Millions, they said, don`t forget it In the cellar of the kitchen quarters (one Millions, I am but one of three buildings which are from the war Berg I am one who was here days) punishment cells remain as they Prison Camp I am one who left were and are intact. They house a small 26 October 1942 - 8 May 1945 Amongst millions one is soon forgotten museum but being inside the prison I am one grounds this is not open on a daily basis. Berg Prison Camp is unprecedented in Take my name and uphold it Guided tours for groups may, however, `s history of German occupation. It was the only prison camp under Nor- be arranged. wegian administration, reporting directly Margaret Skjelbred, 2012 to the nazified Norwegian Police depart- ment.

The first steps towards the gas chambers The Memorial (Architecture: Sabina E. Markussen) On National Day, 17 May 1942, the “jøssinger” () wore The Memorial, which stands at the en- chicken leg rings in national colours in trance to Berg Prison, was unveiled 26 silent protest against the Nazis. This October 2012 exactly 70 years after the instigated Quisling`s (Norwegian Nazi first Jews arrived there. The Memorial leader) raging outburst against the consists of two stones which face each chicken-brained mentality of the resi- other at a short distance. Each bears stance. “I have borne the consequence”, information tablets. The railway track in he said in his speech, “and built a chicken the middle symbolizes the Jews` journey Berg Prison Camp`s Interest Group farm for them at Berg near Tønsberg.” to and from Berg and the last journey to Søndre Berg 30 Thereby, the camp became known as Auschwitz. 3125 Tønsberg, Norway “Quisling`s chicken farm”. The “jøssinger” were not, however, the then by train to Auschwitz. Only seven of initial inmates. Jewish males were the them survived and returned to Norway. first. Sixty arrived on 26 October 1942 Around 60 Jews remained at Berg until and around 290 more came during the the end of the war because they were following days. By then three barracks married to non-Jewish women. were erected, and that was all. Neither heating nor bunk bed - much less bedd- The first political prisoners (“jøssinger”) ing. No tin plate, no food dish, no kitchen, came to Berg on 27 January 1943. Accor- no water, no toilet, no stool, no table. ding to prisoners who were moved from Just three bare barracks. Grini Prison Camp in the transfer to Along the Berg pathway Berg was horrendous - comparable to a 772 Jews were deported as prisoners journey back into the darkest Middle When the railway line was re- from Norway during the Second World Ages. Berg was planned for 3000 prison- constructed permission was granted to War. They came from the whole country ers but had, at the most, between 500 - and approx. 230 of these were deported 600. keep a piece of the old railtrack on which through Berg. Only 34 of the 772 came Jews arrived at Berg and from whence back alive. the journey to Auschwitz started one month later. A pathway has been created from this starting point which circumfer- ences the prison grounds and finishes at a memorial. This memorial was inaugurat- ed 8 May 2015 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the war. Infor- mation posts have been erected along the pathway which tell more about Berg and what happened there during the war. A punishment cell The length of the pathway is approx. 3

Illegal photograph from Berg kilometres. during the war Two of the Norwegian commanders at

Berg Prison Camp were prosecuted under The author Margaret Skjelbred has con- On 26 November 1942 around 230 pri- the legal purge after the war. Under soners were taken out from Berg, stow- decrees concerning treasonous acts they tributed with poetry which appears on ed into freight cars and transported to were condemned to death but the sen- one of the tablets of the memorial. This is Oslo. From there the journey continued tences were later reduced to lifelong hard translated into Hebrew and stands along- by the slave ship “Donau” to Stettin and labour. side the Norwegian text.