Tjøtta International War Cemetery

Tjøtta International War Cemetery is a war cemetery on the island of Tjøtta in Alstahaug municipality, on the Helgeland coast of Northern Norway. Established in 1970, it commemorates the victims of one of the deadliest maritime disasters of the Second World War in Norwegian waters: the sinking of the ship Rigel.

What kind of place is it?

This is a quiet, contemplative site overlooking the Norwegian coast. There is no elaborate architecture and there are no rows of named headstones. All the graves are anonymous, and a memorial stone in the shape of a cross marks the site. It is a place for reflection rather than a typical sightseeing stop.

What happened to the Rigel?

On 27 November 1944 the Rigel sank. Wikipedia puts the death toll at some 2,500 people, while other sources give somewhat lower figures, roughly 2,300 to 2,450, so the exact number depends on the source. On board were Soviet, Polish and Serbian prisoners of war, Norwegian prisoners, German deserters, German soldiers and Norwegian crew members.

The wreck lay partly submerged off the island of Rosøya for decades. It was removed around the time the cemetery was created, about 1970.

Who is buried here?

The bodies could no longer be identified, which is why the graves carry no names. Those buried here are mainly prisoners of war from Russia, Serbia and Poland, along with Norwegian prisoners and German deserters. According to the Norwegian local-history wiki, just over a thousand victims of the disaster were buried at Tjøtta, while the rest were lost at sea. Germans who died in the same disaster are also buried here.

The neighbouring cemetery

Next door lies a separate Soviet war cemetery, known locally as "Russerkirkegården", holding nearly five thousand Soviet prisoners of war. The Rigel graves are on its southern side. Together, the two cemeteries show the scale of suffering among prisoners in Northern Norway during the occupation.

Visiting

Tjøtta is in the Helgeland region, near Sandnessjøen. There is no ticket and no guided tour; visitors come in silence and respect. Remember that people of many nationalities, including Poles, are buried here.

Frequently asked questions

When was the cemetery established? In 1970.

Are the graves marked with names? No. The victims could not be identified, so all graves are anonymous, and a cross-shaped memorial stone stands on the site.

How many people died when the Rigel sank? Wikipedia says some 2,500; other sources give similar but slightly lower figures.

Were Poles among the victims? Yes. Polish prisoners of war were on board alongside Soviet and Serbian prisoners.

Where is it? On the island of Tjøtta in Alstahaug municipality, Northern Norway.