Sunday, June 16, 2024

The Industrial Museum (The Heroes of Telemark)

After dropping Tas at the airport we stayed the night back in Lunde and then headed further north back to Rjukan so we could visit the Industrial Museum situated in the Norsk Hydro Electric plant built in 1911.

This is where Heavy Water was first produced and the factory was taken over by the Nazis in WWII. This was the location of the famous Saboteur operation by the Allied Forces, lead by the Norwegians in 1943. The Allies feared the Nazis were going to produce a atomic bomb and The Heroes of Telemark film told the story.

Our park up for the night in Rjukan - it
was in the carpark of the cable car



The museum was excellent and we spent a few hours looking through the old turbine and generator hall as well as the cellar where the Heavy Water was stored and blown up by the Saboteurs.

We also learnt that heavy water, although it sounds ominous, it is actually okay to drink. It just has a different hydrogen atomic make up.


It's a striking building in a remote location


Inside the Turbine and Generator Hall



An old crane for Phil to admire!





The Heavy Water cellar was uncovered under the rubble from the old tower and was in surprisingly good condition. They built an interactive exhibition hall over the top which opened in 2022.

Dee outside the exhibition in the cellar

Dee with the Saboteurs