VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Peder Gjovik, VCSU professor emeritus, and his grandson, Reed McConaughey, a VCHS student, will be presenting a true story about the Resistance Movement in Norway during
World War II which included involvement by some of their family on Friday, March 15 at 7 pm at the Valley City Eagles Club.
The title of the presentation is “Denying Hitler the Atomic Bomb: Norway and the Heavy Water War.” The presentation is sponsored by the Sons of Norway, Heimdal Lodge. The community is invited to attend this free event.
Gjovik and his grandson tell a riveting story; they were able to learn a great deal when they recently toured Rjukan and Vermork, Norway in the Telemark region. This steep valley was the location and focus of efforts by the Allies to stop the production and transport of deuterium oxide (heavy Water) to Nazi Germany. Deuterium oxide was a critical component of efforts to develop a reactor capable of atomic fission. If the Nazis had been successful in the development of this technology the war could have had a much different outcome. Stopping production was deemed
so important by the Allies that six distinct operations were undertaken to stop manufacture or transport.
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on June 10, 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until the capitulation of German forces in Europe on 8 May 1945. Throughout this period, a pro-German government named Den nasjonale regjering (English: the National Government) ruled Norway, while the Norwegian King Haakon VII and the prewar government escaped to London, where they formed a government in exile. Civil rule was effectively assumed by the Reichskommissariat Norwegen (Reich Commissariat of Norway), which acted in collaboration with the pro-German puppet government.
Gjovik’s family originated from southern Norway and in 1947 the family immigrated to the United States with Peder being born several years later. The program will discuss the struggles of occupation for his family that involved rationing, forced labor and the Nazi occupation of his family’s village in Knaben, Norway–a fascinating story. Gjovik will provide background on the bombings and other activities by the Allies and Norwegian underground to hinder the Nazi military machine. The discussion will center on actions taken to deprive the Nazis of deuterium oxide produced in Rjukan, Norway. Deuterium oxide was critical to the Nazi effort to develop the atomic bomb. K. Peder Gjovik, Ph.D, recently retired as an Emeritus Professor from VCSU. Reed McConaughey is a high school sophomore who wants to become a history educator. The public is cordially invited to attend.
The full interview is below.
