In the hills and mountains surrounding Bergen, there are many small cabins, mostly isolated, without power or running water. Many were built years ago, before World War II, as hunting cabins or simply as places to escape the growing cities.
One such cabin, built in a shallow saddle in the hills overlooking Lønningdal and Øvredalsvatnet, on a small lake called Botnavatnet, was simply called Botnahytta. From 1941 to 1945 it became a refuge for members of the Milorg, the Norwegian resistance, and for a few days in October, 1944, the hiding place for 6 Canadian airmen who had crashed outside Os, and who were sheltered by the Milorg until they could be returned safely to the Shetland Islands and ultimately to their base in Scotland.
In the years following the war, it became important to remember the deeds of those involved, but while the historical importance of Botnahytta grew, the cabin itself, like many others, began to decay.
This website tells the story of the remarkable efforts to restore the cabin, preserving its historical accuracy, and to protect the legacy represented by the cabin and the lands around it.
One such cabin, built in a shallow saddle in the hills overlooking Lønningdal and Øvredalsvatnet, on a small lake called Botnavatnet, was simply called Botnahytta. From 1941 to 1945 it became a refuge for members of the Milorg, the Norwegian resistance, and for a few days in October, 1944, the hiding place for 6 Canadian airmen who had crashed outside Os, and who were sheltered by the Milorg until they could be returned safely to the Shetland Islands and ultimately to their base in Scotland.
In the years following the war, it became important to remember the deeds of those involved, but while the historical importance of Botnahytta grew, the cabin itself, like many others, began to decay.
This website tells the story of the remarkable efforts to restore the cabin, preserving its historical accuracy, and to protect the legacy represented by the cabin and the lands around it.
This webpage uses the free demo version of RWML Base v2.2.0