– The swastika is probably a little over one meter in diameter. Then there is a big red v under or around it, says warden Bjarte Steinnes. It was during the renovation of Solborg folk college in Stavanger that it happened. They were going to remove old paint on one of the outer walls of the school, but there were some colors that wouldn’t go away. Eventually the hated symbol emerged. Today, Solborg folk high school is quite hidden as it is located in the middle of the residential area of Tjensvoll in Stavanger, but in 1940 it was completely open around the school – It has been quite dominant, and shown well in the cityscape, says Mindor Vårvik, who is also a caretaker at the school . Bjarte Steinnes and Mindor Vårvik, janitors at Solborg folk college in Stavanger. Photo: Tone Ollestad / news Not surprised Local historian Erik Ettrup is not surprised. Solborg was the place where the German air force Luftwaffe first established themselves when they arrived in Stavanger in April 1940. The airport itself was at Sola, but the staff was based at Solborg. – In April and May 1940, Solborg was probably one of the most important command centers in southern Norway, I would say, says Ettrup. Local historian Erik Ettrup. Photo: Privat And when the Germans occupied a building, it didn’t take long before they made it their own, as they say. The swastika at Solborg is painted right on the wall. – The Germans were extremely good at painting. You can also see that from other buildings they occupied. They must have used professional painters to decorate these buildings. It often involved flags and propaganda, preferably short slogans, says the local historian. This is what the cinema hall at Solborg looked like during the war. The picture is taken from the book series “Glimt from the occupation”. Photo: Rogaland Military History Association When the Germans came to Stavanger in 1940, there were few large buildings in the city that could house thousands of soldiers. The Germans therefore occupied several school buildings in the city. And the headquarters of the Luftwaffe was central. At the start of the war, it was important for the Germans to stop British forces landing in Western Norway. Here, the large bombers at Sola were decisive. Solborg was also the place where the Germans directed air strikes against the Norwegian forces in Dirdal and Gloppedalsura further east in Rogaland. The Nazi flag testifies that Solborg was an important place for the Germans during the war. The picture is taken from the book series “Glimt from the occupation”. Photo: Military historical association Rogaland – From Solborg, the morale of the Norwegian forces was broken in many ways, says Ettrup, who has co-written an eight-volume work about the war in Rogaland together with historians Odin Leirvåg, Atle Skarsten, Hjalmar Inge Sunde and Tor Ødemotland. – Can’t have Nazi symbols on the wall Erik Ettrup is unsure what should be done with the swastika. – It is hard to say. It is a political message that does not belong in our time, but on the other hand there is a history here that should be taken care of. At the same time, you cannot have Nazi symbols on the wall in a school. Maybe they can build it in in a way so it doesn’t break? The swastika is firmly attached, according to caretaker Mindor Vårvik, who clearly has no plans to take care of the symbol. – Now they are operating and sandblasting the entire wall and facade. If they get everything away, I almost doubt it. It will probably be painted over with new layers of paint. It will probably be a lasting memory that will remain under the paint in the future, says Vårvik, who has been caretaker at Solborg for 25 years. This letter appeared when they were renovating the attic at Solborg folk college in 2003. Photo: Privat He has also found other traces of the Germans. – When we renovated the attic 19 years ago, we found a document signed by Adolf Hitler. It was a bit special.
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Giant swastika found during renovation – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
