Kongsvinger Gestapo HQ

About thirty kilometres from the Swedish border lies Kongsvinger, which during the whole war was a hub in the illegal traffic between occupied Norway and neutral Sweden. A traffic that included couriers, documents, weapons and refugees. The Germans were well aware of this and when the activities increased in 1943, the head of SIPO (Security Police) and SD and intelligence services in Norway, SS-Oberführer Heinrich Fehlis, decided, to strengthen Gestapo’s presence in the area by setting up a local office in Kongsvinger. The office was merged with Grepo, which was previously located in the premises of the nearby Sparbanken. Grepos’ main task was to monitor traffic between Norway and Sweden. The Gestapo (and Grepo) moved into the East Line compound in central Kongsvinger. Persons suspected of anti-German activities were taken to the Gestapo for questioning and, not infrequently, beatings and torture were also used as a means of forcing conseccions or confessions.