Unveiling the erling solheim letter: Context, Meaning, and Legacy

In the early 1940s during the German occupation of Norway, the erling solheim letter emerged as one of the most chilling betrayals of the Norwegian Resistance. The erling solheim letter was an intercepted communication sent by Erling Solheim to the German-controlled state police (the Gestapo/Statspolitiet), offering to identify the famed resistance operative Gunnar Sønsteby and his network. This single act triggered a lethal chain of events and continues to fascinate historians and movie-goers alike.

Here we’ll dive into the full context of the erling solheim letter, decode its meaning, and trace its legacy nearly 80 years later.

1. Historical Context: Norway under Occupation

1.1 Norway in World War II

When Nazi Germany invaded Norway in April 1940, the country was thrust into occupation. Resistance efforts soon formed under immense pressure and threat. Meanwhile, collaboration and betrayal became painful realities.

1.2 Who was Erling Solheim and what was his role?

• Erling Solheim was born 2 January 1919 in Søndeled, Aust-Agder, Norway.
• In the film Number 24 (2024) which dramatizes the story of Gunnar Sønsteby, Solheim appears as a childhood friend of Sønsteby who later writes a letter to the Gestapo offering to identify him.
• According to the script breakdown, the Home Front Museum of Norway holds a copy of the letter Solheim sent.

1.3 The Resistance, the Gestapo and the letter

• As the Norwegian Resistance grew bolder, the Nazi apparatus (including the Gestapo and Norwegian collaborators) intensified efforts to root them out.
• In the film script, the letter begins: “What was his name? Erling Solheim. We’ve received a letter. … The sender offers information that could lead to your capture… The letter names you and many you know. He’s offering to identify you.”
• That letter became the “erling solheim letter” — a symbol of betrayal, but also of the moral complexity of wartime choices.

2. Decoding the Letter: Meaning and Implications

2.1 What did the letter say?

While the full original text of the erling solheim letter isn’t publicly reproduced in full in academic sources (to the best of my research), the film-script suggests key points:

• Solheim offers to identify resistance members (including Sønsteby) to the State Police.
• He requests a travel permit to Oslo from the state police so he can come “immediately.”
• He indicates dissatisfaction with his situation (“Solheim is currently unemployed… must be why he does it.”) in the script.

2.2 Why was it significant?

• Betrayal of a friend: Solheim and Sønsteby were childhood friends. The letter thus carries the weight of personal betrayal.
• Operational threat: By offering to provide identifying information, Solheim endangered the Resistance network and placed Sønsteby and others at risk.
• Moral quicksand: The Resistance faced hard decisions: a letter like this could not be ignored without risking hundreds of lives. As one reviewer of the film notes: “the death of Gunnar’s childhood friend Erling Solheim is one of the most important events… Erling … betrays him by writing a letter … Because of this betrayal, Gunnar and his resistance group have to make a hard choice: they have to kill Erling to protect the resistance and keep fighting the Nazis.”

2.3 What followed the letter?

Using the film’s depiction and historical commentary:

• The letter was intercepted by the resistance.
• A directive emerges: Solheim must disappear before he contacts the Gestapo again.
• The implication: the resistance orchestrated or ordered his elimination in order to safeguard operations.
• Long-term impact: The event haunted Sønsteby and formed a core memory he would revisit decades later.

3. Legacy of the erling solheim letter

3.1 Memory and Narrative

• The erling solheim letter features in popular culture (e.g., the movie Number 24) as a symbol of wartime complexity.
• In the film, the older Sønsteby speaks of “five drawers in my mind… I closed the bottom drawer on 8 May 1945 and haven’t opened it since.” That drawer holds memories like Solheim’s betrayal.
• Museums like Norway’s Home Front Museum hold a copy of the actual letter, pointing to its historical importance.

3.2 Ethical reflection and teaching

• The letter raises deep questions: how do you treat someone close who betrays you during war? How far can a resistance go to protect itself?
• It is used as a case study in how betrayal from within (rather than enemy soldiers) can be the most painful.

3.3 Continued research interest

• Historians of Norwegian WWII resistance continue to debate how much agency actors like Solheim had, what drove them to betray, and how resistance movements responded.
• The letter is used as a source point for publications, museums, and educational content.

4. Key Questions Answered (FAQ style)

Q: What exactly is the erling solheim letter?

A: It is a document sent by Erling Solheim during the Nazi occupation of Norway, in which he offered to identify Gunnar Sønsteby and others in the Resistance to the state police (Gestapo/Statspolitiet).

Q: Was Solheim punished for his actions?

A: According to the film and supporting sources, Solheim was targeted by the Resistance following the letter — the script states: “Solheim must disappear before he tries to contact the Gestapo again. Historical archival verification beyond the film version is less detailed in publicly accessible sources.

Q: Why is this letter important today?

A: The erling solheim letter encapsulates the harsh realities of occupation: trust betrayed, moral compromise, the weight of resistance decisions, and enduring guilt. It also serves as a powerful narrative tool in cinema and education.

Q: Did the Resistance always kill traitors like Solheim?

A: The historical record indicates that resistance groups did undertake targeted killings of collaborators or those deemed immediate threats (in extremely dangerous conditions). The film Number 24 presents one such case. Real-world historians note the murky ethical environment these operations occurred in.

Q: What can modern readers learn from this story?

• The complexity of human relationships under pressure — heroes and friends can become adversaries.
• The harsh realities of resistance movements: not simply black and white, but grey zones.
• The long-term psychological toll of war, betrayal, and violence (e.g., Sønsteby’s “five drawers”).

5. Timeline of Key Events

6. Actionable Insights & Real-World Application

• For educators: Use the erling solheim letter as a primary case in curriculum on WWII resistance, exploring themes like betrayal, ethics, survival.
• For writers/journalists: Reference the erling solheim letter when discussing modern concepts of whistle-blowing, betrayal within organizations, ethical boundaries in conflict.
• For history enthusiasts: Visit the Home Front Museum (Oslo) to view documents like the letter.
• For filmmakers/creators: The story shows how one document (the letter) can anchor a narrative of friendship, betrayal, war, guilt and resolution.

7. Conclusion

The erling solheim letter remains a haunting testament to one of history’s most complex eras. It reminds us that war’s brutality is not only external but often internal — among friends, neighbours, even ourselves. The letter’s ripple effects — moral, psychological, societal — continue to resonate. As we reflect on it, we see not just a piece of paper, but a story of trust lost, the cost of freedom, and how memory endures long after bullets have stopped flying.

Whether seen in historical archives or dramatized on screen, the erling solheim letter invites us to ask: What would I have done? What are the boundaries of loyalty, and how do we live with the decisions that followed?