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Birger Kristian Eriksen (17 November 1875 – 16 July 1958) was a Norway military officer (with the rank of Oberst) who was instrumental in stopping the first wave of Gruppe 5 of the German invasion force outside Oslo. Eriksen was the commander of Oscarsborg Fortress when Nazi Germany attacked Norway in the early hours of 9 April 1940. He gained lasting recognition for ordering the fortress under his command to open fire on the vanguard forces of Operation Weserübung, sinking the 16,000-ton heavy cruiser Blücher.
On 21 November 1903 in Vang Municipality, Eriksen married Christiane Sæhlie (born 1874 in Vang). The married couple had one son and two daughters by 1930.
In 1931 he reached the rank of Oberst (Colonel) and two years later he obtained the position of commander of Oscarsborg Fortress, a position he would hold until that fateful morning of the Battle of Drøbak Sound on 9 April 1940.
By the time of the battle, Eriksen was six months from retirement.
Before his Oscarsborg command Eriksen had commanded the fortresses of Tønsberg, Agdenes Fortress, and Bergen Fortress.
Eriksen was present when Oscarsborg Fortress was returned to the Norwegian military on 12 May 1945, more than five years after it had been surrendered to the Germans, following the battle. Eriksen delivered a speech about the Flag of Norway as the symbol of the fatherland, as the flag that had flown over the fortress until April 1940 was again raised over Oscarsborg.
Both the Investigative Commission of 1945 and the Military Investigative Commission of 1946 confirmed that Eriksen carried out his duties to the full during the German invasion.
The final recognition of Eriksen's efforts, and rebuttal of the early post-war criticisms of some of his actions, took place during the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. On 6 May 1995 King Harald V unveiled a statue of Eriksen on the Borggården square at Oscarsborg's Main Fort, cementing the Colonel's position amongst the foremost Norwegian leaders of the Second World War. The Statue of Colonel Birger Eriksen visitdrobak.no
Eriksen was portrayed by Erik Hivju in the 2016 film The King's Choice, in which the scenes recreating the Battle of Drøbak Sound were filmed on location at Oscarsborg Fortress. He was portrayed by Bjørn Sundquist in the 2025 film The Battle of Oslo. The film was set on 9 April 1940, during the German invasion of Norway, followed Eriksen at Oscarsborg Fortress and the sinking of the German cruiser Blücher.
Military career
After Eriksen graduated from examen artium in 1893, he attended the Technische Hochschule in Charlottenburg (now Technische Universität Berlin), German Empire for three months before returning home. In 1896 he started his military career by graduating from the Norwegian Military Academy. By 1901 he had reached the rank of Kaptein (Captain) in the Norwegian coastal artillery, and by 1915 the rank of Major. In 1915, Eriksen was also made commander of Agdenes Fortress off Trondheim.
(2025). 9788292217030, Sjømilitære Samfund ved Norsk Tidsskrift for Sjøvesen. ISBN 9788292217030
Post–World War II investigations
Although Eriksen was honoured for his efforts after the war, he also came under criticism by governmental investigators who felt he had surrendered his fortress sooner than had been necessary. Eriksen defended himself and stated that he had been acting under enormous pressure and that he had in fact opened fire against the German invaders contrary to standing Norwegian military orders to first fire warning shots at intruders.
Legacy
Birger Eriksen died as a celebrated war hero on 16 July 1958. The funeral service took place at Oslo New Crematorium and the urn with Eriksen's ashes was buried at Drøbak Church. Following a private initiative and the formation of a committee to honour him, Eriksen's ashes were exhumed on 4 October 1977 and moved to the Vår Frelsers gravlund cemetery in Oslo. It is a great honour for a Norwegian to be buried in the Æreslunden there.
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Awards
Categories: 1875 Births, 1958 Deaths, People From Moskenes Municipality, People From Flakstad Municipality, Norwegian Military Academy Alumni, Norwegian Expatriates In Germany, Burials At The Cemetery Of Our Saviour, Officers Of The Legion Of Honour, Norwegian Army Personnel Of World War Ii, Norwegian Prisoners Of War In World War Ii, Recipients Of The Croix De Guerre 1939–1945, World War Ii Prisoners Of War Held By Germany, Recipients Of The War Cross With Sword, Norwegian Colonels
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