Topcamp Ekeberg World War II
The War Cemetery at Ekeberg
During World War II, the area was used as a large honorary cemetery (Ehrenfriedhof) for fallen German soldiers. Initially, they were buried temporarily at Vestre Cemetery, but in 1940 the Germans decided to move the burial ground to Ekeberg. Here, they wanted the soldiers to “rest high and free,” as the official reasoning put it.
To build the cemetery, municipal land was used, villas were demolished, and terraces, steps, and monuments were constructed. It even featured a large cross, a swastika, and a German eagle in relief. The graves were marked with so-called “gable crosses.”
Ceremonies and Symbols
Several major ceremonies were held at the cemetery, including commemorations of the German “Heroes’ Memorial Day” and remembrance days for the invasion and the Nazis’ own martyrs. Among the visitors were Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler.
Relocation and traces after the war
After the liberation in 1945, there was a strong wish to remove the cemetery — both because it occupied valuable green space and because no one wanted a German war cemetery so centrally located in Oslo. Attempts to return the remains to Germany failed, and cremation was complicated since many of the fallen were Catholic.
In 1952, the graves were moved to Alfaset Cemetery, and the cemetery at Ekeberg was dismantled.
