Paper short abstract:

The Lapland war (1944-1945) has left many different memories and traces in the local people’s minds and also in the nature in Lapland. The meaning of it can be discussed here as a difficult memory and local cultural heritage. They are still today eagerly discussed.

Paper long abstract:

The Second World War did not end in Lapland with the peace treaty of Soviet Union. From summer 1944 until spring 1945 so called “Lapin sota”, Lapland war was taken place. Whole civil population of Lapland had to be evacuated in Sweden and in Ostrobothnia. People could return home after the evacuation time next spring, but their home villages, roads etc were burned down. After very hard and rapid reconstruction period the life went on.

The traces which German troops left in the nature in Lapland have been partly demolished, but I will discuss here one special site, the Järämä in Enontekiö. The German troops built Järämä – in German Sturmbock-Stellung – as a larger defensive line intended to protect their way to Norwegian cost. Now part of the Sturmbock-Stellung has been rebuilt and since 1997 there is now a permanent exhibition which displays the events and phases of the Lapland War. It includes the civilians’ experiences during the evacuation to Sweden and rebuilding of Lapland as well as photos. To whom is the exhibition made and how it is used in tourism industry? What is the meaning of Lapland war for local people in Lapland.

I will discuss here how this difficult memory is now used as a part of cultural heritage.