The German War Cemetery inside the Arctic circle

At the tranquil shores of lake Norvajärvi, this War Cemetery holds the remains of 2530 German soldiers who lost their lives in the Finnish Arctic during World War 2
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Those were German soldiers who fought between 1941 and 1944, first as allies of Finland against the USSR during the Continuation War, then betrayed, and ultimately attacked by both the Soviets and the Finns during the Lapland War
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Their remains, scattered in graves all over the arctic front, were brought to rest together in peace at this spot well after the end of the conflict, in 1961. This is one of the northernmost war cemeteries in existence, looked after by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (German War Graves Commission)
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The desperate story of struggle, betrayal and retreat in Europe's Arctic Front is one of the most thrilling stories of WW2, yet one that is seldom told. It is part of my expanded Expedition to Finland Tour, which is running several times a year. For more information and bookings, contact me at

Music : Light in Dark Places by Scott Buckley

[fortitudevalance]

Would love to go there. Of course war is a nasty thing don’t wish it on anyone, Finland has a right to self defence like any nation under attack, enemies were short sighted and haven’t learnt from history. We ignore history at our peril. Everyone deserves peace but peace needs to have sharp teeth.