| Max Hermansen | |
| Birth Name: | Max Jarl Hermansen |
| Birth Date: | 1960 5, df=yes |
| Nationality: | Norwegian |
| Occupation: | Activist, former schoolteacher, author and military officer |
| Organisation: | Stop Islamisation of Norway |
| Known For: | Founder of Pegida Norway |
Max Jarl Hermansen (born 30 May 1960) is a Norwegian anti-Muslim activist, former schoolteacher and military officer. He has written books about military history, and became known in 2015 as the founder and leader of Pegida Norway.[1]
Hermansen grew up as a military brat in Northern Norway.[2] He later received hovedfag, equivalent to master's degree, in history,[3] and was a naval military officer in the Royal Norwegian Navy, retiring at the rank of orlogskaptein, equivalent to lieutenant commander, in the Norwegian High Command.[4] [5] He was the publisher of the naval military publishing company Sjømilitære Samfund from 2008, until he was forced to resign in 2013 due to his vocal opposition to the Norwegian monarchy.[1] [6] He was also a teacher at Sogn Upper Secondary School, and was then described as "Norway's most active republican".[7] In 2014 he became teacher in social studies at Kuben Upper Secondary School and Etterstad Upper Secondary School, but was replaced after a short time following complaints from students due to his views on Islam.[3]
In January 2015, Hermansen gained much media attention for leading a march of 200 people in Oslo against Muslim immigration, inspired by the German Pegida movement.[8] [9] [10] [11] Later the same month, it was announced that he was no longer wanted at his part-time job as teacher at the Oslo Training Office for Service and Transport, due to his "statements and views on Islam".[12] He resigned his position as teacher in early 2016 after a deal with the Oslo education agency, with a final agreement of 1,2 million kr while being banned from applying to teacher positions for five years.[13] Hermansen also ran a used bookstore in Grünerløkka, which he closed in February 2015 after it was vandalised with grafitti.[14]
Hermansen was formerly active in the minor Democrats political party, and was its top candidate for the parliamentary election in Oslo in 2017.[15] He was however expelled from the party in 2019, after new statutes disallowed members who were also active in far-right activist organisations.[16] After Pegida failed to take lasting hold in Norway, with rapidly decreasing numbers of participants[17] [18] despite numerous demonstrations,[1] he has later been an activist of Stop Islamisation of Norway (SIAN).[19]