A Stand Against Tyranny Norway's Physicians and the Nazis

Scandinavian Review, Autumn 1997

A Stand Against Tyranny Norway's Physicians and the Nazis by Maynard M. Cohen

Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press, 1997 326 pages. Preface. Epilogue. Notes. Bibliography. Index. B/W Photos. Cloth. $39.95

This volume, researched in Norway with ASF support, describes a little known aspect of Norwegian resistance to the Nazi during World War II. Based on interviews with more than 20 men and women whose stories form the basis of this book, the author retells the dramatic history of Norway's physicians during the Holocaust.

While many citizens participated in the Resistance, the role of Norway's physicians was central to its efforts. As graduates of Norway's only medical school at the University of Oslo, doctors belonged to a tightly-knit group with a close communication network. Since they occupied a trusted position in Norwegian society, in the guise of the practice of medicine, they could contact virtually any of their fellow citizens without arousing Nazi suspicion. They maintained their automobiles, enjoying a freedom of travel denied to others, and could bypass curfews with impunity. From rescuing children from orphanages to performing plastic surgery to disguise an underground agent, Norwegian doctors acted forcefully and effectively to combat the Nazi invasion.