In 1970, Norway's Resistance Museum was opened in Oslo. It is located in the fortress »Akershus festning«, which, during Norway's occupation between 1940 and 1945, was used amongst others as a prison by the German military.
In April 1940, following several weeks of fighting, the Kingdom of Norway was occupied by the German Wehrmacht. The majority of Norwegians were opposed to both the National Socialists as well as the Norwegian fascist party known as »Nasjonal Samling« led by Vidkun Quisling, its founder and leader since 1933. Installed by the German occupiers, Quisling acted as Norwegian Minister President from 1942 to 1945. Like Norway’s King, the democratically elected government led by the social-democrat Johan Nygaardsvold also went into exile in London.
Already at the beginning of German occupation, numerous social organisations founded a common work group in order to coordinate their acts of resistance. Besides pursuing a strategy of civil disobedience, armed resistance gradually gained in importance too. The resistance was in close contact with the Allies, especially with the British »Special Operations Executive« (SOE), which supplied weapons, material and also agents necessary for conducting sabotage. Resistance fighters also helped many who were persecuted, among them numerous Jews, in escaping to Sweden or Great Britain.
The actions of the Norwegian resistance movement were later termed »Hjemmefronten« (English: home front). Outside of Norway, Norwegian seamen and soldiers served the Allies.
Already at the beginning of German occupation, numerous social organisations founded a common work group in order to coordinate their acts of resistance. Besides pursuing a strategy of civil disobedience, armed resistance gradually gained in importance too. The resistance was in close contact with the Allies, especially with the British »Special Operations Executive« (SOE), which supplied weapons, material and also agents necessary for conducting sabotage. Resistance fighters also helped many who were persecuted, among them numerous Jews, in escaping to Sweden or Great Britain.
The actions of the Norwegian resistance movement were later termed »Hjemmefronten« (English: home front). Outside of Norway, Norwegian seamen and soldiers served the Allies.
The museum is dedicated to the fallen members of the Norwegian resistance against German occupation. Collaborating Norwegian security policemen and members of the German security police deported hundreds of Norwegian resistance fighters to German concentration camps. Most of the arrested resistance fighters were taken to the concentration camps at Natzweiler-Struthof, Neuengamme and Sachsenhausen.
Norway's Resistance Museum was opened on May 8, 1970. Its mission is to illustrate Norway’s occupation during WWII, life during that time as well as to present the history of resistance to foreign occupation. A memorial in the lobby is dedicated to the victims of the occupation. The museum is maintained by the Norwegian Ministry of Defence.
- Name
- Norges Hjemmefrontmuseum
- Address
-
Bygning 21, Akershus Festning
0015 Oslo - Phone
- +47 (0) 230 931 38
- Web
- http://forsvaretsmuseer.no/Hjemmefrontmuseet
- post.nhm@gmail.com
- Open
- September to April daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
May to August daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Possibilities
- Exhibition, educational programmes, library, archive