High up there, just above the treetops, a lone drone flies. Although the technological gadget is relatively small, it still has a big and important task ahead of it: Namely to map the forest floor in Trønder in the hope of finding dead bodies. Because these unknown people have been missing for 80 years. Ever since the Germans’ brutal executions in Falstadskogen in Levanger municipality during the Second World War. – The dead deserve to be found, says researcher Kristoffer Eliassen Grini. Based on historical research, experts estimate that around 220–300 prisoners were executed here. So far, only 88 bodies have been found. In addition, Germans have told in questioning that around 30 bodies were dug up just before the liberation was a fact. These were loaded into a boat and sunk somewhere in the Trondheimsfjord. But if you use these numbers as a basis, you have a calculation that does not add up. Cruel executions – Bodies are still missing. Therefore, we want to clarify whether there are any graves in the forest that we do not know about. We have a moral duty to find them, says Marek E. Jasinski to news. Jasinski is professor of archeology and cultural heritage studies at NTNU. At the Falstad Centre, he is involved in a research project that focuses on war and conflict as a cultural phenomenon. During the Second World War, Falstad was used as a prison camp by the German security police. More than 4,200 prisoners are said to have stayed here. Both Norwegian and foreign. – The forest is an important part of Falstad’s history. Cruel executions took place here during the war. Finding the bodies has a historical dimension, but it is the human dimension that is the most important, says the professor. Jasinski says that finding hidden graves in such forest areas is one of the most difficult things. Worse than in other types of landscape. Among others, drone pilot Atilla Haugen hopes to be able to contribute here. Marek Jasinski is a professor at both NTNU and the Falstad Centre. He is central to research associated with Falstadskogen in Trøndelag. Photo: Frida J. Krüger / news – The exciting drone, which is already combing the Falstad forest, has a laser sensor attached. It must be powerful enough to “see” through the vegetation and provide highly detailed images of the ground. – A bit of the challenge is that this technology provides such a good resolution, so it can be difficult to see what is natural and what is not in our data set. Even a small pinecone will appear. And then we have to be able to distinguish between different things, says Haugen. By studying old graves, they train an artificial intelligence to recognize potential new ones. For the drone pilot, this is a completely new task. – I am very excited about whether we will find unknown graves, says Haugen. Here the drone flies around the treetops in Falstadskogen. Photo: Erlend Lånke Solbu / news The picture shows Soviet prisoners of war at Falstad during the war. Photo: Falstadsenteret During the German occupation, the prison camp was called “Straffefangenlager”. Photo: Falstadsentret One of several pyramid-shaped memorials in Falstadskogen. Photo: Erlend Lånke Solbu / news The building that today houses the Falstad Center has a history that goes back to the first half of the 1920s. Photo: Eivind Aabakken / news The cross is a memory of one of the 88 that were found in Falstad Forest after the war. But the person in question has not been identified. Photo: Falstadsenteret A worthy end Kristoffer Eliassen Grini is a researcher at Falstadsenteret. He says making discoveries would mean a lot to many. It is still very uncertain who and how many may be buried in the forest. The researcher says there are several aspects to discovering unknown graves. One is to develop a method that works, while the other is to give relatives answers and closure. Today, the forest is a protected memorial site. Even though the Second World War is history, that does not mean that you should leave things alone, says Grini. He goes on to say that finding remains of war crimes has become very relevant in view of what is happening in Ukraine right now. This is something researchers and people all over Europe are concerned about. In the coming weeks, the analyzes of the data from the forest floor in Levanger will begin. It will take time, but hopefully the photos will eventually be able to reveal more about what lies beneath the moss-covered, historic landscape. Kristoffer Eliassen Grini, Marek Jasinski and Atilla Haugen look at the drone screen. Work on mapping the forest floor is well under way. Photo: Frida J. Krüger / news
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Hopes new technology can reveal mass graves in Falstadskogen – wants to find the Nazis’ hidden victims – news Trøndelag
