Ragna Prag-Magelssen: Head of Culture and Education in the NS Women's Organization

Family and background

Ragna Prag-Magelssen was the daughter of the manager at Ådal's farm in Løten, Mathias (Maths) Pedersen and his wife Gunhild Olsen. She was the aunt of the architect Rolf Prag. Ragna and several other family members changed their surname to Prag sometime before 1915. On 16 March 1916, she was married in Hamar to dentist Johannes Magelssen.

Prag Magelssen became interested in politics and women's issues early on. Before she joined NS, she was active in the Conservative Women's Association and local council leader in the Norwegian Women's National Council. From 1928 to 1938 she was also head of animal protection in Hamar and deputy member of the board of the Norwegian Animal Protection Association.

Nasjonal Samling

Ragna Prag Magelssen was a prominent leader in the National Organization of Women's Organization (NSK). She joined the Nasjonal Samling (NS) in 1933, and stood in the parliamentary elections for NS the same year. From 1935 until the German capitulation in 1945, she held a number of central positions in the party and its women's organisation, and was active as a writer and speaker.

As national leader in the Culture and Education Department, it was Prag Magelssen's task to educate Norwegian women in National Socialist ideology and in Norwegian history, culture and art. The goal for NSK was to recruit "racially aware, self-sacrificing and patriotic women" (Olga Bjoner in Fritt Folk 17.5.1944). She held courses for women of trust around the country, wrote articles in Fritt Folk og Heim og Ætt and edited and wrote in the article collection Ogs vi ngan det blir krevet... (1942).

Prag Magelssen fully shared NSK's view of women. According to this, Norwegian women should be strong and independent and participate fully in home and community life. At the same time, motherhood was the woman's "holiest calling".

National treason case and judgment

In the treason case against Ragna Prag Magelssen after the Second World War, it emerged that she had drawn up guidelines for the Nasjonal Samling's control over the non-political women's organisations. Her proposal was initially to get two NS women onto the associations' boards. If the associations later did not want to be ruled by the National Socialists, they had to be "put outside".

On 18 June 1941, shop stewards for a number of non-political associations were called to a meeting in the Storting. Some organizations were dissolved on the spot, others got NS members on the board. In the Norwegian Women's National Council (NKN), Gunvor Haagensen was placed as "commissary" leader. Ragna Prag Magelssen was present, went through protocols and other material, and ensured that the organisation's funds and material were seized. Soon after, NKN's board resigned. The local councils dissolved themselves.

Ragna Prag Magelssen was sentenced to three years and three months in prison and loss of rights. Custody was to be withdrawn from the sentence. The basis for the indictment was assistance to the enemy through positions in NS and NSK after 9 April 1940, as well as propaganda activities for the "new order" under National Socialist rule. In addition came the takeover of the women's organizations and in particular the dissolution of NKN with the organisation's funds and material. During the trial, cases of whistleblowing were also pointed out.

Prag Magelssen was in custody at Bredtvet from May 1945 to December 1946, and was then able to return home. In December 1948, on application, she was pardoned from the remainder of her sentence because she was 68 years old and sickly.