Behandlingssvaret

Behandlingssvaret refers to the decisive action or response taken by authorities in Norway during the decades following World War II. The primary aim of this response was to identify and prosecute individuals accused of collaborating with the Nazi occupation or committing other crimes during the war.

In the aftermath of the war, the Norwegian government and law enforcement agencies initiated a comprehensive investigation into suspected collaborators and war criminals. This effort led to the establishment of several special tribunals and courts to try those accused. The most notable of these tribunals was the Lagmansforhandling, also known as the sword-bearing committee, which was responsible for investigating and prosecuting war crimes committed by German collaborators.

Between 1945 and 1949, Norwegian authorities took decisive action to apprehend and prosecute approximately 25,000 individuals accused of war-related crimes or collaboration. The majority of those targeted were lesser officials such as public employees, police officers, and other individuals suspected of working with the Nazi occupation.

The handling of these suspects is characterized by two distinct approaches: the vertical and horizontal approaches. The vertical approach involved purging institutions and organizations to ensure that former collaborators no longer posed a threat. This often involved the removal of individuals from employment positions, the purging of military ranks, and the de-Nazification of university faculties.