Sigurd Roll
Encyclopedia
Sigurd Emil Roll was a Norwegian
diplomat and former sprinter
who was executed during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
.
during World War II
.
event in 1917. He broke the Norwegian record this year, clocking in 50.9 seconds. He improved his own record to 50.7 seconds in 1920, but lost it to Einar Mangset the following season. He also won silver medals in the 400 metres in 1918 and 1920, as well as medals in the 100
and 200 metres
. He represented the sports club Kristiania IF.
vice consul
in Oslo
. During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
Roll resigned his post and joined the Norwegian underground. He was captured by the Gestapo
and imprisoned in a concentration camp for a period. After his release, he allegedly helped Norwegians escape from concentration camps.
, an attempt to discredit the Norwegian resistance
. SS
Hauptsturmführer
and Sicherheitspolizei
officer Ernst Weiner
was personally responsible for the murder.
Sigurd's brother, Lieutenant Colonel William George Roll was born on July 4, 1892 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Norwegian immigrants. The eldest of three sons and two daughters, he attended schools in Norway, Belgium, Holland, and the United States. When the U.S. entered World War I, Roll enlisted in the Army, and was sent to Denmark to engage in covert activities in Germany, heading a team of six agents. Following the war, the State Department appointed him Vice Consul in Denmark, where he served for two years under President Woodrow Wilson. The State Department then transferred Roll to Bremen, Germany, where he was stationed as Vice Consul for eight years. From then, till the outbreak of World War II, he continued to carry out missions for the State Department throughout the world. With the entrance of the U.S. into the European theater of World War II, Roll returned to the Army and served on SHAEF under, then, General Dwight Eisenhour. He saw duty on most of the major European fronts. When Colonel Roll learned of his brother’s [Sigurd] death, he was determined to avenge him. So it was on May 9, 1945 at the age of 53, Roll was the first American officer with the Liberation Army to land in Norway. At the end of the war, the State Department kept Roll in Oslo as American Information Officer. In 1947, under President Harry Truman, he was transferred to Denmark as First Consul for Ambassador Eugenie Anderson. He Retained this post for three years till he retired. Under Presidents Eisenhour and Truman, Roll was instrumental in organizing NATO for Northern Europe. He was also Chief of the Marshall Plan in the Scandinavian countries and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Education Foundation. During Roll’s sojourn in Denmark, the King conferred knighthood on him, making him a Knight of the Dannebrog, an honor rarely bestowed on a non-Dane. Colonel Roll died in 1967.
William George Roll U.S. Vice Consul in Copenhagen, 1921; Bremen, 1926-29
William's son, William George Roll, II was born July 3, 1926 in Bremen, Germany. William junior is president of the Parapsychological Association.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
diplomat and former sprinter
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
who was executed during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
.
Early life and family
Roll was born in Chicago, IL to Wilhelm Jørgen Roll (born 1864 in Asker, Norway) and Sofia Jensen (born 1868 in Asker, Norway). Roll was married in 1918, and had four children. His son Finn joined the Devil's BrigadeDevil's Brigade
The Devil's Brigade , was a joint World War II American-Canadian commando unit organized in 1942 and trained at Fort William Henry Harrison near Helena, Montana in the United States...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Olympic athlete
As an athlete he became Norwegian champion in the 400 metres400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
event in 1917. He broke the Norwegian record this year, clocking in 50.9 seconds. He improved his own record to 50.7 seconds in 1920, but lost it to Einar Mangset the following season. He also won silver medals in the 400 metres in 1918 and 1920, as well as medals in the 100
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
and 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
. He represented the sports club Kristiania IF.
Diplomatic and resistance fighter
Roll later served as a USUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
vice consul
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
Roll resigned his post and joined the Norwegian underground. He was captured by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
and imprisoned in a concentration camp for a period. After his release, he allegedly helped Norwegians escape from concentration camps.
Death
On June 24, 1944, Roll was arrested in his office and executed at Holmenkollen Kapell (Oslo) as a part of Operation BlumenpflückenOperation Blumenpflücken
Operation Blumenpflücken was a counter-resistance operation in occupied Norway, planned and carried out by the Gestapo/Sicherheitspolizei in 1944 and early 1945....
, an attempt to discredit the Norwegian resistance
Norwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...
. SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
and Sicherheitspolizei
Sicherheitspolizei
The Sicherheitspolizei , often abbreviated as SiPo, was a term used in Nazi Germany to describe the state political and criminal investigation security agencies. It was made up by the combined forces of the Gestapo and the Kripo between 1936 and 1939...
officer Ernst Weiner
Ernst Weiner
Ernst Josef Albert Weiner was a German SS Hauptsturmführer during World War II, most noted for his role in the Sicherheitspolizei in Norway during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany....
was personally responsible for the murder.
Sigurd's brother, Lieutenant Colonel William George Roll was born on July 4, 1892 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Norwegian immigrants. The eldest of three sons and two daughters, he attended schools in Norway, Belgium, Holland, and the United States. When the U.S. entered World War I, Roll enlisted in the Army, and was sent to Denmark to engage in covert activities in Germany, heading a team of six agents. Following the war, the State Department appointed him Vice Consul in Denmark, where he served for two years under President Woodrow Wilson. The State Department then transferred Roll to Bremen, Germany, where he was stationed as Vice Consul for eight years. From then, till the outbreak of World War II, he continued to carry out missions for the State Department throughout the world. With the entrance of the U.S. into the European theater of World War II, Roll returned to the Army and served on SHAEF under, then, General Dwight Eisenhour. He saw duty on most of the major European fronts. When Colonel Roll learned of his brother’s [Sigurd] death, he was determined to avenge him. So it was on May 9, 1945 at the age of 53, Roll was the first American officer with the Liberation Army to land in Norway. At the end of the war, the State Department kept Roll in Oslo as American Information Officer. In 1947, under President Harry Truman, he was transferred to Denmark as First Consul for Ambassador Eugenie Anderson. He Retained this post for three years till he retired. Under Presidents Eisenhour and Truman, Roll was instrumental in organizing NATO for Northern Europe. He was also Chief of the Marshall Plan in the Scandinavian countries and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Education Foundation. During Roll’s sojourn in Denmark, the King conferred knighthood on him, making him a Knight of the Dannebrog, an honor rarely bestowed on a non-Dane. Colonel Roll died in 1967.
William George Roll U.S. Vice Consul in Copenhagen, 1921; Bremen, 1926-29
William's son, William George Roll, II was born July 3, 1926 in Bremen, Germany. William junior is president of the Parapsychological Association.