Espeland fangeleir
Norway’s only surviving prison camp from the Second World War, at Arna, with fourteen buildings, an isolation hut and exhibitions.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Espeland prison camp lies in Moldalia at Espeland in Arna, a few kilometres south of Indre Arna. The camp was built by the German occupying power from 1942 as a transit facility for political prisoners, to relieve the Bergen district prison (Bergen kretsfengsel). The first hut was completed in January 1943, and the camp is the only surviving prison camp from the Second World War out of about 600 camps in Norway.
The prisoners came mainly from Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane. After the German capitulation in 1945 the camp was liberated by Norwegian home forces and the Red Cross, and it entered a new phase: first as a camp for people suspected of treason (landssvik), and from 1948 to 1952 almost all German war criminals sentenced in Norway were held here.
Today the site is protected and consists of fourteen buildings, barbed-wire fences and watchtowers. The camp is a setting for education and outreach, and the Stiftelsen Lenken runs it together with the Gestapohuset in Bergen. The exhibitions are in the isolation hut “Lenken” and in a furnished accommodation hut.
Key themes
- Norway’s only surviving prison camp from the Second World War
- Fourteen buildings, barbed-wire fences and watchtowers
- Historical exhibition in the isolation hut “Lenken”
- Furnished accommodation hut showing everyday life
- Free information trail all year
Permanent exhibitions
- Historisk utstilling i isolasjonsbrakken «Lenken» – Exhibition on the history of the prison camp in the preserved isolation hut.
- Dagliglivet i beboelsesbrakken – Furnished prisoners’ hut showing how the prisoners lived.
- Hele anlegget – The camp as a whole is the only surviving prison camp from the Second World War in Norway.
- Operated by
- Stiftelsen Lenken
Admission & discounts
| Adults | NOK 120 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Children and young people aged 18 and under enter free. |
The tour is included in the ticket. The free information trail is open all year.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By car
Free parking
Free parking. The gate is often locked after office hours, at around 15:30.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
The kitchen and meeting room can be used for events and group visits by arrangement.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Group tours and school visits are booked on the website; the visit is confirmed only once a member of staff has been in contact. At the gate there is an information board with a brochure and a map of information points. |
