Location: | Near Lille Lerresfjord. Two trails, both about 1 h walk to the cave. One trail starts from the town Liidnavuonna to the south, the other from the E6 about 2 km southwest of Liidnavuonna to the east. |
Open: |
No restrictions. [2014] |
Fee: |
free. [2014] |
Classification: | Cave House |
Light: | bring torch |
Dimension: | |
Guided tours: | |
Photography: | |
Accessibility: | |
Bibliography: | |
Address: | Evakueringshulen. |
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During World War II Norway was occupied by German troops. In the fall of 1944, the Germans ordered a forced evacuation of the inhabitants of Finnmark and Northern Troms. 25,000 people escaped and found shelter in caves, tents and turf huts. One of those artificial cave houses was now restored with the help of contributions from Finnmark county administration. It is located at the Lille Lerresfjord in Løkengdalen.
The cave was created at the lower wedge of a huge boulder. The boulder is rounded so it forms a small ledge or overhang at its foot. The cave house was built by lowering the floor and closing the ledge with a wall of birch wood and turf. Digging also increased the size at the rear end, underneath the rock.
The houses were furnished with simple Bunk beds and furniture and necessities the people brought secretly from home, like stoves, woolen blankets, and kitchen items. In this cave ten people lived from NOV-1944 to MAY-1945.