Asbjørn Sunde

Infobox Person
name = Asbjørn Edvin Sunde


image_size =
caption =
birth_name =
birth_date = 1909
birth_place =
death_date = 1985
death_place =
death_cause =
resting_place =
resting_place_coordinates =
residence =
nationality = Norwegian
ethnicity =
citizenship =
other_names = "Osvald"
known_for = World War II saboteur,
Cold War spy
education =
alma_mater =
employer =
occupation =
home_town =
title =
spouse =
partner =
children =
parents =
relations =


website =
footnotes =

Asbjørn Edvin Sunde (1909 – 1985) was a Norwegian sailor, communist, and a saboteur during the Second World War. He was later convicted for espionage in favour of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Career

Sunde volunteered at the Spanish Civil War in 1937/1938, where he achieved experience as a saboteur and partisan. From 1938 he was the leader of the Norwegian branch of Ernst Wollweber's secret sabotage organization, which actions were directed aganist Fascist-controlled shipping.cite encyclopedia |last=Borgersrud |first=Lars |authorlink= |editor=Hans Fredrik Dahl |encyclopedia=Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45 |title=Wollweber-organisasjonen |language=Norwegian |url=http://www.norgeslexi.com/krigslex/w/w2.html#wollweber-organisasjonen |accessdate=2008-09-17 |edition= |date= |year=1995 |publisher=Cappelen |volume= |location=Oslo |id= |isbn=8202141389 |doi= |pages=468pp |quote= no icon] The Wollweber League had been established as an initiative from the Soviet NKVD.

Following the German attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941, Sunde's group initiated sabotage activities in Norway. The group was responsible for over 100 known actions between July 1941 and July 1944, dominating the sabotage activity in Norway during this period.cite encyclopedia |last=Borgersrud |first=Lars |authorlink= |editor=Hans Fredrik Dahl |encyclopedia=Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45 |title=Sunde, Asbjørn |language=Norwegian |url=http://www.norgeslexi.com/krigslex/s/s9.html#sunde-asbjorn |accessdate=2008-09-11 |edition= |date= |year=1995 |publisher=Cappelen |volume= |location=Oslo |id= |isbn=8202141389 |doi= |pages=468pp |quote= no icon] One of Sunde's cover names was "Osvald", and his group became known as the Osvald Group ("Osvald-gruppen").cite encyclopedia |last=Borgersrud |first=Lars |authorlink= |editor=Hans Fredrik Dahl |encyclopedia=Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45 |title=Osvald-gruppen |language=Norwegian |url=http://www.norgeslexi.com/krigslex/o/o2.html#osvald-gruppen |accessdate=2008-09-15 |edition= |date= |year=1995 |publisher=Cappelen |volume= |location=Oslo |id= |isbn=8202141389 |doi= |pages=468pp |quote= no icon]

According to historian Lars Borgersrud, Sunde soon became renowned for being an aggressive and daring saboteur, and he was addressed by other resistance organisations to carry out particularly delicate missions. After attacking the Head Office of the State Police 21 August 1942, a reward of 50,000 NOK was offered for information that would lead to his capture.

After the war Sunde wrote the book "Menn i mørket" (1947) (Men in the Darkness), describing his wartime activities. [http://www.friheten.no/lang/2003/04/sorth.html Den sorte hånd slår til - 20. april 1943 – Av Steinar Åge Brenden] – "Friheten" (Retrieved on 17 September 2008) no icon] [http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/1998/02/18/60152.html HANS FREDRIK DAHL: Avslører havets hemmeligheter] – "Dagbladet (18.02.1998)" (Retrieved on 17 September 2008) no icon] [http://www.amazon.co.uk/m%C3%B8rket-sabotage-Norway-German-occupation/dp/B0018DGA2K Menn i mørket. The story of a sabotage group in Norway under the German occupation] – "amazon.co.uk" (Retrieved on 17 September 2008)] Sunde and his organization never received any award or recognition from the Norwegian Government for their contributions during the war, due to the political climate at the time, and the group's relation to the Soviet secret police organisation NKVD.

Post war politics

Sunde was a central person in the internal conflicts of the Communist Party of Norway which culminated with the expulsion of former chairman Peder Furubotn and a number of other so-called "Titoists" in 1949/1950.

1950s

In 1954 Sunde was convicted for Soviet espionage, and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment.

Biographies

*Egil Ulateig: "Raud krigar, raud spion", 1989. ("Red Warrior, Red Spy"; biography) no icon
*Asbjørn Sunde: "Menn i mørket", 1947. ("Men in the Darkness"; autobiography) no icon

References