- Dette innlegget er også tilgjengelig på norsk.
On July 19th Christian Rieber celebrated his 100th birthday. As our oldest donor and supporter, he carries with him the experience of World War II and a steadfast belief in standing up for what’s right. Now, at a time when Europe once again faces the threat of authoritarianism, he continues to support Ukraine with a deep faith in the power of collective action.
– When the story of this war is told, certain names will stand out — people who didn’t just believe, but acted. They are people of integrity, like Christian Rieber and his family. They’ve used their voices and resources to show what kind of world they want to live in,” says Natalia Golis, Secretary General of Fritt Ukraina.
On behalf of everyone at Fritt Ukraina, our partners on the ground, and the soldiers fighting for Europe’s freedom, Peter and I want to sincerely thank you for your support, your courage, and most of all, your unwavering commitment. Happy 100th birthday Christian!
From a Norwegian WWII resistance unit to Ukraine´s front line
Rieber was born in 1925 in the aftermath of the First World War. During the German occupation of Norway, he was one of the youngest members of Fanakompaniet, a MILORG resistance unit connected to a local sports team. The group operated in secret distributing underground newspapers, training, and helped arrest Nazis when liberation came. Today he is the last surviving member of that unit.
Also read: Too young to enlist—now he leads Ukraine’s fastest-growing defense cluster
That’s why he follows the war in Ukraine with such keen attention today.
– It’s the same kind of authoritarian regime we stood up against back then, he says.
Those fighting for Ukraine today are fighting for exactly what we fought for. The right to decide their own future.
Doing more than hoping for the best
After the war Rieber became a central figure in Norwegian private sector and philanthropy. But it’s neither the positions nor the honors that stand out as most important. That´s his will to contribute to the common good
Rieber and his son, Paul Christian Rieber, are among Fritt Ukraina’s most dedicated donors and supporters. They have helped fund the development of a drone built in Ukraine, named Bergen in honour of Rieber’s hometown, and as a gesture of thanks to Fritt Ukraina. The drone is operated by Ukraine’s 12th Special Purpose Forces and has already been seen in active use on the front lines, where it successfully takes out Russian surveillance drones.
Photo: Fritt Ukraina
Also see: Video of the Bergen Drone.
Earlier this year Ukrainian brigade commander Yehor Soboliev visited Bergen. He called the Bergen drones “the new bullets.” Together with Christian and Paul Christian Rieber, he shared firsthand accounts from the frontlines where innovation and civilian courage often decide who lives and who doesn’t.
Also see: Interview with Yehor Soboliev.
We build freedom together
Nearly 70 years and a world war separated them, but in their conversation something deeply familiar emerged. The understanding that freedom is never guaranteed and never defended alone.
– When the war ended, we felt like we could move mountains, Rieber says. Today, we’ve become more self-centred. That worries me. Freedom must never be taken for granted.
Rieber carries a hundred years of life filled with memories, trials, and wisdom. Yet his gaze remains firmly fixed on the future. On those now fighting for the very same values he and his comrades once stood for.
He reminds us that new crises will always come and that freedom is never permanent. It must be fought for again and again, generation after generation. But he also leaves us with something important. That our strength lies in one another. It is community that gives us the courage to resist.