Espeland detention camp
Espeland detention camp (Norwegian: Espeland fangeleir, German: Polizeihäftlingslager Espeland) was an internment camp opened in 1943 by Nazi Germany in occupied Norway next to the village of Espeland in the borough of Arna, Bergen.
| Espeland detention camp | |
|---|---|
| Concentration camp | |
Espeland Detention Camp | |
Location of Espeland detention camp within Vestland Espeland detention camp (Norway) | |
| Coordinates | 60.3751°N 5.47606°E |
| Other names | German: Polizeihäftlingslager Espeland,Norwegian: Espeland fangeleir |
| Known for | One of the best-preserved Nazi concentration camps in the world |
| Location | Espeland, Norway |
| Operated by | January 1943 - 9 May 1945: Nazi Germany
9 May 1945 - 1 April 1946: Norwegian Police 1 April 1946 - 21 April 1952: Norwegian Prison Board |
| First built | Summer 1942 - Summer 1944 |
| Operational | January 1943 - 21 April 1952 |
| Liberated by | Norwegian Police |
| Website | https://www.espeland-fangeleir.no/default-css.asp? |
Built to house prisoners after the closure of the nearby Ulven detention camp, Espeland was soon being used to mitigate overcrowding in Bergen. It functioned as a transit camp, sending many inmates further to Grini detention camp and to camps in mainland Europe. Abuse was common and the total number of people killed during captivity is unknown.
Following the surrender of the Nazi regime the previous day, the camp was liberated on 9 May 1945. It was subsequently used by the Norwegians to house post-war prisoners. Since 2000, there has been an effort to convert the camp into an education and archive centre. It is currently run by the Stiftelsen Espeland fangeleir (Espeland Prison Camp Foundation), which, as of 2021, was in the process of being merged with the Norwegian Gestapo Museum.
It is among the most well-preserved Nazi concentration camps in the world and in November 2014 the facility was declared a protected monument.