Cemeteries of Soviet Prisoners of War in Norway

From 1941 to 1945 approximately 13,700 Soviet POWs died on Norwegian territory, but only a third of them are known by name or could be identified by their ID tag. This is surprising, because the German Wehrmacht had strict rules about handling deaths among POWs. Since every prisoner received an ID tag, making identification definitive, every death had to be recorded so that the resting place of this person could be verified. This was also true in Norway. Today, about 8300 deaths can be documented, very often including the location where death took place, but with thorough research this number could be increased to at least 9000 POWs. While it is possible to reconstruct the setup of many cemeteries, or at least to compile allocation lists for the end of the war, more problematic is the fate of 3000 POWs who died in the sinking of two ships. Even here, however, there are ways of finding out the names of those who drowned. Research is complicated by the fact that many deceased were often relocated more than once to newly created cemeteries, especially the one at Tjotta in Fylke Nordland, where identities have been lost. A major reason must have been the political situation, because during the Cold War Soviet POWs were once again considered to be the ideological enemy, while within the Soviet Union itself they were seen as traitors to the Fatherland. Collaboration in clarifying their fate is not just a moral duty, it is also the best way towards long-term reconciliation.