imprisoned abroad Norwegian sailors Writers from Oslo People indicted for war crimes Prisoners and detainees of Germany Prisoners and detainees of Norway Norwegian Special Operations Executive personnel Criminals from Oslo