Historic bunker

Villa Grande hides a historical bunker built for Vidkun Quisling, the leader of the Norwegian Nazi party National Unity,
who lived in the villa during the war with his wife Maria.

Visit Quisling’s bunker! We have bunker tours every weekend and holidays. The tour is included in the entrance ticket.

“The bunker was completed in 1943, and was built as a personal bunker for Vidkun Quisling. It is 67 m², has a 4 meter thick concrete shell over it and more than 4 meter thick walls of concrete. It was equipped with an electric emergency system, a belt-driven electric ventilation system with charcoal filters and a number of shock valves in the walls. An operation center with several internal and external telephone lines, a food store with cooling possibilities, a portable toilet and own water supply were also installed. In addition to protecting against bomb attacks, the bunker should also be able to function as a hospital.

The bunker was closed in May 1945 and remained closed until 2014. 70 years of decay with moisture, rot and rust had left their mark. The bunker was stabilized in the winter of 2014 in cooperation with the Directorate for Cultural Heritage, with the aim of stopping the decay. The gentle restoration is done in a gentle and responsible way, which ensures the experience of the bunker as an important cultural heritage.

Villa Grande and the bunker were protected in 2005 by the Directorate for Cultural Heritage, with the purpose of “preserving a facility that can help to illuminate the darker sides of history.” The war-historical and personal-historical aspects were considered as equally important as the architecture.”