Espeland is the only fully preserved German prison camp left in Norway. During the occupation, over 600 camps were built across the country; when the war ended, almost all were torn down. This one survived.
The Germans built the camp from 1942 in the hills east of Bergen. More than 2,000 prisoners passed through here, mainly Norwegian resistance fighters and their supporters. The camp's 14 buildings, barbed wire fences, and watchtowers still stand. After liberation in 1945, the tables turned: Norwegian collaborators and German prisoners of war were interned in the same barracks.
Today the camp serves as a memorial and education centre, with a particular focus on school groups. The Lenken Foundation, which manages the site, also runs the Gestapo Museum in Bergen city centre.
The Germans built the camp from 1942 in the hills east of Bergen. More than 2,000 prisoners passed through here, mainly Norwegian resistance fighters and their supporters. The camp's 14 buildings, barbed wire fences, and watchtowers still stand. After liberation in 1945, the tables turned: Norwegian collaborators and German prisoners of war were interned in the same barracks.
Today the camp serves as a memorial and education centre, with a particular focus on school groups. The Lenken Foundation, which manages the site, also runs the Gestapo Museum in Bergen city centre.
