Soviet Prisoners of War in Norway

On 22 June 1941, the German army attacked the Soviet Union. This attack was followed by a merciless war. Around 5.7 million Soviet soldiers were taken prisoner from the beginning of the war and up to February 1945; 3.3 million of these POWs died in German prison camps.

From 1941 to 1945, approximately 100 000 Soviet POWs were sent to German occupied Norway. Most of these POWs were soldiers from the Red Army, while around 9000 were civilian Soviet citizens, including around 1400 women and 400 children.

Humiliation, slavery, hunger and death dominated the life of the Soviet POWs who were sent to Norway. However, there were some bright spots in the dreary camp life. The companionship and loyalty among the prisoners and contact with Norwegians outside the barbed wire gave strength