Reconstruction Buildings

In the Autumn of 1944, Adolf Hitler gave the following withdrawal order from Hammerfest “Burn, blow up and destroy everything you see, and show no compassion”. Hitler’s order to use the scorched earth tactic left the whole town in ruins. He didn’t want to leave anything that could have been used as valuable materials by the Russian enemies. The town therefore had to be rebuilt from scratch. The reconstruction of the houses was carried out following standard drawings, which is why they all look the same. The houses have a simple shape, but are well thought out, spacious and solid. In the planning work the use of the houses and their liveability was given highest priority, therefore, for the first time, there were designs with bedrooms for the whole family and a large modern kitchen that could have many functions. Many believe that Hammerfest is one of the best-preserved reconstructed towns in Norway, the simple two-storey residential buildings surrounding the important public brick-built buildings with 3 floors, were all placed in the town centre. The slate rooves were the same for all the buildings, but the vivid colours of the houses gave variation. If you would like to find out more, feel free to take a visit to the Reconstruction Museum for Finnmark and North Troms, or check out the links below: