During the Second World War, many Norwegians were subjected to severe torture at the Gestapo House in Bergen. Several threw themselves from the window straight to their deaths to escape the Gestapo. After terrible interrogations and cruel treatment, they were transferred to Espeland prison camp. During the years of occupation, over 2,000 Norwegians were imprisoned here. This is a brutal true story from Bergen during the Second World War. LINK TO THE GESTAP MUSEUM: http://www.gestapomuseet.no/norsk LINK TO ESPELAND PRISON CAMP: https://www.espeland-fangeleir.no The Gestapo Museum is a museum under development and is currently operated on a voluntary basis by the Gestapo Museum Association. The museum premises are located on the 4th floor in Veiten 3. Espeland prison camp is Norway's only preserved prison camp and is run by Stiftelsen Espeland prison camp. The camp is therefore a completely unique experience and is open to the public. FESTNINGSVERK MILITARY HISTORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA: WEB: http://festningsverk.no FACEBOOK PAGE: / festningsverk.no FACEBOOK GROUP: / bilderfranorge FACEBOOK: / 460485847982579 INSTAGRAM: / norwegian_ww2_photos INSTAGRAM: / festningsverk GESTAPHOUSE: The Gestapohuset or "House of Horror" as it is also called is called colloquially in the heart of Bergen city centre, close to Den Nationale Scene. The Gestapo, as part of the German Security Police (Sipo), was the most famous German police department, and became a symbol of the occupying power's brutality during World War II with its use of torture. Authentic prison cells are preserved in the Gestapo house. The cells are unique in their kind. From floor to ceiling you can see inscriptions carved in by prisoners who were held there both as political prisoners during the war, but also by traitors and war criminals after the war. Several Norwegians threw themselves out of the window to escape the brutal interrogations. Today, the Gestapo Museum is located on the premises. The museum is a high-tech communication center that takes you into the Nazi ideology's view of humanity and its brutal expression. The museum tells about human suffering, brutality and hope. On interactive screens you can follow the prisoners' journey and other information such as the prisoners' and torturers' own accounts as they were given in police interrogations after the war. ESPELAND PRISON CAMP: This was a German prison camp, officially called Espeland Polizeihäftlingslager. The camp was used as a prison for political prisoners in the Westland region from January 1943 to 9 May 1945. It was outside Bergen and in its time was one of Sipo and SD's four prison camps in Norway, together with Tromsdalen, Falstad and Grini. When completed, the prison camp had a capacity of around 380 prisoners. During its more than two years in operation, it housed a total of 2,026 prisoners, one hundred of whom were foreign. In January 1943, prisoners moved into the first crew barracks at Espeland. A further two barracks were completed respectively in February and July of that year. At that time there was also a residential barracks for the guards, as well as a combined residential and administrative barracks for the camp management. A single-cell barracks for male prisoners, called "Lenken", was completed in August 1943. Here sat men who were subject to stricter guarding and punishment conditions. A corresponding single-cell barrack for women was put into use in March 1944. When the development work was finished the following month, the camp's facilities had also been supplemented with a kitchen barrack and a washing and toilet barrack. Espeland served as an extension of Bergen District Prison, since Sipo's capacity there was severely limited. The camp served as a detention and disciplinary facility for Sipo and SD's prisoners, who, with the exception of a few criminals, were political prisoners. The purpose was to keep the prisoners there for a shorter period of time. Some were released because Sipo and the SD found no evidence to keep them in prison, while others were released because the discipline was believed to have lasted sufficiently long. 627 prisoners were eventually transferred to Grini prison, which was designed for long-term stays, as well as being a transit camp for the many who were eventually intended to be sent to concentration camps in Germany. Sipo and SD's presence in the prison camp was limited to a small number of men at management level, such as the camp commandant, catering manager, work effort manager and the head of the women's department. The guards came from a police guard company from the German order police (Ordnungspolizei). Five prisoners died during their stay in the prison camp. (Source regarding Espeland Prison: https://snl.no/Espeland_fangeleir)