Karl Meyer (1888 – 18 December 1971 [1] [2]) was a Norwegian businessman, stockbroker and founder of the short-lived fascist party, the National Legion.
He had a history of several big fraud cases against him, [3] although he was acquitted from at least one tax evasion case. [4] His proposed business projects, described in the press as "fantastical", included a " Coney Island"-style amusement park at Hovedøya, and turning the steam-liner RMS Carmania into a "floating tenement" at the Oslo harbour. [5]
In 1927 Meyer founded the fascist party the National Legion. [3] The party's activities mainly included Meyer's rousing speeches at a circus, Cirkus Verdensteatret in Oslo, and at Drammens Theater in Drammen. [3] After increasing internal opposition, Meyer was expelled from the party in early 1928. [5] He unsuccessfully attempted to regain control of the party in February, when along with some co-conspirators he went to action against the party's offices with clubs and revolvers. [5] Meyer and two other men were arrested in the incident. [5] The party quickly fell apart amid internal conflicts, and was dissolved in early 1928. [3]
Karl Meyer was a son of Ludvig Meyer and a brother of Haakon Meyer.
References
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^ "Anmeldte dødsfall".
Aftenposten. 23 December 1971. p. 11.
Fhv. kjøpmann Karl Meyer f. 1888
- ^ "Dødsfall". Aftenposten. 21 December 1971. p. 16.
- ^ a b c d Helle, Idar (26 September 2015). "Fascisme i sirkusteltet". Klassekampen (in Norwegian).
- ^ Nævestad, Espen (2010). ""[h]vor en fast haand og en vilje faar lov til at raade" – vurdering av den italienske fascismen blant borgerlige i Norge 1922–28" (PDF). Fortid. University of Oslo: 67. ISSN 1504-1913. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
- ^ a b c d Hølaas, Odd (1957). Norge under Haakon VII 1905-1957. Cappelen. pp. 192, 293, 329.
Further reading
- Emberland, Terje (2015). Da fascismen kom til Norge. Den nasjonale legions vekst og fall, 1927–1928. Dreyer. ISBN 9788282651288.