The Real Max Manus

Max Manus lived a most unusual and exciting life. He left Norway at the age of 14 and spent several years in South America. In 1940 he volunteered to fight the Winter War in Finland, returning home when Germany invaded Norway. He fought in the Southern Norwegian campaign, and when the Norwegians surrendered in June of 1940 he immediately became involved in the resistance.

Max Manus’ most famous achievement was probably sinking the infamous cargo ship Donau outside Drobak in the winter of 1945, but he also participated in a number of other important sabotage campaigns. Along with Gunnar Sonsteby and Gregers Gram he blew up the Employment Office’s archive in central Oslo. This took place in broad daylight, and was to keep the Nazis from mobilising young Norwegian men to send to the Eastern Front.

During the liberation Max Manus was a personal protection officer for the then Crown Prince Olav upon his return to Oslo, and for King Haakon VII when the rest of the royal family returned on June 7, 1945.