“Look to Norway”: Teacher Resistance During WWII

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Why visit Norway?  As President Franklin D. Roosevelt noted in 1942: “If there is anyone who still wonders why this war is being fought, let him look to Norway. If there is anyone who has any delusions that this war could have been averted, let him look to Norway; and if there is anyone who doubts the democratic will to win, again I say, let him look to Norway.”

Norway is stunning with over 50,000 islands carved by glacial fjords and sprawling snow-capped mountains. Its robust economy, strong social welfare system, and commitment to environmental protection and sustainability contribute to its people regularly being ranked as some of the “happiest” in the world.

In midst of WWII, however, Nazi forces tested the moral resiliency of Norway’s people and teachers. As Nazi troops invaded this beautiful coastal country, over 12,000 of Norway’s 14,000 teachers resisted calls to Nazify their curriculum and instruction. Famously wearing paperclips to demonstrate their solidarity, Norwegian teachers acted selflessly, and their resistance remains instructive in the face of authoritarian leaders today. Teachers were one of many groups in society to resist, allowing Norway to become a beacon for the world.

We learn more about these pages in Norwegian history as we travel. Beginning in the vibrant capital, Oslo, home of the Nobel Peace Prize, we explore neighborhoods, museums, the Akershus Fortress to learn about the Norwegian resistance movement during WWII, and the Grini Prison Camp, seeing where teachers and others were held prisoner. We take the train through the countryside, alongside fjords, valleys, and mountains taking in the scenery and learning how public transportation supports local economies and keeps Norway eco-friendly. Landing in Trondheim, south of the Arctic Circle, we enjoy this picturesque city on the Trondheim Fjord. There, we visit the local university and take a day trip out of the city to learn about teacher resistance at the Falstad Center, a former prison camp for teachers and other resisters.

Norway is a country of great splendor, culture, and history. Join us while we explore and learn from Norwegians and their history.

Courses

• EDEL 212-Foundations of Elementary Education, 3 credits
• SOC 479-Current Topics in International Sociology, 3 credits (Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 111)
• IS 230- Topics in International Studies, 3 credits

Program Directors

Prof. Michael D. Bartone 
Literacy, Elementary & Early Childhood Education 
860.832.2183 
bartone@ccsu.edu

Prof. Fiona Pearson
Sociology 
860.832.3137 
pearsonaf@ccsu.edu