1. Prelude
	2. Weserübung
	3. The Campaign in Southern Norway
	4. German Ultimatum - Norwegian Traitors
	5. The Elverum Authorisation
	6. Interlude
	7. The Campaign in Northern Norway
	8. King and Government in Exile in Britain
	9. Norway's Merchant Navy under Allied control
	10. The Negotiations of the Council of the Realm
	11. Resistance Grows
	12. The Fight goes on, abroad and at home
	13. Eidsvoll
	14. The Underground Press
	15. The Resistance Movement Takes Shape
	16. The German Power Base
	18. Prisons and Concentration Camps in Norway
	19. Torture
	20. The Norwegian Nazi Party (NS)
	21. Teacher Rise Against Nazfication
	22. Church Resistance to Nazfication
	23. Escaping to the free World
	24. Concentration Camps outside Norway
	25. The Persecution of Jews
	26. Møllergaten Prison
	27. The Dreary Daily Round
	28. Spotlight on Norway
	29. Norwegian Independent Company No 1
	30. The Heavy Water Operations
	31. Sea and Air Traffic over the North Sea
	32. Losses and Setbacks
	33. Soviet Operations in North Norway and British Operations in South Norway
	34. Radio Communication and Direction Finding
	35. Clandestine Production of Equipment
	36. Festung Norwegen
	37. Intelligence Service
	38. Communist Organisations
	39. Milorg becomes the "Home Forces"
	40. Arming the Resistance
	41. Quisling Attempts at Mobilisation
	42. Gathering Strength
	43. Finnmark in Flames - the Liberation of Finnmark
	44. The Norwegian Merchant Naval War Effort
	45. The Three Armed Services
	46. Sabotage
	47. May 8th, 1945 - Peace
	48. Five years of occupation over

1. Prelude
The first items in this section show the front pages of Norway's leading newspapers, reflecting the most important events during the period 1938-40.
- September 29-30, 1938. Britain's Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain meets Adolf Hitler in Munich.
-Peace in our time.
- March 1939. Hitler's troops occupy Czechoslovakia.
- April 1939. Mussolini marches into Albania.
- August 24, 1939. German/Soviet Russian non-aggression pact signed in Moscow.
- September 1, 1939. Hitler invades Poland.
- September 3, 1939. Britain and France declare war on Germany.World War 11 was now a fact.

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2. Weserübung
Exhibits in this section include:
- map showing the German plans for the invasion of Norway as carrried out according to plan, codenamed Weserübung. Relative positions of Royal Navy units are shown in the background.

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3. The Campaign in Southern Norway
Models illustrate examples of skirmishes during the campaign in Southern Norway and bombing of towns and villages.
A number of exhibits show events of supreme importance, e.g. the sinking of the German cruiser Blücher in the narrows of the Oslo Fjord, the defeat of a German crack unit at Midtskogen in Central Norway and the arrival of Allied help. The sinking of the Blücher enabled the King, Government and members of the Storting to make good their escape from the capital before it was occupied. The encounter at Midtskogen prevented the Germans from seizing the person of the King and members of his government.

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4. German Ultimatum - Norwegian Traitors
Photographs from the German attack on Norway have been printed onto black iron sheets, artistically carved out. A cluster of German rifles, shaped to form a swastika, symbolises the Nazi invasion.
The thirteen-point German ultimatum, handed to the Norwegian Government on the night of April 9, 1940, when the German invasion was already a fait accompli, is stuck on the point of a bayonet. The ultimatum elicited an uncompromising NO from King Haakon VII and the Norwegian Cabinet. A picture of Quisling has symbolically been placed behind the German rifles.

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5. The Elverum Authorisation
King Haakon VII, Prime Minister Johan Nygaardsvold and his Cabinet and members of Parliament were able, thanks to the efforts of President of the Storting, Mr. Hambro, to leave Oslo on the morning of April 9th. A meeting was convened during the afternoon, initially at Hamar and later at Elverum, where the socalled Elverum Authorisation was formulated.
The minutes of the meeting, together with the authorisation, are shown. This provided the constitutional basis for the exercise of Norwegian authority by the King and Government in exile.Proclamations, appeals, etc., reflect the chaotic conditions under which the Norwegian authorities were working during the month of April.The German minister Bräuer is shown after his meeting with the King at Elverum on April 10, where he once again demanded Norway's capitulation.

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6. Interlude
A separate section highlights the eventful days in the capital following its occupation.
Photos show German troops on Karl Johan, Oslo's main avenue, on the morning of April 9. 1940, and German guards in front of the Parliament building. On the 10th of April rumours of imminent Allied bombing resulted in a mass exodus from the city. This day, aptly called "the panic day", has been brilliantly recaptured in a photo.

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7. The Campaign in Northern Norway
The section describing the battles in Northern Norway has been separated from the events in Southern Norway by a partition panel containing photos and information.
On the one side, defeat and cessation of hostilities south of Trondheim, on the other side pictures from the naval battles off Narvik April 10-13, 1940, where the Royal Navy scored a notable success by sinking 10 German destroyers and their supply ships. The panel marks the dividing line between Norwegian improvised resistance in the south and organised warfare in the north. During the Finnish Winter War, Norwegian troops in Troms and Finnmark, the two northernmost counties, had been mobilized and fully trained. In addition, Allied help arrived in time.

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8. King and Government in Exile in Britain
At the last cabinet meeting held on Norwegian soil (Tromsø, June 7th, 1940) it was resolved that King and Government should continue to function abroad, and fighting in Norway cease.
The war against Germany was to be continued from Britain. This section shows the most important events that took place during the days that followed.

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9. Norway's Merchant Navy under Allied control
At the beginning of the Second World War Norway's Merchant Navy was the fourth largest in the world, and also the most up-to-date.
Norwegian ships operated in every part of the world and could not immediately be withdrawn from theatres of war. Before the occupation the country had lost 61 ships in acts of war. Both sides were aware of the Norwegian Merchant Navy's great importance and did their best to secure as many ships as possible.

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10. The Negotiations of the Council of the Realm
After the capitulation it soon became obvious that Germany's iron grip was becoming daily more oppressive.
This may clearly be seen in the German-controlled press containing information, appeals, official notices, promulgations, etc.Norwegians regarded the Administrative Council as a provisional body. In the summer of 1940 the Germans contacted Norwegian political leaders with a view to negotiating a more permanent and national form of government, a Council of the Realm.

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11. Resistance Grows
The 'negotiations of the Council of the Realm' and the activities of the Norwegian Nazi Party (NS) stimulated Norwegian resistance.
This is reflected in a newspaper cutting entitled 'NO NORWEGIANS FOR SALE!' This type of article usually led to the newspaper becoming nazified or production being stopped. The nazi party's FRITT FOLK. became the official mouthpiece. (Shown).

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12. The Fight goes on, abroad and at home
In Great Britain military units were set up, consisting of Norwegian volunteers, some of whom had been resident outside Norway at the time of the German invasion, while others had left Norway by various routes in order to continue the struggle.
These routes are shown on the map, together with pictures of Norwegians who escaped to Britain via the Soviet Union and India.A German decree (shown) of Sep. 26, 1941, threatening imprisonment or death for attempts to leave Norway, illustrates the nazi reaction.German terror bombing of Britain is represented by a picture of Prime Minister Winston Churchill surrounded by the ruins of the House of Commons.

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13. Eidsvoll
The wall above the steps leading down to the basement is covered by a picture of Eidsvoll, where Norway's constitution was signed on 17th May, 1814.
The picture is hemmed in by a black grating symbolising freedom lost.To further emphasise the gloom a verse from Nordahl Grieg's well-known poem - 17th May, 1940. has been included, together with an English translation.At the bottom of the steps hangs a large broken iron ring, symbolising the inadequate links between the Resistance Movement and the Government abroad during the first few years of the war. Later on, in the section devoted to 1944, (item 42), an unbroken ring symbolises the overcoming of their difficulties.


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14. The Underground Press
This section opens with specimens of a number of underground newspapers.
Authentic documents including directives to editors, etc., confirm the nazi attempt at complete uniformity and the muzzling of the press.Throughout the war the underground press fulfilled an important role in spreading news and information and in maintaining a high standard of morale among Norwegians.

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15. The Resistance Movement Takes Shape
Table showing how the resistance organisations, civil and military, gradually took shape.
The civil resistance organisations included the Coordinating Committee (KK), which directed and coordinated watchwords and guidelines for the common struggle. And all-party political group (Kretsen = the Circle) dealt with political and economic questions, and provided contact vith the Norwegian government in London. KK and Kretsen cooperated.KK had a central secretariat in touch with 23 district organisations and the underground press.

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16. The German Power Base

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18. Prisons and Concentration Camps in Norway
The Germans established several concentration camps and prisons in Norway.
The better known were Grini on the outskirts of Oslo, Berg in Vestfold county, Arkivet (Kristiansand), Ulven (Bergen), Falstad (Trondheim), Korgen and Osen in Nordland, Krokebergsletta and Sydspissen (Tromsø), plus several primitive camps in the northernmost county of Finnmark especially constructed for Russians. The largest camp was Grini, which also acted as a transit camp for prisoners on their way to camps in Germany and Poland.

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19. Torture
An exhibition contains pictures of police, mainly from Gestapo HQ in Oslo, with their instruments of torture in the background.
A Norwegian torturer is included.Various methods of torture are demonstrated in a peepshow containing authentic objects. A total of 35 men and I woman died under torture, and 43 took their own lives.A coffee kettle with a hole in the bottom illustrates the socalled Chinese torture method. A clamp, applied to arm and legs, is also shown.


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20. The Norwegian Nazi Party (NS)
The Norwegian Nazi Party (NS), the Hird (an armed unit on the lines of the German SS) and the nazified State Police posed a growing threat to Norwegians who did not share their views. Resistance to Norwegian Nazis was therefore one of the primary tasks in the struggle against the occupying forces.
A separate exhibit, comprising photos, posters, documents and other material, throws light on some NS activities. In the background, flags with the NS symbol, the sun cross, which was to replace the swastika. Some of the colourful posters are examples of NS recruiting efforts to persuade Norwegian youth to sign on for active German service. Gestapo Chief Himmler inspects Norwegian front line troops.One of the photos shows the signing of the Document of State. at Akershus Castle in February 1942, when Terboven appointed Quisling Minister President..

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21. Teacher Rise Against Nazfication
Resistance in the Schools (the School Front.) is symbolised by desks and printed matter describing the attempts to nazify the schools.
Schools and young people generally were one of the first and most important targets of the Nazis, who made every effort to infiltrate their propaganda and ideology through text books and directives.NS - the Norwegian nazi party - endeavoured in February 1942 to "organise" all teachers. A copy of a decree of Feb. 5. 1942, enforcing national service for all young people, is shown. On March 20, 1942, after teachers had refused to sign a declaration of loyalty to the nazi authorities, promising to instruct their pupils "in the new spirit", over a thousand of them were arrested.

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22. Church Resistance to Nazfication
The Church's resistance "the Church Front" is illustrated by pictures, captions and printed matter.
It first came to the fore with the pastoral letter of February 1941 on the Church and the Constitution. All Christian denominations joined forces against the nazis.In the spring of 1942 the struggle between the Church and the nazi authorities came to a head. On February 24, 1942, the bishops resigned their offices, and a little later the pastoral letter, The Church's Foundation., was read from the pulpit in practically every church in the country. Of a total of 858 incumbent clergy 797 resigned their livings, and these had the support of their congregations. Many leading churchmen of various denominations were arrested. The bishops and 55 clergy were interned and a further 127 banished from their parishes.

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23. Escaping to the free World
The wall on the right in the large vault is mainly devoted to the subject of arrest, torture and Norwegian and German concentration camps.
The various exhibits are displayed behind an authentic length of electrified barbed wire taken from the Grini Concentration Camp on the outskirts of Oslo. Symbolically escape from German-occupied Norway is represented in the centre of this wall at a spot where the barbed wire has been pressed aside, and the escape routes indicated, running from coastal districts across the North Sea, and along the border into Sweden.

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24. Concentration Camps outside Norway
9000 Norwegians were sent to German concentration camps in France, Germany, Austria, Poland and Czechoslovakia, where conditions in most cases were inhuman.
1400 Norwegians died, half of them of Jewish descent. Most of the latter died in the gaschambers. The NN category were sent to camps where it was intended that they would perish. Most of the survivors were marked for life. An authentic male prison dress from Sachsenhausen and an authentic female dress from Ravensbrück are shown. Three small showcases show how the free word passed in and out, through the barbed wire.

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25. The Persecution of Jews
The persecution of Norwegian Jews is shown with the aid of authentic pictures, documents and objects.
It followed the same pattern as in Germany and the other occupied countries, and was based on Hitler's doctrine of the master race.Jewish shops were identified by special placards. Also shown are special identity-cards with the letter J stamped in red and authentic receipts for the handover of a specified number of Jews as they crossed the German border.Norwegian children of Jewish parentage, seventyfour in all, ranging in age from two months to sixteen years, were sent straight to the gas chambers together with children from all over Europe, The Museum at Auschwitz has donated a pair of children's shoes and a tin of cyanide, which are exhibited in the Resistance Museum. Instructions on the tin are for the poison to be used against vermin in various countries, including Norway. "Vermin" was the codeword used for Jews. The exhibit concludes with a model of Auschwitz. Over the entrance to the concentration camp is the misleading inscription: "Arbeit macht frei".A map shows all German concentration camps. White dots indicate where the approximately nine thousand Norwegians were held.


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26. Møllergaten Prison
One of the exhibits shows a single cell in the one-time Norwegian prison in No. 19, Møllergaten, Oslo.
The Gestapo herded up to four persons into cells of this kind.To the right of the cell door are pages from -A prisoner's diary- in the ventilator shaft. This was written by an inmate who spent 7 months in prison, 2 1/2 months of this in solitary confinement in a darkened cell, pricking the letters onto toilet paper with a needle, and hiding the sheets in the ventilator shaft.After the war about 1500 pages of this kind were found under the floorboards and published in book form, telling a tale of torture and privation.


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27. The Dreary Daily Round

The section of the museum entitled "the dreary daily round" presents day-to-day living under the foreign yoke, and the effect it had on the man in the street.When the German campaign in Russia developed into a protracted winter war, German supply shortages intensified, and one result of this was wholesale requisitioning from the Norwegian population. Shown is a public proclamation ordering people to hand in blankets, gum boots, tents, rucksacks, wind cheaters, etc. The penalty for failure to comply was 3 years in prison or, in extenuating circumstances, a fine of up to 100,000 Norwegian crowns.

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28. Spotlight on Norway

A big questionmark cut out of a steel panel symbolises the uncertainty in 1942 as to where the Second Front would come.Winston Churchill is shown with his advisers at a meeting with President Roosevelt in Washington after the bulk of the US Pacific Fleet had been sunk by Japanese aircraft in the attack on Pearl Harbour in Dec. 1941.Another picture shows Churchill conferring with the Russian leader Joseph Stalin in Moscow in August 1942.Hitler (shown), by now convinced that the Allies would launch a flank attack on Norway, had given high priority to the task of turning the Norwegian coast into an impregnable fortress. British raids on Svolvær, Reine and Måløy had confirmed him in his views. For this reason practically all remaining German naval units were transferred to Norway.

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29. Norwegian Independent Company No 1
(The Linge Company)
In the autumn of 1940 Captain Linge initiated the recruiting and training of Norwegian volunteers for action in occupied Norway. Members of the company underwent training in British-run military establishments from which they passed out as fully fledged radio operators, saboteurs, small arms instructors and the leaders of clandestine fighting groups.Instruction was also given in psychological warfare.After 1942 the Linge Company was run on a joint Norwegian-British basis, controlled by SOE (Special Operations) and the Norwegian High Command.

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30. The Heavy Water Operations

The heavy water sabotage exhibits aim to illustrate the various phases of the attacks, planned in Britain, on the heavy water plant at Vemork. During the war heavy water was considered in dispensable as an aid to the production of atomic- arms. The only plant in the world where heavy water was produced continuously was situated at Vemork. High priority was therefore given to the destruction of this plant. It was vital to Norwegian interests that this should be carried out by sabotage and not by bombing or dam-busting, which would inflict irreparable damage. A map shows the operations carried out during the winter of 1942-43.

GROUSE I supplied intelligence. GROUSE II prepared the landing area for two gliders carrying 34 British commandos. Operation FRESHMAN ended in catastrophe when the gliders crashed near the coast, here shown with arrows pointing towards the area and photos of planes and gliders en route to the target.A later operation, codenamed GUNNERSIDE (6 men), joined GROUSE (3 men) and blew up the plant on February 27, 1943.

A model shows Vemork and the surrounding countryside. The saboteurs' route is shown by a green line produced by pressing the button on the side of the showcase. The mined areas around the plant are shown by red dots. Also shown are uniforms and equipment. To the left one of the original heavy water producing units, of which 18 were completely destroyed. A photo taken after the operation confirms this. The map shows the trail to Sweden, a distance of 400 km., covered on skis by the saboteurs in full uniform.The radio station continued to operate. Shown are the radio transmitter and important telegrams, together with cuttings from the world press.The heavy water plant was subsequently rebuilt, and was in full production after only about 2 months.

On Nov. 16, 1943, the power station and adjacent plant were destroyed by US bombers, putting an end to production.A picture shows US Flying Fortresses on their way to Vemork.On Feb. 20. 1944 the HYDRO ferry, carrying practically all the remaining supplies of heavy water concentrate was sunk on Lake Tinnsjø. Thus ending the battle for heavy water on Norwegian soil. These operations had cost the lives of 40 Britons, 36 Norwegians and 20 Germans.


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31. Sea and Air Traffic over the North Sea

The exhibit gives a picture of the trips carried out by the Shetland Bus across the North Sea, as well as the air link between Stockholm and Leuchars in Scotland.
The Shetland Bus, a special naval service
Exhibited is a chart showing trips carried out from the Shetlands to various points on the Norwegian coast. During the first three years this link was operated by fishing smacks. During the winter, in all types of weather, the boats left their base at Scalloway in the Shetlands with men from the Linge Company carrying tons of equipment for Norway. Return cargoes comprised refugees. (See the picture).The use of fishing smacks provided a good alibi during the first few years, but a number of leakages led to the exposure of this traffic. German air surveillance became so effective that in 1943 this service could no longer sustain further losses. The US Navy put three subchasers at the disposal of the Shetland bus. These made 105 trips across the North Sea without loss.A showcase contains models of a fishing smack and a subchaser. Another shows a fishing smack, with 2 "Chariots" (two-man subs) suspended from the keel, being checked by a German patrol vessel. The boat was cleared and sailed on into the Trondheim Fjord, where the German battleship Tirpitz lay at anchor.An attemp to attack her was made, but proved unsuccessful when the towrope broke and the submarines were lost.
Air bridge to Britain
Above the Shetland showcase the air bridge between Stockholm and Scotland is symbolised by models of planes. A model shows Scandinavia at night, with Norway blacked out and Swedish towns a blaze of lights.From the autumn of 1944 American 4-engine Liberators with a great payload reinforced this air bridge.


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32. Losses and Setbacks

In the course of 1942 a number of setbacks occurred which were to paralyse the activities of Milorg for a considerable period.At the same time British raids in West and North Norway provoked savage German reprisals against the local population. Gestapo action is indicated by means of jagged openings in the steel panels, symbolising lightning. Captions are placed irregularly to indicate confusion and despondency in the Resistance.Through the openings can be seen May and October numbers of the Norwegian newspaper published in London, Norsk Tidend, reporting the shooting of 18 and 34 patriots respectively. A farewell letter from one of the condemned men speaks for itself.Passages from secret reports written by the German police chief Rediess are exhibited together with a message from a clandestine radio station reporting the arrest of the entire Milorg leadership. A red swastika spread across the whole of German-occupied Europe is torn at the corners pointing towards Stalingrad, El Alamein and South Italy. The V-sign symbolises Allied victories.A copy of the Nazi paper Fritt Folk from February 1943 reproduces a law on national labour conscription, which provoked violent reactions among Norwegians. An appeal from the Restistance movement to parents, urging them not to allow their daughters to register, is also shown. A photo shows the wrecked offices of the Oslo Labour Registration Board blown up by Resistance saboteurs. Pictures and text illustrate the arrest of 470 policemen, some 1100 officers and 1200 students and teachers at the University in Oslo.There is special emphasis on the underground press, which reached a peak in the difficult year 1943. As early as Feb. 1, 1944, this important resistance activity suffered a severe blow with the arrest of 203 persons, resulting in the closing down of 13 underground papers.Despite losses in 1942 Milorg continues its buildup, paying particular attention to security. A meeting was organised in Kopmannabro in Sweden on May 7-9 (see picture) between representatives of the Milorg Council and the Norwegian High Command in London, where agreement was reached on future Milorg policy and outside support. The dropping of agents and equipment was now proving more effective.75 members of the Linge Company arrived to work as instructors, W/T operators and saboteurs. 19 new W/T stations became operative.Transport was always a problem, and was confined mainly to the winter months. For this the ski sledge (shown) proved invaluable.


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33. Soviet Operations in North Norway and British Operations in South Norway

It has proved difficult to obtain information about, and equipment from, operations in Finnmark for the purpose of illustrating Russian activity in that part of Norway. Young Norwegians from East Finnmark, keen to play their part, usually made their way by fishing boat to the Fisherman's Peninsula or Murmansk. After training, they would be dropped in Norway either by parachute or submarine to carry out sabotage or espionage.A Russian radio set in use near Hammerfest in 1943 is on show. A showcase illustrates the supply service by plane and submarine to agents in the Varanger peninsula.Altogether 14 radio stations, with links to Murmansk, from the border to Troms, were registered. Owing to supply difficulties and the severe climate these operations were of relatively short duration. German counter intelligence was relentless and efficient in hunting down saboteurs, whose losses were greater here than in any other part of Norway.Norwegian ships lying in Swedish harbours when Norway was occupied were vital to the Allied war effort. Their presence was much needed in Great Britain, and the Germans were anxious to prevent this. The Swedes were unwilling to release them, and this complicated relations with the Norwegian Government. The Norwegian ships were released, and left Sweden on March 31, 1942, with 500 hands on board. German naval units lay in wait just outside territorial waters, and only 2 of the 10 made good their escape. Of their crews 233 were placed in German concentration camps, 7 of them women. 43 died, while 18 had perished in the naval engagement.The exhibition shows a number of examples of sabotage operations on the Orkla mines and the Thamshavn transport railway. A model shows how men of the Linge Company placed explosive charges on German transport vessels in Oslo harbour.


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34. Radio Communication and Direction Finding

Most military radio stations were set up in huts in forest and mountain areas. A model shows the interior of a typical hut, with a member of the Resistance operating one of the most commonly used British sets. Through the window in the background can be seen a German snifter. car operating its short-range direction finder.To the right a steam-generator used for charging accumulators and above the model photos of the Kari radio station (Oslo), which was in contact with Sture (Stockholm).To the left a German Telefunken D/F transmitter used in mobile D/F units.A map of Northern Europe shows the position German D/F stations established for the purpose of intercepting long distance unidentified signals. A recorded case is the interception of a clandestine transmitter in Southern Norway which was subsequently located and destroyed. The German direction-finding network was highly efficient and many wireless operators were tracked down. However, this did not prevent the establishment of an increasing number of stations. Towards the end of the war about 70 Milorg stations maintained radio links with London and radio stations run by the Resistance movements and special groups. A local intercom network had been planned for 110 radio stations, and of these 60 were on the air before peace came.In addition there was a separate intelligence network comprising some 50 radio stations along the coast. (cf. under Intelligence Service)


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35. Clandestine Production of Equipment

As time went on Milorg became better organised and this resulted in requests for radio equipment, weapons, sabotage material, etc.Supplies were soon reaching the coastal areas in the west by boat, whereas inland districts had to rely on air transport. As suitable equipment and sufficient bombers were not available in Britian it proved initially difficult to ensure a steady stream of supplies. Moreover, Norway was low on the list of Allied priorities. In these circumstances clandestine production of radio equipment and weapons was started in occupied Norway.The receiver/transmitter codenamed Olga, of which 70 were produced, is shown. Several hundred radio receivers were produced in a variety of models. The head sets were readily available, but the morse keys had to be made.In the Oslo area, Milorg produced 800 Sten guns. Parts were produced in various workshops in the Oslo area and assembled in a secret room in a factory, shown in miniature. A silencer and sand box, for testing Sten guns, are shown, also various complicated dies and finished parts. Weapon production took place not only in the capital but also in the provinces. A smaller version of the Sten gun (shown) was produced near Larvik. Also exhibited are hand grenades, Molotov cocktails and sabotage devices, produced in large numbers.Two powerful ,homemade. torpedoes, are exhibited.One such was instrumental in damaging a German destroyer, another sank a floating crane.


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36. Festung Norwegen

British raids on Norway in 1941 had scared Hitler, who suspected these might presage an Allied invasion. From now on all efforts were directed toward making Norway a mighty fortress.A map of Norway, carved out of steel, indicates the strength and location of German units, RED for coastal batteries, BLUE for naval bases, YELLOW for anti-aircraft guns and airports and GREEN for land troops. The map is set against a large swastika with details of guns, u-boat pens, aircraft in action, anti-aircraft-guns, naval units and soldiers on guard duty, providing a background. Military defence was not the only precaution taken by the Germans: the occupying forces stepped up their activities against civilian and military resistance with an ever-increasing wave of arrests, using torture and executing hostages. Every sign of resistance was nipped in the bud.


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37. Intelligence Service

An intelligence service, established in occupied Norway in 1940, while fighting was still in progress in North Norway, was gradually extended. It was vitally important for the Allies to keep track of German fleet movements along the coast of Norway, and for this purpose a chain of radio stations was set up close to the shipping lanes, entrusted with the task of reporting on all seaborne traffic.A map shows the position of all radio stations manned during the war all the way round the coast, from Østfold in the south to Finnmark in the north. Successes scored by this service include reports and pictures of the battleship TIRPITZ, from the moment she was identified off the coast of South Norway in January 1942 until she went to the bottom near Tromsø in November 1944. The shell of one of the 6-ton bombs dropped on that occasion, and subsequently retrieved from the sea bottom, is also exhibited.The most important intelligence organisations operating in Norway during the occupation are shown. Throughout the war a courier service was maintained between outlying districts and Oslo - Stockholm.A separate showcase contains a number of devices used for the clandestine dispatch of messages. In the closing months of the war large numbers of photos and reports were sent on microfilm on the train from Oslo to the Norwegian Legation in Stockholm, concealed in a variety of ways. A series of photos showing the airfields at Fornebu and Kjevik illustrates the clarity of these pictures. The exhibition concludes with the socalled warning system set up to protect these organisations and other undercover activities.In several towns telephone calls, local and long distance, to Gestapo offices were tapped day and night. This saved many lives. Transcripts of a number of phone conversations are shown, as well as a picture of the "homemade" exchange used.


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38. Communist Organisations

Norway's Communist Party (NKP) did not urge its members to join in the resistance to the Germans until after the latter had attacked the Soviet Union in June 1941.The Communist approach was one of active resistance, but their sabotage operations, carried out on their own, caused concern amongst the leaders of the "Home Forces", who drew the Government's attention to this in a letter dated Nov. 15, 1943. This did not prevent a certain amount of cooperation during the rest of the war.A photo shows a train derailed near Drammen, the result of sabotage to German troop transports in October 1943. Vigorous German reaction is revealed in the publication of death sentences passed on five hostages. A proclamation, signed by scared Drammen inhabitants, shows the terrifying effect of German reprisals.In investigating these acts of sabotage, the Gestapo uncovered vital links in the Communist party apparatus, and large German police contingents were detailed for raids in Vikersund and Hemsedal. A number of Communists were arrested, tried by drumhead court-martial and executed. Exhibited is the German operation order together with maps and photos of the raid.The, Communists published several clandestine newspapers, FRIHETEN, RADIO-NYTT, BONDEN and HJEMMEFRONTEN, which can be seen in the section on underground newspapers.Several escape routes to Sweden were organised by the Communists. In spite of heavy losses the Communists stepped up their sabotage activity and inflicted damage on the occupying forces as well as on the Norwegian Nazis.


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39. Milorg becomes the "Home Forces"

Towards the end of the war, the Home Forces was the official term used for all organised resistance and groups responsible to the Central Committee of the Home Forces in Oslo. By now more and more Milorg members were working permanently underground. to avoid arrest and labour conscription. This called for a certain measure of Milorg reorganisation: permanent groups were set up in the woods and mountains.A model shows 7 buts placed in dense woods on the top of a steep ridge in Telemark. Pressing buttons on the panel will light up bulbs revealing some of the details of the camp.At the dropping zones "the boys in the forest" received instructors, weapons and food from Britain. An exhibit shows a reception committee in action on a frozen lake near Oslo. The red marker lights have been lit, and with the aid of a button on the panel an identification letter can be relayed via the fourth bulb. A map shows 16 dropping zones round Oslo. The area was well defended by German anti aircraft batteries and several aircraft were lost. Two original maps from the High Command in London show how cells were placed in remote forest and mountain terrain. In North Norway groups were able to operate from bases with radio stations established on the Swedish side of the border, thanks to a special dispensation.The bases were established in 1944/45 by Norwegian officers dispatched from Britain and Sweden. The plan was to integrate bases with the local home forces.At the end of the war Norway was divided into 23 self-contained districts, each with radio contact with England.


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40. Arming the Resistance

In June 1944 the Allied Supreme Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, directed that the Norwegian Resistance should be trained and equipped as an offensive reserve force. Sabotage of shipping and other selected targets was to continue and intensify when the time was ripe.An accelerated plan of supply was launched in the autumn of 1944, using Shetland-based boats operating along the Norwegian coast, and aircraft for dropping supplies to the interior, as well as agents based in Sweden. Unfavourable weather, however, caused delays, particularly in air drops. A document of Feb. 8, 1945, from the Supreme Command gives a survey of the supply service. Apart from light arms, explosives, food, etc., the British were committed to provide the Resistance with 40,000 uniforms, while the Americans were to supply winter equipment for 30,000.The Shetland Bus completed 73 missions in subchasers, carrying 138 tons of arms and equipment. A map with illuminated points shows the points where 717 parachute supply drops were made, comprising over 100 tons. In addition 150 highly trained agents were landed by boat or parachute. The W. T. network was greatly extended, comprising finally some 70 stations, shown on the map by red lights.A "drop" comprising a parachute and two containers filled with weapons and equipment are symbolically placed under the wingtip of a Halifax. On the wall at the back are pictures of Milorg activities. Realistic training, with proper equipment, could now be carried out.A favourable agreement was concluded with the Swedish government: American aircraft were to be allowed to bring military equipment to Stockholm, and from there it was distributed to groups along the Swedish - Norwegian border. Directives were drawn up to cover alternative situations the Resistance might have to face. Arming the Resistance involved losses. The British lost 23 aircraft and the Americans 5. However, the organisation was intact and gathered strength.


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41. Quisling Attempts at Mobilisation

Ever since Quisling issued his first unsuccessful appeal on Jan. 12, 1941, attempts had been made to recruit young Norwegians for German front line service. Posters are shown appealing for volunteers for the Norwegian Legion, the SS Ski Battalion Norway, the German Navy, etc.In a memorandum of Jan. 1, 1944, the Norwegian puppet minister of Justice suggests that 75,000 men should be conscripted for German war service. The plan was to remain a secret, but its contents became known to the Resistance thanks to the vigilance of a typist who smuggled a copy out of the office. The Resistance leaders feared that the Labour Service might be used as camouflage for planned conscription. The authorities in London were immediately informed, and the following instructions were transmitted by the BBC:"No one must obey the call-up to report for Labour Service"A tape recording of this broadcast can be heard in The Museum. When mobilisation of Labour Service was announced on May 19, 1944, London issued a fresh appeal: "No one reports for registration". In order to support this appeal the Resistance Movement carried out several acts of sabotage to prevent conscription. Punchcard machines to be used for registration or call-up were sabotaged. Details of this may be seen.Instructions from London, which were also spread by the underground press, were loyally obeyed. Thousands of young people left home to avoid being registered, and the boys in the forest. became a byword. To counter this the Nazi authorities decided to issue ration cards only to those who applied in person. The Resistance movement solved this by shanghaiing 80,000 ration cards during transport from the printer's. This coup is documented and illustrated. These cards were used to apply pressure on the Nazi authorities, who were forced to give in. Only about 300 young people were actually registered.


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42. Gathering Strength

This exhibition aims to show how Free Norway waxed strong and coordinated its efforts during the finale phase of the war. In Nov. 1944 representatives of the Government and leaders of the Resistance Movement, meeting in Stockholm, reached full agreement on the guidelines for running the country in the transition from war to peace.The Government had secure links with and control of the Resistance Movement, thanks to daily air connections with the Norwegian Legation in Stockholm and its courier lines to Norway, as well as via some 120 radio station (Milorg and Intelligence) to every part of occupied Norway. A number of pictures illustrate some of the elements that had to be coordinated: The King and the Government assembled in cabinet in London.The Central Command of the Resistance Movement in Oslo, whose identity was concealed by the wearing of masks.Joint planning by Norwegian and British officers.The Navy, Air Force and Army in training or on active service represented respectively by a motor torpedo-boat, a Catalina plane and troops ready for battle as infantrymen and parachutists. Norwegian police troops in Sweden.Men of the Resistance Movement wearing camouflage suits during training in remote areas. In the background, by contrast, may be seen Reichskommissar Josef Terboven and senior German officers in Norway inspecting their troops. No one knew how the war would end. There were 350,000 Germans in Festung Norwegen. The "Tree of Life" in concrete and a steel ring in the floor symbolise the gathering strength.The ring, once broken, is now whole.


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43. Finnmark in Flames - the Liberation of Finnmark

In the autumn of 1944, as the Russians drove the German Lappland Army, some 200,000 strong, out of Finland and into Norway, the Germans decided to evacuate the civilian population of Finnmark and North Troms. At short notice 40,000 persons were forcibly evacuated to the south.The Norwegian puppet head of police was appointed "Governor of Finnmark" and carried out the evacuation with great ruthlessness.After the Red Army had occupied Kirkenes on Oct. 24, Hitler ordered a scorched earth policy for Finnmark, the brutal enforcement of which is reflected in a German document (exhibited) concluding with the following words: ". . . . pity for the civilian population is out of place".The C-in-C of the 20 Mountain Army, General Rendulic, carried out these orders with German thoroughness, and this part of the country was soon reduced to a smouldering ruin. A few managed to escape evacuation; under the threat of the death penalty men, women and children hid in caves and primitive huts. The Royal Navy evacuated 500 persons from Sørøya in Feb. 1945. The remainder held out until the Liberation.The exhibition contains a survey map of Finnmark and North Troms showing the towns and built-up areas that were razed. An example of this is provided by a photo from Berlevåg.The Soviet troops who advanced into East Finnmark were welcomed as liberators. Pictures show Russian soldiers on Norwegian soil and a Norwegian force sent from Britain via Murmansk.Later on Norwegian troops arrived from Sweden, and US aircraft established supply lines to forward troops. A map shows the dropping zones where radio stations were set up.The forcibly evacuated civilians suffered extreme hardships. Newspapers carried special columns to enable friends and relatives to make contact. Various examples are shown.


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44. The Norwegian Merchant Naval War Effort

The Norwegian Merchant Navy's contribution to the war effort is shown in dramatic pictures:a tanker in flamesa ship's gaping side a convoy in operationA happier moment is commemorated by a picture of King Haakon VII attending the launching of the first Norwegian ship to be built abroad. The ship carries the King's name.When the Norwegian Government, in April 1940, requisitioned for their own use all Norwegian ships outside German control, they established the world's largest shipping company, NORTRASHIP. A total of 1081 Norwegian ships were commandeered and pressed into Allied service.For five years Norwegian ships took part in all Allied sea-borne operations of any importance, and on every ocean. In all, 75 mill. tonnes of oil and 70 mill. tonnes of dry goods were transported all over the world.The earnings of the Merchant Navy gave the Norwegian Government an independent standing amongst the Allies, enabling it to pay the expenses of Norwegian forces fighting abroad, as well as the accumulated interest and part payment on loans contracted before the war.But the losses were appalling. In 1940, 216 ships were lost. In 1942, despite the greatest precautions, on average one Norwegian ship was lost every other day. When the war was over, on May 8, 1945, 570 ships had been lost, i.e. over 50% of the total fleet. The war effort cost 3734 lives. If we add the figures for the Royal Norwegian Navy, which in the main carried out escort duty, the total lives lost at sea amount to 4500.When peace came, the Merchant Navy played an important role in earning the money needed to rebuild the country after 5 years of occupation.


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45. The Three Armed Services

When King Haakon, Crown Prince Olav and the Government left Norway on June 7, 1940, they took with them only 13 small naval vessels, a few aircraft and a nucleus of senior officers. When the Germans finally capitulated the Norwegian armed forces of all ranks and services outside Norway totalled 28,000 with Crown Prince Olav as their Supreme Commander. The exhibits illustrating the armed forces adjoin those dealing with the merchant navy, in order to emphasis the connection.Pictures show handing-over of a subchaser by the name of Haakon VII and a motor torpedo boat in action. The picture of the submarine UREDD was taken just before she set off on her last patrol. By May 1945 there were 58 naval units under Norwegian command, and 5800 officers and ratings serving in the Royal Norwegian Navy.Most air crew managed to escape from Norway, to serve as instructors or join R.A.F. squadrons. Pictures illustrate pilot-training at the Little Norway Camp in Canada, Norwegian Spitfires operating over France and Mosquito crews being briefed for a mission over the Norwegian coast. The Royal Norwegian Air Force comprised 60 combat planes, 12 Transport aircraft and 2700 all ranks. The first Norwegian army units to be established abroad mustered in Scotland. In time these numbered 4000 in all, enough to man a brigade and various specialised units.One picture shows the King and Crown Prince inspecting troops in Scotland, others Norwegian units in action in Spitzbergen and at Walcheren.Previous pictures show Norwegian "police" troops, 13,000 of whom received their training in neutral Sweden.The men of the Resistance, of course, were also part of the Norwegian army. By the time peace came they numbered over 40,000.


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46. Sabotage

In the summer of 1944 the Allied SupremeCommand ordered the Resistance to concentrate their sabotage attacks on selected targets of military importance. The last longitudinal wall in the exhibition is devoted to the results of sabotage action against ships, railways, fuel dumps and special factories. Five showcases illustrate:1. Sabotage of ships in Oslo.2. Blowing-up of Jørstad railway bridge in Snåsa.3. Sabotage of anti-aircraft shells at Rjukan.4. Hijacking of all tugs in Fredrikstad harbour. These were sailed to a Swedish port.5. Fighting between Resistance units and German troops.The show cases are surrounded by pictures showing:- Sabotage of tank installations at Son and Svelvik.- Blowing-up of machines and guns at Kongsberg Munitions Factory.- Blowing-up of Bærug railway bridge.- Blowing-up of the headquarters of the German- controlled State Police in Oslo.- Sinking of the Donau "slave ship".- Sabotaging the floating crane at Moss.- Sabotaging "Norsk Aluminium". "Per Kure," and the "SKF" (Swedish ball-bearing factory.)Sabotage climaxed in the night of March 14/15 1945, when more than 1000 resistance men carried out coordinated operations on railway lines throughout South Norway.Coordination depended on well established radio communications. These operations took their toll - 14 death sentences as reported in the Norsk Tidend for 21/3/45 here shown.


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47. May 8th, 1945 - Peace

The many events that occurred during the closing days of the war have been exhibited on free-standing panels.A collection of handwritten reports (originals) show the most important issues dealt with by the resistance leaders.Directions for maintaining law and order were broadcast from London. The password was: Dignity - calm - discipline. The broadcast message is shown.Two issues of MELDUNGEN AUS NORWEGEN, from the head of the German security police, insist that "Festung Norwegen" must continue to resist even if the Fatherland should fall. A plan of mobilisation for the Hird maintains that this body represents Norway's legal armed forces. Pictures show Quisling at a meeting of his cabinet.Newspaper headlines report Hitler's suicide on April 13. -The Führer dies, fighting to the last against bolshevism. Admiral Dönitz Hitler's successor.Posters and pictures from May 7, 1945, confirm the German High Command's unconditional surrender to the Allies.Directives to the German land forces in Norway are exhibited.Also shown is the country's first free newspaper OSLO PRESSEN. A picture shows the Allied military commission arriving in Oslo.The German Reichskommissar Terboven (picture) commits suicide to avoid arrest. Camp and prison gates are opened (picture).A wave of joy sweeps the country. A notice in an Oslo shop window symbolizes the general feeling; "Closed because of joy".The section devoted to May 8, 1945, closes with a salute to Great Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union. Their flags are displayed. Pictures from the battles at Stalingrad, El Alamein and Normandy are a reminder that these victories contributed to Norway's freedom.


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48. Five years of occupation over

Liberation after five years of occupation brought in its wake far-reaching military, civil and constitutional changes. The exhibition consists of pictures reflecting changes in these three spheres.A series of pictures illustrates the military transfer of power. The Resistance Forces emerge into the light of day, assuming responsibility for law and order until the Allied Forces are ready to take over. British soldiers are now parading in Oslo, while the Germans are confined to their barracks, handing over their arms and awaiting transport back to Germany. Gestapo agents are ferreted out and placed under lock and key to await trial for their crimes. The Norwegian Criminal Code is now in force, Nazi decrees now carry no weight, and Akershus Castle has been taken over by the Home Forces.On May 13, 1945, the Supreme Commander of the Norwegian Armed Forces, Crown Prince Olav, arrived. He was received by the leaders of the Resistance Movement, while the Linge Company and detachments of the Resistance paraded before tens of thousands of happy Norwegians.Above the picture of the reception ceremony can be seen part of the last proclamation issued by the Resistance Movement, which states:The leaders of the Restistance Movement hereby inform the Government delegation under the presidency of the Crown Prince that they consider their task has now been accomplished and withdraw. The Supreme Court resumes its activity.Norwegian forces abroad and at home have become a Norwegian front.The text is reproduced on a stainless steel plate as a contrast to the many black iron plates in the museum. Previous discrepancies between Norwegian forces abroad and at home, symbolised by cracks in the plate, are now a thing of the past.On June 7, 1945, 5 years to the day after leaving Tromsø. Norway welcomes the very symbol of national resistance, King Haakon VII Cheering crowds lining the main streets running up to the Royal Palace are shown in large photos. The occupation was now at an end, and constitutionally established law and order could now function for the first time for five years.A large picture shows the King and the Crown Prince at the opening of the Storting in December 1945. The Norwegian people could now tackle the task of rebuilding their country.


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