The camp at Dunderland had 477 "Russian prisoners" at the time of liberation; prisoners from Ukraine, Russia and other parts of the Soviet Union. These were soldiers who had been captured by the Germans and transported north to a terrifying fate as slaves.
To secure German supply lines to the Murmansk front and to get iron ore safely south from Narvik, Adolf Hitler ordered that a railway be built through northern Norway to Kirkenes. To solve the task, the occupying power built 55 prison camps from Mo i Rana to Tysfjord. Of the 26,000 prisoners who were put in these, over 2,000 died.
Dunderland prison camp. Photo: Ole Buster Olsen
The plot of land where the prison camp at Dunderland was located was transferred from landowner Magnor Storvoll to the Helgeland Museum in 2017. The reason for the handover is partly to preserve the camp as an important regional cultural monument, and partly to make the camp accessible to the public.
Pictures from Dunderland prison camp, also called Dunderlandsleiren, put together by ISO-media.
Access
At the entrance to the prison camp, which is signposted and located next to today's E6, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration has constructed a car park. You are welcome to wander into the camp area. At the site you can read information about the camp, how it was built, what the prisoners worked on and what everyday life looked like. Structures from the road into the camp as well as traces of buildings and infrastructure are clearly visible.
A memorial monument with the names of the prisoners who lost their lives is located at the outer edge of the camp. We would like to draw attention to the fact that this is a memorial site and an important war historical cultural monument, and we therefore recommend that you act with consideration so that traffic does not damage structures.
