Paal Berg

Paal Olav Berg
File:Paal Berg OB.Z07063.jpg Paal Berg (by Thorleif Wardenær / Oslo Museum)
Born	(1873-01-18)18 January 1873 Hammerfest, Norway
Died	Bærum
Nationality	Norwegian
Occupation	Judge, politician, resistance leader
Known for	Minister of Social Affairs Minister of Justice Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Norway Civil resistance leader during the German occupation of Norway

Paal Olav Berg (18 January 1873 – 24 May 1968), born in Hammerfest, was a Norwegian politician for the Liberal Party. He was Minister of Social Affairs 1919-1920, and Minister of Justice 1924-1926. He was the 12th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1929 to 1946.

Paal Berg was instrumental in the German Dismissal of pro-Nazi puppet regime of Vidkun Quisling to be replaced by a council of Norwegian citizens, including himself on April 15, 1940. This was overseen after April 24 by Hitler's appointee Josef Terboven. Despite holding this position in the occupied government, Berg was far from a collaborator. Indeed, William L. Shirer names him the secret leader of the Norwegian Resistance. He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1947.

Literature

• William L. Shirer: "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", Simon & Schuster, New York 1990 ISBN 0-671-72868-7

Political offices
Preceded by Lars Kristian Abrahamsen	Norwegian Minister of Social Affairs 1919–1920	Succeeded by Odd Sverressøn Klingenberg
Preceded by Christian Lange Rolfsen	Norwegian Minister of Justice and the Police 1924–1926	Succeeded by Ingolf Elster Christensen
Legal offices
Preceded by Herman Scheel	Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Norway 1929–1946	Succeeded by Emil Stang