Espeland concentration camp
Encyclopedia
Espeland concentration camp was established in Arna
, Norway
, now a part of Bergen
, by the Nazi authorities of occupied Norway
in the summer of 1943. It was largely built by slave labor from the other concentration camp
near Bergen, Ulven concentration camp
. All prisoners from Ulven were transferred to this camp, which quickly became overcrowded.
Prisoners were mistreated and often brutalized, and the camp had a separate section for chain gang
s and prisoners who were kept in solitary confinement
. When liberated in 1945, there were 200 prisoners at Espeland.
After the war it was used for prisoners with relations to the now-succumbed Nazi rule. According to Kjell Fjørtoft
, abuse occurred in the camp.
Arna, Norway
Arna is a borough and suburb of Bergen, Norway and a former municipality in Hordaland county.Arna has approximately 12,000 inhabitants. Situated behind mount Ulriken, Arna is geographically close to downtown Bergen, but it takes some time to drive there by road as there is no road tunnel as of yet....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, now a part of Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, by the Nazi authorities of occupied Norway
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
in the summer of 1943. It was largely built by slave labor from the other concentration camp
Nazi concentration camps in Norway
During the German occupation of Norway in World War II the civilian occupying authorities with the Quisling regime and the German Wehrmacht operated a number of camps in Norway...
near Bergen, Ulven concentration camp
Ulven concentration camp
Ulven concentration camp was established by the Nazi administration of occupied Norway in Os, Hordaland in June 1940, and was the first of its kind in Norway...
. All prisoners from Ulven were transferred to this camp, which quickly became overcrowded.
Prisoners were mistreated and often brutalized, and the camp had a separate section for chain gang
Chain gang
A chain gang is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work, such as mining or timber collecting, as a form of punishment. Such punishment might include building roads, digging ditches or chipping stone...
s and prisoners who were kept in solitary confinement
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
. When liberated in 1945, there were 200 prisoners at Espeland.
After the war it was used for prisoners with relations to the now-succumbed Nazi rule. According to Kjell Fjørtoft
Kjell Fjørtoft
Kjell Fjørtoft was a Norwegian journalist, non-fiction writer, photographer and film maker, born in Tromsø.Fjørtoft wrote books about themes such as World War II, espionage and hunters. Among his books are Spionfamilien from 1986, about the convicted spy Selmer Nilsen and his family...
, abuse occurred in the camp.