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| Summer in Finnmark |
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| The Russian border crossing at Storskig, Norway |
I reached Kirkenes on board the Hurtigruten run Nordnorge, a coastal ferry which offers a superb tourism experience for those who want to explore the island and fjords between Bergen and Kirkenes. The journey up from Tromso, which is deep in the Arctic Circle, held a particular fascination for me. Since exploring the battlefields of Finland's Winter (1939-40) and Continuation Wars (1941-44) I had become increasingly intrigued about the impact of the Second World War on the Baltic states and Scandinavia. Like many others I had a basic of understanding of the disastrous Allied intervention at Narvik, the result of which (amongst other factors) was the occupation of Norway by Germany. I was also aware that following the Red Army's 1944 offensive in Petsamo, Finland, the Soviet's had crossed the border into Norway prior to deprioritising their operations in the Arctic as the race to take Berlin and end the European war entered its' final phase.
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| NATO Radio and Radar Installations at Vardo |
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| Map showing the strategic importance of Finnmark |
Notwithstanding the above, by 1944 Finnmark in Arctic Norway had become a crucial theatre of operations for the German Wehrmacht. It provided a base for actions aimed at the Soviet port of Murmansk and the Allied convoys supplying it. For three years the German 20th Mountain Army Group held defensive positions along the River Litsa on the Kola Peninsular. From the ship I had noticed that virtually all of the communities along the shoreline to the west consisted of relatively new buildings. A visit to the excellent Nordkapp Museum in Honningsvag revealed why this was so. In October 1944 the Red Army launched their Petsamo-Kirkenes Offensive, which pushed the Wehrmacht out of Finland and into Finnmark. The ground assaults were preceded by Soviet bombing raids which forced local civilians to flee, take shelter in caves or avail themselves of underground shelters built by Norwegian contractors under German orders. One such shelter is the vast Andersgrotta in Kirkenes. Now open to the public and reachable during Hurtigruten's four hour stop in the town.
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| The Andersgrotta Shelter in Kirkenes |
The landscaped mound above the shelter is surmounted by a Soviet War memorial and at the time of my visit a local had parked a van in front of it - painted in blue and yellow, the national colours of Ukraine and with the words 'STOP the WAR' painted on the side. Apparently the owner sometimes parked his van outside of the Russian Consulate for variety!
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| Ukraine protest at the Kirkenes Soviet Memorial |
The civilian population was to suffer depravations on a huge scale. The German withdrawal towards Troms in the face of the Red Army's onslaught involved some 200,000 retreating troops. To deny the invading Red Army cover against sub-zero temperatures towns such as Kirkenes, Vardo, Hammerfest and Alta were systematically burnt to the ground. The population of Finnmark was forcibly evacuated - though some chose to face the brutal arctic conditions in hiding. The picture of Hammerfest below shows houses built after the end of the Second World War when those who had been forced out were allowed to return. The postwar reconstruction of Norway remains a source of national pride.
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| Post War Reconstruction in Hammerfest |
The German occupation of Finnmark, and indeed the rest of Norway, had fatal implications for many citizens who were not residing in proximity to the front lines. The Jewish population was relatively small but this did not deter the Gestapo and the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) from implementing Hitler's genocidal policies. Indeed, like many other occupied countries, they were aided by local collaborators - in this instance those acting for Quisling's resume.
The old Gestapo and SD headquarters in Tromso occupies a prime spot in the city centre, overlooking the Cathedral Green. It was a place of horror with a basement full of cells and instruments of torture. Nowadays the building sports a plaque to the Norwegian patriot Karl Rasmussen, who committed suicide by jumping out of a first floor window. Like many of his compatriots Karl, who was from Alto, had risked his life to oppose the German occupation. In the face of torture, and afraid that he might betray his fellow resistance fighters under brutal interrogation he could take no more.
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| Old Gestapo & SD HQ in Tromso, Norway |
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| Stumbling stones marking Nazi victims, Tromso |
One doesn't need to look very far to find further evidence of Nazi atrocities. The Shotland family home was situated across the Cathedral Green, and was visible from the Gestapo headquarters building. Salomon Shotland was deported in 1942 and ended his life in Auschwitz-Birkenau on 11 Feb 1943. The rest of his family were deported in 1943 and his sister Eve and parents Meyer and Rosa were murdered in Auschwitz-Birkenau on 3 March 1943. One can only imagine how they feared the 'knock on the door' whilst witnessing people being bundled in and out of the Gestapo building opposite. The Stolperstein memorial stones have a particular poignancy. Scattered all over Nazi occupied Europe, they mark the homes of people murdered by the Nazis.
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| Main Hall - Lofoten Krigsminne Museum |
There are a number of excellent museums that can be visited from a Hurtigruten ship on their classic 'Coast to Coast' voyage. The Borderlands Museum in Kirkenes is one but my two favourites were the North Cape Museum in Honningsvag and the Lofoten War Museum in Stokmarknes (pictured above). The former is a superbly narrated collection of images and artefacts covering the evacuation of Finnmark, the destruction of the towns and the post-war reconstruction. The latter is a traditional war museum which covers all aspects of the Second World War in Norway. The Lofoten War Museum houses a very extensive collection of uniforms, artefacts and documents. Originally pulled together by a single individual the collection is extremely impressive and well worth a visit. Due to its' proximity to the port, it can be easily covered even though the Hurtigruten ships only stop in Stokmarknes for an hour.
To visit my photo portfolio covering this voyage click here.
To read more thoughts on 'Finland's dilemma, during the Second World War click here.
