Karl Meyer (businessman)

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Karl Meyer

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[edit]

  1. ^ "Anmeldte dødsfall". Aftenposten. 23 December 1971. p. 11. Fhv. kjøpmann Karl Meyer f. 1888
  2. ^ "Dødsfall". Aftenposten. 21 December 1971. p. 16.
  3. ^ a b c d Helle, Idar (26 September 2015). "Fascisme i sirkusteltet". Klassekampen (in Norwegian).
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ a b c d Hølaas, Odd (1957). Norge under Haakon VII 1905-1957. Cappelen. pp. 192, 293, 329.

Further reading[edit]