Rolf Jørgen Fuglesang

Fuglesang in 1940

Rolf Jørgen Fuglesang (31 January 1909, Fredrikstad – 25 November 1988) was a Norwegian secretary to the Nasjonal Samling government of Vidkun Quisling 1940–1941 and minister 1941–1942 and 1942–1945. He was also President of the Kulturting 1943–1945.

Fuglesang, educated in law, was from the very beginning, one of Quisling's most loyal followers and played an important role under the establishment of NS and the building of the Nazi administration during the German occupation. In the early stages of the occupation, he was regarded by the Germans as one of their strongholds, among others, due to his focus on Nazi race ideas. Fuglesang became an advocate of Pan-Germanism, which led to an approach from Heinrich Himmler himself.

In January 1944, he accompanied Vidkun Quisling on his visit to Adolf Hitler and then also had a longer and mainly conciliatory conversation with Heinrich Himmler in Rastenburg. Towards the end of the war, however, he was a figurehead of the opposition to the Germans inside NS.

During the legal purge in Norway after World War II, Fuglesang was sentenced to life imprisonment with forced labour for treason. He narrowly avoided execution when four out of seven judges voted for a life sentence. Fuglesang was released from prison in 1956.

His daughter was married to art historian Per Jonas Nordhagen, a son of Rolf Nordhagen, for some time.

See also

• The Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Enlightenment