Axel Heiberg Stang

Axel Heiberg Stang (21 February 1904 – 11 October 1974) was a Norwegian landowner and forester who served as a councillor of state, and later a minister, in the Nasjonal Samling government of Vidkun Quisling.

Early life and career He was born in Kristiania into two of Norway's most wealthy and politically-influential families, with large estates. His father Ole A. Stang was a businessman and landowner, while his mother Emma Heiberg was a trusted confidante and mistress of Queen Maud. His brother was Thomas Stang, and thus Axel was brother-in-law to actress Wenche Foss and uncle to the former mayor of Oslo Fabian Stang.

Political life Stang first joined the Nasjonal Samling (NS) in 1933 and served as district leader in Glåmdal, although he was largely a minor figure before World War II. After the invasion of Norway in April 1940 he was put in joint charge of the NS political staff with Ragnar Skancke. In this role he passed a law making service in the Arbeidstjenesten (modeled after the German Reichsarbeitsdienst) compulsory in 1941. He also made service of all children in the "NSUF" (modeled after the Hitlerjugend) compulsory; this proved a disaster as it infuriated the population and was later scrapped altogether. His attempts to force all sports clubs to join the Nasjonal Samling Sports Organisation similarly proved a failure, leading to an almost total boycott of organised sport for the duration of the occupation.

Whilst continuing as a minister, he enrolled in the SS Division Nordland, and won the Iron Cross Second Class after seeing action in the Balkans. He also served eight weeks at the Eastern Front in Finland during the summer of 1941.