Memorial Site
As Gestapo’s headquarters during the war, ARKIVET became a symbol of contempt for humanity and torture. Several thousand residents of Southern Norway were arrested by the Gestapo during the war, suspected of engaging in resistance activities. Several hundred were subjected to severe, systematic torture. Many were sent on to concentration camps in Europe, and 162 of them never returned.
The Memorial Stone – Those Who Died in German Captivity
At the entrance to ARKIVET Peace and Human Rights Center stands a memorial stone. It bears the names of 162 individuals. 162 men and women from Agder lost their lives in German captivity during World War II.
Bust of Arne Laudal – District Leader for Milorg
Major Arne Laudal was the district leader for Milorg in Southern Norway. He participated in the battles in Southern Norway in 1940 and organized Milorg in the region in 1941. Laudal’s Combat Group 3 was rolled up, and on December 7, 1942, he was arrested in his home. During interrogations at ARKIVET, he was subjected to severe torture. In 1944, he was sentenced to death and executed in Trandumskogen.
Outside the building at Vesterveien 4 stands a bust of Arne Laudal. The bust was created by Ingemund Berulfson and was erected by the municipality of Kristiansand as early as 1946. In 2002, it was moved from Kristiansand Cemetery to its current location outside ARKIVET.
The Memorial Staircase – The Prisoners from Agder
The memorial corridor, located in the staircase just inside the old main entrance, is one of the memorials established in connection with the official opening of ARKIVET in 2001. Here, the names of 3,545 individuals from Agder who were imprisoned during the war are displayed. Along the two walls hang 14 boards with names listed in alphabetical order.