Beisfjord
Encyclopedia
Beisfjord is a village approx. 15 km (9.3 mi) from the town of Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...

, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

. It has about 800 inhabitants. The village is situated by Beisfjorden an arm of Ofotfjord
Ofotfjord
Ofotfjord or Narvik Fjord, an inlet of the Norwegian sea north of the Arctic circle, is Norway's 12th longest fjord, long, and the 18th deepest, with a maximum depth of . Along the shores of this fjord is the major town of Narvik...

en, and is served by Beisfjord Bridge
Beisfjord Bridge
Beisfjord Bridge is a bridge that crosses Beisfjorden near the town of Narvik in Nordland county in Norway. The bridge is 375 metres long. Ankenes, a residential area of Narvik, is on the southern side of Beisfjorden, while the town center and the majority of the population is on the northern...

.

Beisfjord was the location of one of the most notorious concentration camps during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 in Norway. (At a satellite camp located 30 kilometers from Lager I Beisfjord (concentration camp), the Beisfjord massacre
Beisfjord massacre
The Beisfjord massacre was a massacre on July 18, 1942 in Beisfjord, Norway of 288 political prisoners who were killed at Lager I Beisfjord The Beisfjord massacre (Norwegian: Beisfjord-massakren) was a massacre on July 18, 1942 in Beisfjord, Norway of 288 political prisoners who were killed at...

 occurred during the night of July 18, 1942.
) It was a camp for Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n and Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....

 (mostly Serb) prisoners of war. The Yugoslavians consisted of some 900 men, 88 of whom were between 14 and 18 years of age. They were housed there for about six months, until the survivors were transferred out in October 1942. During one three week period in July 1942, 311 men died, some from typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...

, but most on one day when the German high command ordered all 287 prisoners in the sick quarters to be executed, citing concerns over health risks. All but about 100 were marched to a prepared mass grave and shot. Those who were not yet dead were buried alive. When the remaining 100 prisoners refused to leave the barracks, the Germans doused the place with gasoline and set it on fire. Those who did not burn to death were shot as they tried to escape. In all, during the six month stay in Beisfjord, about 83% (>700 prisoners) of the Yugoslavians died.

After the remaining Yugoslavians were transferred out in October 1942, Russian prisoners were brought to Beisfjord and kept there until 1945. In all, between 3,500 - 4,000 Russians had passed through there by war's end.
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