Martial Law in Trondheim in 1942 - Extrajudicial Executions

Extrajudicial Executions

That evening, Terboven announced from a loudspeaker in the main square in Trondheim that 10 prominent residents of the area had been executed as "atonement sacrifices" (soneofre) at what became killing grounds in Falstadskogen near Falstad concentration camp north of Trondheim at 6 pm that evening, and all their financial assets confiscated.

Those executed were:

From Trondheim, attorney Otto Skirstad, theater director Henry Gleditsch, editor Harald Langhelle, merchant Hirsch Komissar, engineer Hans Konrad Ekornes, bank president Gunnar Sandberg Birch, captain Finn Berg, and shipowner Per Tangen Lykke; attorney Bull Aakran from Røros, and construction leader Peder Eggen from Klæbu.

Eight of these were still held at the Gestapo headquarters in Misjonshotellet one block from the square and heard the announcement of their deaths. These eight were later taken by car to Falstad concentration camp, where they were joined by the remaining two for the short drive to Falstadskogen. They were bound, blindfolded, and placed two and two in front of a mass grave that had been dug that day. They were shot at short range by a firing squad of ten.

Terboven also convened a tribunal in Falstad to try individuals "hostile to the state" on October 7. Chaired by Gerhard Flesch, this tribunal condemned 15 from the municipality of Grane to death, and these were shot the following morning. An additional 9 were condemned on October 8 and executed October 9, bringing the total number of extrajudicial executions to 34.

The additional 24 executed were:

Peder Stor-Tjønnli, Majavatn; Johan Audun, Bogfjellmo; Johan Øygård, Aursletta; Einar Øygård, Aursletta; Ole Sæter, Aursletta; Olaf Svebakk, Svebakk; Alf Stormo, Trofors; Oddvar Olsen Majavatn; Magnus Lien Stavasdalen; Edvard Sæter; Sæter; Peter Lund, Sæter; Arne Holmen, Holmen; Mikael Holmen, Holmen; Aksel Johansen, Østerfjorden; Ingvald Melingen, Majavatn; Tormod Tverland, Tverland; Leif Sjøfors, Holmen; Bjarne Lien, Stavassdalen; Nils Møllersen, Stavassdalen; Arne Moen, Majavatn; Agnar Blåfjellmo, Blåfjellmo; Emil Øylund, Majavatn; Peder Forbergskog, Majavatn; and Rasmus Skerpe, from Majavatn Of the 43 Norwegians executed at Falstad, 34 were killed during the martial law.

In addition to arresting a dozen or so Jewish men in the course of these days, the authorities raided 1,434 residential properties and arrested 93 individuals.

In a petty and unpopular gesture, the Norwegian county governor, Henrik Rogstad, also prohibited the sale of tobacco in Trondheim. Terboven invited to a celebratory party in his train car the evening martial law was imposed.

Martial law was lifted on October 12 when the occupying authorities determined that law and order had once again been established.