Borghild Hammerich
{{Short description|Norwegian activist (1901–1978)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Borghild Hammerich
| image = Borghild og Carl Hammerich.jpg
| caption = Borghild and Carl Hammerich
| image_size =300 px
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date |1901|3|2|df=y}}
| birth_place = Bergen, Norway
| death_date = {{Death date and age |1978|9|8|1901|3|2|df=y}}
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| nationality = Norwegian
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| awards = Order of St. Olav
}}
Borghild Hammerich (2 March 1901 – 8 September 1978) was a Norwegian activist most known for her humanitarian efforts during World War II.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Borghild Hammerich |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |location=Oslo |url=http://www.snl.no/Borghild_Hammerich |language=Norwegian | accessdate=11 July 2010 }}
Biography
Borghild Schmidt was born in Bergen, Norway. She was the daughter of Lauritz Peter Schmidt (1873-1946) and Petra Marie Mortensen (1873-1958). In 1921, she was married to Danish naval officer Carl Hammerich (1888–1945). The couple resided in Copenhagen where he served as an admiral in the Royal Danish Navy.
During World War II, she organized the Danish humanitarian aid to Norway (in {{langx|no|Danskehjelpen}} and in {{langx|da|Norgeshjælpen}}).
This humanitarian effort had been founded on Carl Hammerich's initiative in March 1942. Borghild Hammerich devoted much of her energy and time to Danskehjelp. She also organized shipment of food packs to Norwegian prisoners in German concentration camps.{{cite web|url = https://snl.no/Danskehjelpen |title= Danskehjelpen|publisher=Store norske leksikon |author= Ivar Kraglund|accessdate= February 1, 2018}}{{cite web
|url = http://dansk-norsk.no/om-fondet/norgeshjaelpen/|title= Norgeshjælpen|publisher= Fondet for Dansk-Norsk Samarbejde|accessdate= February 1, 2018}}
Carl Hammerich also continued his participation in the relief work and was arrested by German officials late in the war. He died when the Royal Air Force bombed the Gestapo building in Copenhagen on 21 March 1945 (Operation Carthage).
After the liberation of Denmark and Norway at the end of World War II, Borghild Hammerich served as Secretary-General of the Danish-Norwegian Cooperation Fund (Fondet for dansk-norsk samarbeid).
She married pianist and music professor Robert Riefling (1911-1988) in 1949.{{cite web|url=https://snl.no/Fondet_for_dansk-norsk_samarbeid |title= Fondet for dansk-norsk samarbeid|publisher=Store norske leksikon |author= Jon Gunnar Arntzen|accessdate= February 1, 2018}}{{cite web|url = https://nbl.snl.no/Robert_Riefling |title= Robert Riefling |publisher= Norsk biografisk leksikon |author= Idar Karevold |accessdate= February 1, 2018}}
For her humanitarian efforts, Borghild Hammerich was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree (Doctores philosophiae) from the University of Oslo on September 3, 1945. She was also decorated that same year Commander with Star of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Borghild Hammerich Riefling |encyclopedia=Norsk biografisk leksikon|first=Berit |last=Nøkleby |authorlink=Berit Nøkleby |editor=Helle, Knut |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |location=Oslo|url=http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Borghild_Hammerich_Riefling/utdypning |language=Norwegian|accessdate=11 July 2010}}{{cite encyclopedia |first=Guri |last=Hjeltnes |authorlink=Guri Hjeltnes | encyclopedia=Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45 |title=Hammerich, Borghild |language=Norwegian |editor=Dahl |editor2=Hjeltnes |editor3=Nøkleby |editor4=Ringdal |editor5=Sørensen |url= |accessdate=|year=1995 |publisher=Cappelen |location=Oslo |isbn=82-02-14138-9 |page=154 }}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
Other sources
- Mürer, Niels Jørgen (1947) [https://www.nb.no/nbsok/nb/f6055dda1c0a9268a850e8ce020bcf34 Boken om Danskehjelpen] (Oslo : Gyldendal Norsk Forlag)
External links
- [http://dansk-norsk.no/Fondet for dansk-norsk samarbeid website]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hammerich, Borghild}}
Category:Norwegian emigrants to Denmark
Category:Norwegian women in World War II
Category:Norwegian people of World War II
Category:Women nonprofit executives