Temporary Exhibition

MINERS AND MINES

The Lapland war began on 15 September 1944. Only a scorched land was left behind.

During the 1930s, rumours of troubled times spread to Lapland. Despite the threat of war, gold mining continued in the known Lappish goldfields, Tankavaara being the most recent. The Winter War broke out in 1939, and able-bodied men were forced to leave their gold mines to take part in the turmoil of the Winter and Continuation Wars. The young, old and women of the area continued along the shovels when they had the chance.

During the Lapland War, the retreating Germans sowed havoc throughout Lapland. When peace came, the locals returned from evacuation to the scorched earth, where rebuilding began anew. Many of the front-line soldiers went to work in the northern forests and gold mining instead of going to school. The discovery of gold in the Lemmenjoki River in 1945 contributed to a hope for a better tomorrow.

The exhibition highlights the time in the goldfields before the Second World War, the war and its aftermath, and the period of reconstruction. The focus is on the war period and its immediate and subsequent impact on the lives of locals and others who worked in the goldfields.

The temporary exhibition “Miners and Mines – World War II and the Lappish Gold” opened on 1 July 2024 and will be on display at the Gold Museum until 2 May 2025. The exhibition is included in the price of the admission ticket.