Heavy Water War

During World War II, there was a race to be able to produce the first atomic bomb. Heavy water was needed, and it was produced at Vemork near Rjukan. Heavy water was a by-product of fertilizer production, which caught the interest of the Nazis.

Rjukan is legendary for the bold heavy water sabotages, and one of the most famous actions in war history took place in February 1943. The action where Norwegian resistance men bombed the heavy water plant at Vemork is described as one of the most successful sabotage operations during World War II.

The whole story of the sabotage operations and of life during the occupation is well preserved at the Norwegian Industrial Workers' Museum in Vemork.

The heavy water cellar

In the autumn of 2017, Norway's first and Europe's largest industrial archeological excavation will start. The hope was to find the basement floor of the room where the heavy water system was without major damage. After a few intense weeks, the Norwegian Industrial Workers' Museum was able to confirm that the entire basement had been found almost intact. A new museum is now being built over the basement, and iprobably soon we will be able to go straight to one of the world's most famous cellars!