Born in north Norway, the engineer Arne Normann agreed to his wife Agnes’s suggestion to take in a Jewish refugee child from Slovakia. In October 1939, nine-year-old Edgar Brichta came to live with them in Laksevåg. To begin with, he talked mainly to Arne, who spoke good German.
After the Wehrmacht invaded the port town of Bergen on April 9, 1940, Arne Normann volunteered for the army. He was disappointed by the resistance the troops offered the Germans, and remained in the armed forces for less than four weeks.
In August 1940 Arne Normann joined the fascist Nasjonal Samling party (NS). Since there were only few NS members in Laksevåg, he was asked to stand for election as local mayor. He initially refused but then accepted the post. He did not betray his Jewish foster son.
In May 1947, Arne Normann was tried for treason and sentenced to five and a half years in prison. He was released on probation in July 1948.