Fredrikstad Gestapo HQ
Between 1940 and 1945, Gestapo in Fredrikstad had its headquarters in a two-storey villa on Fergestedsveien 1 (a shorter period the headquarters was located on Skoleveien 3, about 100 meters from Fergestedsveien). On the first floor there were offices, card index and a storage room for weapons. On the second floor there were sleeping rooms and casino. In the basement there was a dark cell and an interrogation room where the Gestapo interrogated Norwegian citizens suspected of association with the Norwegian resistance movement. Not infrequently there was torture and ill-treatment to force out confessions. Norwegian collaborators gave Gestapo informations about Norwegians suspected of anti-german activities. These were brought in by Gestapo for questioning.
Current status: Preserved (2017).
Address: Fergestedsveien 1, 1606 Fredrikstad.
Get there: Walk from central Fredrikstad.
Follow up in books: Höhne, Heinz: The Order of the Death’s Head: The story of Hitler’s SS (1969).
The villa was (2017) in private ownership but it seems that parts of it are rented to private companies. For some reason, there is no memorial or anything else reminiscent of the villa’s history during the war. Sometimes it can be as simple as the property’s owners or tenants for various reasons do not want its history be highlighted.