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Forgotten in the Wilderness: WWII German PoW Camps in Finnish Lapland

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Archaeologies of Internment

Part of the book series: One World Archaeology ((WORLDARCH))

Abstract

In the later part of the Second World War, German troops were responsible for a front of nearly a thousand kilometers in Lapland, Northern Finland. The Germans built close to 100 prisoner of war and labor camps in the area, and imprisoned some 30,000 Russian soldiers there. Since Lapland’s infrastructure was very poor, the prisoners were used as a workforce for tasks such as building and improving roads and bridges. The prison camps and military bases, as well as their archives, were almost completely destroyed during the German retreat from Finland, in 1944–1945, in the Lapland War between the Finns and the Germans. In this chapter we report on preliminary fieldwork at the German base of Peltojoki, and we discuss how archaeology can contribute to the study and understanding of military sites from the recent past.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the volume editors, Antti Lahelma, and Wesa Perttola, for reading and commenting on earlier drafts. Despite this assistance, the authors are responsible for any remaining mistakes. Additional thanks are also due to Yrjö Norokorpi of the Finnish Forest Administration, Jari Leskinen, Aki Romakkaniemi, and Kai Romakkaniemi of the Lapland War Historical Society, and Hans Niittyvuopio of Muotkan Ruoktu. Finally, for assistance in the field, we thank Kerkko Nordqvist, Anu Herva, Ulrika Köngäs, Heidi Nordqvist, Sanna Seitsonen, and last but not least two charming little girls, Elsa and Sohvi Seitsonen.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Oula Seitsonen

  2. Department of Archaeology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    Vesa-Pekka Herva

Authors
  1. Oula Seitsonen
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  2. Vesa-Pekka Herva
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Oula Seitsonen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Stanford Archaeology Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, 94305, California, USA

    Adrian Myers

  2. , Institute of Archaeology, University College, London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom

    Gabriel Moshenska

Appendix: German and Finnish Prisoner of War, Punishment and Work Camps in the Northern Half of Finland (Based on Westerlund 2008:32, Appendix 1–2 )

Appendix: German and Finnish Prisoner of War, Punishment and Work Camps in the Northern Half of Finland (Based on Westerlund 2008:32, Appendix 1–2 )

German camps

    

Nr.

Municipality

Location

Nr.

Municipality

Location

1

Inari

Peltojoki

37

Sodankylä

Sattanen

2

Inari

Ivalo

38

Sodankylä

Siltaharju

3

Inari

Ivalo Rajankangas

39

Sodankylä

Tankavaara Purnumukka

4

Inari

Törmänen Alajoki

40

Sodankylä

Tankavaara Ylisenvaara

5

Inari

Palkisoja

41

Sodankylä

Tankavaara Pikku Tankavaara

6

Inari

Nangujärvi Saiholompola

42

Sodankylä

Tankavaara Peuravaara

7

Inari

Southern end of Lake Nangujärvi

43

Sodankylä

Tankavaara Vosavaara

8

Inari

Nangujärvi Kettujärvi

44

Sodankylä

Jokelaisenaapa

9

Inari

Nellimö Paksuniemi

45

Rovaniemi

Korkalovaara

10

Inari

Mustola Paloselkä

46

Rovaniemi

Ounasvaara

11

Inari

Sarminiemi

47

Rovaniemi

Ounasjoki

12

Inari

Pikku Kaamassaari

48

Rovaniemi

Saarenkylä

13

Inari

Juutuanjoki

49

Rovaniemi

Pallari, Oikarainen Road 5 km

14

Inari

Ranta-Antti beach

50

Rovaniemi

Road to Arctic Ocean 61.5 km

15

Inari

Kankivuono

51

Rovaniemi

Haukivaara

16

Inari

Mahlatti Mahlatsaari

52

Rovaniemi

Mukkala

17

Inari

Nukkumajoki

53

Rovaniemi

Hirvas

18

Inari

Konesjärvi Pikkupaanteenvaara

54

Rovaniemi

Muurola Kuusivaara

19

Inari

Vuontisjärvi

55

Rovaniemi

Rovaniemi-Kemijärvi Road 59 km

20

Inari

Kielajoki

56

Rovaniemi

Kulus Olkkajärvi

21

Inari

Hanhijärvi

57

Rovaniemi

Misi, Railroad 42 + 7 km

22

Inari

Kaamanen Haaraldinjärvi

58

Enontekiö

Iitto

23

Inari

Sikovuono

59

Enontekiö

Siilasjärvi Siilastupa

24

Inari

Hyljelahti

60

Enontekiö

Palojoensuu

25

Inari

Solojärvi Haukkapesäoja

61

Enontekiö

Kilpisjärvi Malla

26

Inari

Karipääjärvi Jurmurova

62

Kemijärvi

Rovajärvi

27

Inari

Illestinkaira

63

Kemijärvi

Ketola, Rovaniemi-Kemijärvi Road 71 km

28

Utsjoki

Kaamasmukka

64

Kemijärvi

Joutsijärvi

29

Utsjoki

Luomusjoki

65

Kemijärvi

Korpijärvi

30

Sodankylä

Seipäjärvi Saarijärvi

66

Kemi

Vallitunsaari

31

Sodankylä

Seipäjärvi

67

Alatornio

Kalkkimaa

32

Sodankylä

Seipäjärvi Myllyvaara

68

Kuusamo

Kuusamo

33

Sodankylä

Vuojärvi

69

Kuusamo

Kuusamo-Kiestinki Road 20 km

34

Sodankylä

Road to Arctic Ocean 86.5 km

70

Kuusamo

Kaikkonen

35

Sodankylä

Road to Arctic Ocean 93 km

71

Kuusamo

Sänkikangas

36

Sodankylä

Road to Arctic Ocean 96 km

72

Kuusamo

Penttilänvaara

German camps

  

Finnish camps

Nr.

Municipality

Location

Nr.

Municipality

Location

73

Taivalkoski

Korvua

96

Inari

Ivalo

74

Taivalkoski

Tervajoki

97

Inari

Palkisoja

75

Taivalkoski

Isokumpu

98

Kemi

Ajossaari

76

Taivalkoski

Inkee

99

Oulu

Oulu

77

Suomussalmi

Rapuanvaara

100

Liminka

Liminka

78

Suomussalmi

Kerälänkylä, eastern end of Lake Sakarajärvi

101

Pelso

Pelso

79

Hyrynsalmi

Hyrynsalmi

102

Suomussalmi

Suomussalmi

80

Petsamo

Liinahamari

103

Suomussalmi

Taivalalanen

81

Petsamo

Peuravuono

104

Suomussalmi

Pesiö

82

Petsamo

Nurmensätti

105

Suomussalmi

Haukiperä

83

Petsamo

Kap Romanow

106

Kajaani

Kajaani

84

Petsamo

Parkkina

107

Hyrynsalmi

Hyrynsalmi

85

Petsamo

Näsykkä

108

Hyrynsalmi

Tipasoja

86

Petsamo

Titowka

109

Hyrynsalmi

Tuhkala

87

Petsamo

Ylä-Luostari

110

Salla

Kuolajärvi Kairala Saukkojänkä

88

Petsamo

Kolosjoki

111

Salla

Kotala Church

89

Petsamo

Salmijärvi Jäkälävaara

112

Salla

Alakurtti Kaitaankangas

90

Petsamo

Nautsi

113

Uhtua

Vuonninen

91

Petsamo

Jäniskoski

114

Uhtua

Vasovaara

92

Salla

Alakurtti

115

Uhtua

Lonkka

93

Salla

Kairala

116

Rukajärvi

Tiiksjärvi

94

Salla

Nurmi

   

95

Salla

Lampela

   
  1. Note: Since the Finnish place names were difficult for Germans, they often named locations by the distance travelled along road from some central location (Alftan 2005:64).

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Seitsonen, O., Herva, VP. (2011). Forgotten in the Wilderness: WWII German PoW Camps in Finnish Lapland. In: Myers, A., Moshenska, G. (eds) Archaeologies of Internment. One World Archaeology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9666-4_10

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