Educational purpose only. This post documents historical events related to World War II and condemns the Nazi regime, war crimes, and all totalitarian ideologies. We do not glorify violence or hate.
Execution of the Nazi Gestapo Agent Who Killed Hundreds: The Betrayal and Fall of Henry Rinnan
Henry Rinnan was one of the most notorious collaborators in occupied Norway during World War II. While many Norwegians joined the resistance, Rinnan chose a different path — one that led to betrayal, severe mistreatment, and the destruction of entire resistance networks. Born in 1915 in Levanger, Rinnan came from a modest background and struggled to find stability in civilian life. After Nazi Germany invaded Norway in April 1940, he was recruited by the Gestapo and quickly proved himself useful.
This documentary explores the life of Henry Rinnan, the methods of the Rinnan Gang, and the devastating impact of collaboration under Nazi occupation — one of the darkest chapters in Norwegian wartime history.
1. The Making of a Traitor: From Levanger to the Gestapo
Henry Oliver Rinnan was born on 14 May 1915 in Levanger, Norway. He grew up in a working-class family and worked in various jobs, including as a furrier’s apprentice, a salesman, and a furniture dealer. His early life was marked by instability and a sense of failure, which some historians believe contributed to his willingness to collaborate with the occupiers.
After the German invasion of Norway on 9 April 1940, Rinnan initially joined the Norwegian resistance. However, in early 1941, he was recruited by the Gestapo in Trondheim and quickly proved his value to the German security police. His assignment was to infiltrate resistance networks and betray their members — a task he pursued with ruthless efficiency.
2. The Rinnan Gang: Methods of Terror
By 1942, Rinnan led a group of informants known as Sonderabteilung Lola — later infamous as the Rinnan Gang . Operating mainly in Trondheim, the group specialized in provocation tactics, creating fake resistance cells to lure genuine patriots into revealing themselves.
Once victims were identified, they were arrested, subjected to interrogations at Rinnan’s headquarters on Jonsvannsveien in Trondheim, and then deported to German concentration camps or executed. The methods used by Rinnan and his gang included psychological manipulation, severe mistreatment, and systematic betrayal.
Rinnan worked closely with the Gestapo and SS, enjoying near-total impunity. His activities are linked to the arrest of hundreds of resistance members and the deaths of at least 80 people, though the real number may be higher.
3. The Violence Within: Rinnan’s Murder of His Own Gang
Even his own collaborators were not safe. Toward the end of the war, Rinnan murdered members of his gang whom he suspected of betrayal or personal disloyalty. His paranoia grew as the war turned against Germany, and he became increasingly willing to eliminate anyone he perceived as a threat — including those who had worked alongside him for years.
4. Capture, Trial, and Execution
After Germany’s surrender in May 1945, Henry Rinnan attempted to flee but was captured. He was arrested by Norwegian police on 8 May 1945, just hours after the German capitulation.
From 1946 to 1947, Rinnan stood trial before the Trondheim Court of Assizes . He was charged with treason and murder . The evidence was overwhelming: testimonies from survivors, documentation of his collaboration, and proof of his direct involvement in severe mistreatment and executions.
On 24 September 1946, Rinnan was sentenced to death for treason, murder, and his systematic betrayal of the Norwegian resistance movement. His appeal was rejected, and on 1 February 1947, the sentence was carried out by firing squad .
Rinnan was the last person to be executed in Norway. After his death, his family sought to have him buried in consecrated ground, but the request was refused by the Bishop of Nidaros.
5. The Legacy of a Traitor
Today, Henry Rinnan’s name remains synonymous with betrayal in Norway. His story is a chilling reminder of the moral choices forced upon individuals during times of occupation — and the devastating consequences of choosing self-interest over loyalty to one’s country and fellow citizens.
The Rinnan Gang’s headquarters in Trondheim still exists and has become a site of historical memory. The building serves as a reminder of the brutality of the occupation and the price of collaboration.
Primary Sources:
Wikipedia — Henry Rinnan
Store Norske Leksikon — Henry Rinnan
National Archives of Norway — Trial Records of Henry Rinnan
Trondheim Historical Museum — Exhibitions on the Rinnan Gang
Historical studies on the Nazi occupation of Norway (1940–1945)