Norwegian War Profiteers

In the spring of 1941 German producer of lethal gases IG Farben, Nordag and the Norwegian producer Norsk Hydro join forces and establish the company Norsk Lettmetall (Norwegian light metals). The new company’s task is to supply Herman Göring’s Luftwaffe with materials for the aircraft they need in order to secure the Thousand Year Reich. Norsk Hydro’s participation in the project demands a substantial capital, so a group of influential and wealthy Norwegian, known as the Oslo consortium, cough up millions of kroners. While many conscripted workers lose their lives, the members of the consortium receive many-doubled returns on their investments.

Where do you draw the line between keeping the wheels spinning and helping the enemy? Anette Storeide sheds a critical light on the Norwegian war profiteers and describes internal conflicts even among the Germans. In the post-war trials, all the blame was pinned on the deceased Hydro director Axel Aubert, and no other central actors were punished. In fact, they made a lump sum of money from the war, and they got to keep it.