Norwegian Professor Sparks Outrage Over Denial of Nazi Death Camps
A University of Bergen history professor has sparked outrage in Norway by writing in a private blog that the Nazis did not establish dedicated extermination camps. The university defended his freedom of speech, while community advocates strongly condemned the remarks.
A history professor at the University of Bergen in Norway has sparked outrage after writing in a personal blog that the Nazis did not establish dedicated extermination camps. The controversy erupted following a report by the higher education journal Khrono, which was based on an article published earlier this month by the Austrian newspaper Der Standard.
Stephan Sander-Faes, an Austrian-born professor who joined the Norwegian university in 2020 and was appointed full professor in 2024, allegedly maintained an English-language blog under a pseudonym. In the posts, he claimed that dedicated death camps did not exist, placed the term "extermination camps" in quotation marks, and responded with "Exactly!" to a commenter who argued that the figure of six million Holocaust victims was exaggerated.
In another post, Sander-Faes referred to a "wealth of lies" regarding the post-World War II era and expressed hope that Western elites would abandon what he termed "horror propaganda associated with the 'Holocaust'." Speaking to the press, the professor strongly rejected the allegations against him, arguing that Der Standard had taken his statements out of context. He emphasized that he published the views as a private individual and categorically rejected any suggestion of sympathy for Nazi ideology.
When asked to clarify specific remarks, Sander-Faes stated that readers are free to interpret his texts as they wish, but the responsibility for that interpretation rests with them rather than the author. Margareth Hagen, president of the University of Bergen, declined to comment on the substance of the statements, emphasizing that freedom of speech applies to all employees and students. Department head Timo Ryman added that the university does not routinely monitor the private statements of its staff.
The remarks drew sharp condemnation from local Jewish community advocates. Ron Elpeleg, an Israeli researcher tracking antisemitism in Norway, called the statements shocking and warned against the resurgence of historical revisionism. Elpeleg noted that the controversy coincides with the upcoming 84th anniversary of the deportation of Norwegian Jews to Auschwitz, following their arrest by local police on November 26.
