Minnehallen

Minnehallen or The hall of remembrance was commissioned by the Norwegian parliament after World War I to commemorate the fallen Norwegian sailors of the war. It was unveiled by king Haakon VII and was later converted to the national monument commemorating fallen sailors of both World War I and World War II.

The interior of the hall is visited by some 20,000 people every year.

The monument itself is a pyramid of locally quarried rock and is designed by two architects from Oslo, Andreas H. Bjercke and Georg Eliassen.

Nic. Schiøll has made a relief describing the lives and fate of the sailors as well as a decoration in the crypt. 28 copper tablets display the names of 1892 sailors dead in World War I and 3456 names of sailors who died in World War II. In addition, three protocols contain the names of 5667 sailors.

Herman Wildenvey wrote a poem displayed on the rock altar in the hall. The first and last verse read as follows:


 * Landets egne, mand og kvinne
 * Konge, folk og raad,
 * reiste dette æresminde
 * over sjømænds daad.
 * Her hvor hav og land som brødre
 * deler storm og sol
 * Samles søsken, fædre, mødre,
 * om et stort symbol


 * The country's own, man and woman
 * King, people, and council
 * raised this remembrance of honor
 * over the deed of the sailor.
 * Here where sea and land as brothers
 * share storm and sun
 * Bring together siblings, fathers, mothers
 * around a great symbol.


 * Hvil i fred, hver fredens kriger
 * i din våte grav.
 * Taus du sank, mindet stiger
 * her som sol av hav.
 * Atter blir mot dagen hævet
 * alt som havet tok.
 * Og vi vet dit navn er skrevet
 * i en evig bok.


 * Rest in peace, each warrior for peace
 * in your watery grave
 * Silently you sank, the memory ascends
 * here like the sun of the sea.
 * Everything which the sea took
 * is increased by the day.
 * And we know your name is written
 * in an eternal book.