Falstad concentration camp
Encyclopedia
Falstad concentration camp was a prison camp
in the village of Ekne
in what was the municipality of Skogn
(now in the municipality of Levanger
) in Nord-Trøndelag
county, Norway
. It was used mostly for political prisoner
s from Nazi
-occupied territories.
for boys at Falstad was founded as part of the general movement in Europe generally and Norway in particular to reform the penal system, especially for children. Prison director Anders Daae
took the initiative to founding a private institution in Trøndelag
, to be modeled after similar schools in Europe. He raised funds primarily through the Trondhjems Brændevinssamlag (Trondheim liquor cooperative) and Trondhjems Sparebank (Trondheim Savings Bank) and acquired the farm known as Nedre Falstad for in 1895, along with the farm buildings. It was explicitly founded to serve the needs of "misguided" rather than criminal youth through education, labor, and a "Christian spirit."
The main building burned down the same year the institution was founded. New buildings were constructed, and in 1910, the Norwegian government took over the operations of the school. In 1921, the buildings again burned down, and the new brick buildings that followed were based on 19th century prison designs, with a courtyard in the middle of a rectangular building
Nazi German authorities first visited Falstad in August 1941 with the hope of making it a center for the Lebensborn
program in Norway, but found it unsuitable for this use. However, they quickly decided to put it to use as a prison camp in September 1941. The inhabitants of Ekne
were put under severe restrictions, and the first prisoners—about 170 Danes
who had volunteered and then reneged to be part of Organisation Todt
. The Danish inmates spent three months in the camp, using the time to start construction of the barbed wire
fence and watch towers.
Within the command structure of the German occupying authorities in Norway, Falstad sorted under the civilian authority of Reichskommissar
Josef Terboven
through Wilhelm Rediess
, who was in charge of all German police, including SS and Gestapo
, and Heinrich Fehlis
, who was "Befehlshaber der Sicherheitspolizei und des Sicherheitsdienst," conveniently abbreviated to BdS. For reasons that remain unclear, Falstad was part of the Fifth Section, known as "Kriminalpolizei," criminal police. For all practical purposes, however, Falstad became the personal prison for Gerhard Flesch
, who was the leader of regional Einsatzkommando
V, with the title KdS Drontheim.
The camp inmate population steadily grew, new buildings were erected. Prison barracks were built south east of the main building, utility buildings were built around the center, and the commander's quarters were built just on the other side of the river. In all, the grounds were monitored from three watchtowers .
The camp authorities burned what documents they could before the liberation in 1945, but it is estimated that at least 4,500 prisoners passed through Falstad. Citizens of at least 13 countries were among these prisoners. Though the camp was intended for political prisoners, several thousand prisoners of war were kept there. Most of these were sent to other camps in Germany or Poland, or to Grini, in Norway.
The camp also became notorious for its use as a transit camp for deportation of Norwegian Jews
to Auschwitz. Forty-seven Jewish men were imprisoned at Falstad at one point or another. One, Ephraim Wolff Koritzinsky, died of cancer at Levanger Hospital
on 15 May 1942. At least eight were murdered at Falstad.
The main characteristic of the camp was forced, hard, and largely meaningless labor. Degradations and abuse were commonplace, particularly under the administration of SS-Hauptscharführer Gogol and Edward F. Lambrecht, a prison guard known among the prisoners as Gråbein (Grayleg)—an appellation used in reference to wolves.
s of political and Jewish prisoners.
The first executions took place on 7 March 1942, when Olav Sverre Benjaminsen, Abel Lazar Bernstein, David Isaksen, Wulf Isaksen, and David Wolfsohn were shot. All of these, except Benjaminsen, were Jewish. In June 1942, Ljuban Vukovic, a Yugoslavian
prisoner of war, was made the first grave digger for the forest. He survived and became an important witness in the post-war trials.
On 6 October 1942, the Nazi authorities imposed martial law
on sections of central Norway, and at least 170 non-Norwegian prisoners and 34 Norwegian political prisoners were executed in the forest (Falstadskogen) just south of Falstad.
On 13 November 1942, Moritz Abrahamsen, Kalman Glick, and Herman Schidorsky, all Jewish, were executed. On 16 February 1943, Toralf Berg—a resistance fighter—was executed. During the summer of 1943, a change in the command of the camp led to improved conditions for the remaining prisoners.
Throughout all this, more than 150 unnamed prisoners of war were also shot in the forest. During 4-5 May 1945, the camp authorities sought to exhume and hide the bodies of their victims, sinking about 25 in the fjord
near the camp.
Efforts to find, exhume, identify, and bury the victims are ongoing. The original estimate of 202 dead is considered low.
Much research remains to be done to uncover the specifics and nature of Nazi atrocities committed at Falstad.
Prison camp
Prison camp may be:* Concentration or internment camp* Federal prison camp, low-security facility among those on list of U.S. federal prisons* Labor camp* Death or extermination camp* Prisoner-of-war camp...
in the village of Ekne
Ekne
Ekne is a village in the municipality of Levanger in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located west of Skogn and about southwest of the town of Levanger. The lakes Sønningen and Byavatnet lie south of the village. The village has a population of 240. The population density of the village...
in what was the municipality of Skogn
Skogn
Skogn is a village and former municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Levanger. It is home to the Fiborgtangen industrial area.The village of Skogn is located about southwest of the town of Levanger...
(now in the municipality of Levanger
Levanger
Levanger is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherred region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Levanger...
) in Nord-Trøndelag
Nord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
county, 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...
. It was used mostly for political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s from Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
-occupied territories.
Falstad boarding school
The boarding schoolBoarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for boys at Falstad was founded as part of the general movement in Europe generally and Norway in particular to reform the penal system, especially for children. Prison director Anders Daae
Anders Daae
Anders Daae was a Norwegian prison director.-Personal life:He was born in Bergen a son of vicar Hans Daae and his wife Anne Johanne Christie. He was a brother of customs inspector Iver Munthe Daae...
took the initiative to founding a private institution in Trøndelag
Trøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
, to be modeled after similar schools in Europe. He raised funds primarily through the Trondhjems Brændevinssamlag (Trondheim liquor cooperative) and Trondhjems Sparebank (Trondheim Savings Bank) and acquired the farm known as Nedre Falstad for in 1895, along with the farm buildings. It was explicitly founded to serve the needs of "misguided" rather than criminal youth through education, labor, and a "Christian spirit."
The main building burned down the same year the institution was founded. New buildings were constructed, and in 1910, the Norwegian government took over the operations of the school. In 1921, the buildings again burned down, and the new brick buildings that followed were based on 19th century prison designs, with a courtyard in the middle of a rectangular building
Use as prison camp
Lebensborn
Lebensborn was a Nazi programme set up by SS leader Heinrich Himmler that provided maternity homes and financial assistance to the wives of SS members and to unmarried mothers, and also ran orphanages and relocation programmes for children.Initially set up in Germany in 1935, Lebensborn expanded...
program in Norway, but found it unsuitable for this use. However, they quickly decided to put it to use as a prison camp in September 1941. The inhabitants of Ekne
Ekne
Ekne is a village in the municipality of Levanger in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located west of Skogn and about southwest of the town of Levanger. The lakes Sønningen and Byavatnet lie south of the village. The village has a population of 240. The population density of the village...
were put under severe restrictions, and the first prisoners—about 170 Danes
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
who had volunteered and then reneged to be part of Organisation Todt
Organisation Todt
The Todt Organisation, was a Third Reich civil and military engineering group in Germany named after its founder, Fritz Todt, an engineer and senior Nazi figure...
. The Danish inmates spent three months in the camp, using the time to start construction of the barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
fence and watch towers.
Within the command structure of the German occupying authorities in Norway, Falstad sorted under the civilian authority of Reichskommissar
Reichskommissar
Reichskommissar , in German history, was an official gubernatorial title used for various public offices during the period of the German Empire and the Nazi Third Reich....
Josef Terboven
Josef Terboven
Josef Antonius Heinrich Terboven was a Nazi leader, best known as the Reichskommissar during the German occupation of Norway.-Early life:...
through Wilhelm Rediess
Wilhelm Rediess
Wilhelm Rediess was the SS and Police Leader during the German occupation of Norway in the Second World War. He was also the commanding General of all SS troops stationed in occupied Norway, assuming command on 22 June 1940 until his death in 1945.- Early life :Rediess was born in Heinsberg,...
, who was in charge of all German police, including SS and Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
, and Heinrich Fehlis
Heinrich Fehlis
Heinrich Fehlis was an SS officer during World War II, most noted for his command of the Sicherheitspolizei and Sicherheitsdienst in Norway during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany....
, who was "Befehlshaber der Sicherheitspolizei und des Sicherheitsdienst," conveniently abbreviated to BdS. For reasons that remain unclear, Falstad was part of the Fifth Section, known as "Kriminalpolizei," criminal police. For all practical purposes, however, Falstad became the personal prison for Gerhard Flesch
Gerhard Flesch
Gerhard Friedrich Ernst Flesch was a German Nazi executed for war crimes, specifically the torture and murder of members of the Norwegian resistance movement....
, who was the leader of regional Einsatzkommando
Einsatzkommando
During World War II, the Nazi German Einsatzkommandos were a sub-group of five Einsatzgruppen mobile killing squads—up to 3,000 men each—usually composed of 500-1,000 functionaries of the SS and Gestapo, whose mission was to kill Jews, Romani, communists and the NKVD collaborators in the captured...
V, with the title KdS Drontheim.
The camp inmate population steadily grew, new buildings were erected. Prison barracks were built south east of the main building, utility buildings were built around the center, and the commander's quarters were built just on the other side of the river. In all, the grounds were monitored from three watchtowers .
The camp authorities burned what documents they could before the liberation in 1945, but it is estimated that at least 4,500 prisoners passed through Falstad. Citizens of at least 13 countries were among these prisoners. Though the camp was intended for political prisoners, several thousand prisoners of war were kept there. Most of these were sent to other camps in Germany or Poland, or to Grini, in Norway.
The camp also became notorious for its use as a transit camp for deportation of Norwegian Jews
Jews in Norway
The Jews in Norway are one of the country's smallest ethnic and religious minorities. The largest synagogue is in Oslo. A smaller synagogue in Trondheim is often claimed, erroneously, to be the world's northernmost synagogue...
to Auschwitz. Forty-seven Jewish men were imprisoned at Falstad at one point or another. One, Ephraim Wolff Koritzinsky, died of cancer at Levanger Hospital
Levanger Hospital
Levanger Hospital is a hospital located in the municipality of Levanger in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The hospital is located along the road Kirkegata on the west side of the town of Levanger....
on 15 May 1942. At least eight were murdered at Falstad.
The main characteristic of the camp was forced, hard, and largely meaningless labor. Degradations and abuse were commonplace, particularly under the administration of SS-Hauptscharführer Gogol and Edward F. Lambrecht, a prison guard known among the prisoners as Gråbein (Grayleg)—an appellation used in reference to wolves.
Executions in Falstadskogen
The camp commanders used the nearby forest (Falstadskogen) as a site for extrajudicial executions of prisoners of war, and executions following show trialShow trial
The term show trial is a pejorative description of a type of highly public trial in which there is a strong connotation that the judicial authorities have already determined the guilt of the defendant. The actual trial has as its only goal to present the accusation and the verdict to the public as...
s of political and Jewish prisoners.
The first executions took place on 7 March 1942, when Olav Sverre Benjaminsen, Abel Lazar Bernstein, David Isaksen, Wulf Isaksen, and David Wolfsohn were shot. All of these, except Benjaminsen, were Jewish. In June 1942, Ljuban Vukovic, a Yugoslavian
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
prisoner of war, was made the first grave digger for the forest. He survived and became an important witness in the post-war trials.
On 6 October 1942, the Nazi authorities imposed martial law
Martial law in Trondheim in 1942
During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany, the occupying powers imposed martial law in Trondheim and surrounding areas effective October 6, 1942 through October 12, 1942. During this time, 34 Norwegians were murdered by extrajudicial execution...
on sections of central Norway, and at least 170 non-Norwegian prisoners and 34 Norwegian political prisoners were executed in the forest (Falstadskogen) just south of Falstad.
On 13 November 1942, Moritz Abrahamsen, Kalman Glick, and Herman Schidorsky, all Jewish, were executed. On 16 February 1943, Toralf Berg—a resistance fighter—was executed. During the summer of 1943, a change in the command of the camp led to improved conditions for the remaining prisoners.
Throughout all this, more than 150 unnamed prisoners of war were also shot in the forest. During 4-5 May 1945, the camp authorities sought to exhume and hide the bodies of their victims, sinking about 25 in the fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
near the camp.
Efforts to find, exhume, identify, and bury the victims are ongoing. The original estimate of 202 dead is considered low.
Much research remains to be done to uncover the specifics and nature of Nazi atrocities committed at Falstad.
Commanders and officials
- There were six camp commanders of Falstad during the war: Paul Schöning, Paul Gogol, Scharschmidt (first name unknown), Werner Jeck, Georg Bauer, and Karl Denk. None of these were prosecuted for war crimes in Norway, though Denk may have faced trial in Germany for unrelated charges.
- Gerhard FleschGerhard FleschGerhard Friedrich Ernst Flesch was a German Nazi executed for war crimes, specifically the torture and murder of members of the Norwegian resistance movement....
, Kommandeur der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD Trondheim 1941 to 1945 was sentenced to death during the Legal purge in Norway after World War IILegal purge in Norway after World War IIWhen the occupation of Norway ended in May 1945, several thousand Norwegians and foreign citizens were tried and convicted for various acts that the occupying powers sanctioned...
. - Walter Hollack, Gestapo officer who acted as "prosecutor" during the tribunals in 1942, was sentenced to a life term of hard labor, but was pardoned in 1953 and deported on 22 June that year.
- Hans Roth, section leader and for a short period executive officer, noted for his proclivity for beating up prisoners, was sentenced to 15 years at hard labor, but was pardoned and deported on 16 June 1950.
- Oscar HansOscar HansOscar Hans was a German executioner, leader of an SS Sonderkommando during the occupation of Norway. He led the execution of more than 300 persons during the war years. His first job was the executions of Viggo Hansteen and Rolf Wickstrøm in September 1941, following the court-martial after the...
, leader of the SonderkommandoSonderkommandoSonderkommandos were work units of Nazi death camp prisoners, composed almost entirely of Jews, who were forced, on threat of their own deaths, to aid with the disposal of gas chamber victims during The Holocaust...
and commander of the firing squads that killed prisoners, was originally sentenced to death, but this was commuted by the Norwegian supreme court. He was deported to Germany on 10 December 1947. - Josef Schlossmacher, Gestapo official in Trondheim, was incriminated on several aspects of the executions at Falstad, but charges against him were dropped.
- Julius Nielson, a Gestapo official who played an active role in capturing and sending prisoners to Falstad, was sentenced to death and executed in Trondheim on 10 July 1948.