Before and during 2.world war, the German secret police was called the Gestapo. (geheime staats polizei) It was part of the security police "Sipo".

Krupa was the first in charge, and he used the basement of "Hotel Lofoten" to mistreat his suspects. But what you sow, you reap. In 1944 Krupa ended his days shot by Norwegian resistance on a pavement in Oslo's main street.

In Svolvær, The Gestapo later moved their headquarters to the council-house and to a private house in "Storgata". The original Gestapo cell could be seen almost intact until recent days.

The Gestpo boss Krupa was soon replaced by Uhrl. Uhrl, a former criminal investigator, didn't become a member of the Nazi party until 1939. Being in charge of the Gestapo, Uhrl was far from the worst. He conducted his investigations some times by shouting, but was never known to use brutality force.

A lot worse could be said about his second-in-command "Gross". His verbal abuse was of the worst kind. His looks were brutal and he was a fanatic follower of Hitler. Gross road a motor cycle, witch he managed to crash. Evil rumours purported that he had been drunk. The truth however was that he crashed trying to avoid hitting a child crossing the road. In this incident, Gross cut his face severely and Dr.Lund, the head of the local hospital stitched him up as bad as he possibly could. When Gross finally took of his bandages, he became furious and wanted Dr. Lund to be sent to any of the worst concentration camps they could possibly locate in Germany. Another German doctor came to Dr. Lund's to rescue, claiming mishaps were not uncommon. Gross carried the nickname "scar face" for the rest of the war.

Both Uhrl and Gross managed to escape at the end of the war, but both was captured and brought back. Gross even attempted suicide, but were rescued by the very same dr, Lund, who heavy heartedly pumped him for poison.

During the last days of the war, Uhrl was in the possession of the names of several members of the resistance, but did not forward this information to his superiors. This spoke to his advantage in trials after the war. Since the end of the war, Uhrl has paid Svolvaer several visits, however in a very discreet manner.

All in all the Gestpo were feared both by Germans and Norwegians. Their operations were based on extensive treason. Several of the "quislings", or informers, at the Gestapo called them, were never caught after the war. Several "informants" from Lofoten and Vesterålen were never revealed simply because their names were never recorded and Uhrl was the only person who knew of their identity.

The Gestapo was also known for their excessive use of torture, but most of the Gestapo officers were regular civilian policemen who achieved their results by ordinary police methods and investigation techniques. Far too many Norwegians were caught because they underestimated the Gestapo and it's invisible net of "informants" and collaborators.

In the trials after the war twelve Germans were executed because of their use of torture, brutality and even murder. All of them were members of the Gestapo.

Wolfgang S.Fehmer.
Wolfgang S. Fehmer was one of the heads of Gestapo in Norway. Fehmer was tall, dark and handsome. A person of great charm often considered to be a ladies-man. Quite a sight striding down Oslo's main street in full SS uniform with his German shepherd at his gloved right hand side. Not a person you dared stop, asking for time. But behind the façade of seeming politeness and womanising, hid an almost Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality with heavy psychopathic characteristics.

During interrogations, Fehmer threw violent rages using torture and abuse in grand scale. Milorg, the Norwegian resistance fighter tried to assassinate Fehmer, but he survived with gunshot wounds to his chest. After the war Fehmer unsuccessfully tried to escape. Fehmer was an athlete, and continued physical training in his cell every day until the day 16th of mars 1948 when he was executed. There have never been any flowers on his grave in Oslo.

The hat pictured to the right, is claimed to have belonged to Wolfgang. The hat, ripped apart trampled on, and even had its visor torn off, was finally thrown into a shack where rodents and moths feasted upon it for several years. "Sic transit Gloria mundi".