Daniel, 42, was only supposed to clean the garden

Daniel, 42, was only supposed to clean the garden

Daniel Valstad of Laxelve bought a house in Helsheimen in 2012. Since then, he has constantly cleared the forest and trees on the plot.

All this while, a small root on the lawn bothered him.

– She was in the corner of the house, and I did not want to destroy the lawn. But now is the time, the 42-year-old tells TV 2.

On September 25, Valstad seized the tractor and began to uproot the roots. Then a small gap appeared.

– I pushed a ladder into the hole, and crawled down with a flashlight, he says, and adds:

– That’s when we understood that we had to open everything.

The issue was first discussed in iFinnmark.

Photo: private

Everyone was curious

Valstad discovered a larger underground chamber. Above were three concrete blocks. Fourth gone.

– Hence the hole I could crawl into, he says, and he went on to say that his son ran to fetch the neighbour.

– Everyone was curious. My four-year-old son wanted to go down to the hole right away, but I didn’t let him get close.

Valstad has started removing the grass covering the concrete roof with tractors. Then he got help from someone nearby who had an excavator.

I haven’t had a chance to lift concrete alone, he explains.

A neighbor helped Daniel Falstad with an excavator.  Photo: private

A neighbor helped Daniel Falstad with an excavator. Photo: private

A neighbor helped Daniel Falstad with an excavator.  Photo: private

A neighbor helped Daniel Falstad with an excavator. Photo: private

Hidden room hidden under the garden.  Photo: private

Hidden room hidden under the garden. Photo: private

Many believe the room originated from World War II.  Photo: private

Many believe the room originated from World War II. Photo: private

Researcher Robert Severin Pedersen believes that the room was a kind of sewage system.  Photo: private

Researcher Robert Severin Pedersen believes that the room was a kind of sewage system. Photo: private

Daniel Valstad covered the hole again with the original concrete blocks.  Photo: private

Daniel Valstad covered the hole again with the original concrete blocks. Photo: private

This is how the room looks inside with concrete blocks as a ceiling.  Photo: private

This is how the room looks inside with concrete blocks as a ceiling. Photo: private

I think the room had a function during the war

The pit turned into a vault-like room, but what it was actually was is currently unknown.

– What do you think you found?

– Uncertain. We thought it might have been an old sewage system. That was the first thought. But then I spoke with my neighbor who has been living here since before the war.

The neighbor thinks the room may have served as a kind of airspace for other hideouts in the area.

– A number of caches are found near here. There was a lot of German activity here during the war. On top of the hill, the Germans had a weapons store and a car workshop. The 42-year-old explains that they made roads that went from there to the shelters.

What happens next with Valstad’s results is uncertain, but so far the hole has been covered again.

– I put the three concrete elements back in, and bought a fourth so that the whole is covered. Then I put sand and mold on top of it.

I think it’s a drain system

Robert Severin Pedersen, a researcher and historian, tells TV 2 that the hidden room looks like some kind of sewage system.

– There were many workshop buildings in that area during the war, so there’s probably something to do with that. It looks like some kind of sewage system, Pedersen explains, but I wouldn’t say anything for sure.

He himself did not have time to see the discovery of Falstad in reality, but looked at the photos.

– The Germans were careful when they built. They did it right in terms of banks and things like that, because they have plans to stay here for a while.

– Have you seen any similar results?

Nothing like what Valstad found, but there are many bunkers around the area. There were large German installations there. A little west of the Valstad house, much of the foundation wall of the welfare facility remains.

Valstad himself hopes and believes that more exciting discoveries will emerge in his private garden.

“I work there every day clearing trees and shrubs, so I’ll keep an eye on my digging,” Valstad concludes.

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Dalila Awolowo

Dalila Awolowo

"Explorer. Unapologetic entrepreneur. Alcohol fanatic. Certified writer. Wannabe tv evangelist. Twitter fanatic. Student. Web scholar. Travel buff."

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