The Powder Tower

The Powder Tower, also known as the Powder House, was originally the tower where gunpowder was stored from 1755 onward. In 1830, the Powder Tower was converted into a prison intended to hold the most dangerous and worst criminals. As a result, we have some fantastic stories from the Powder Tower, and there are four prisoners, in particular, I want to highlight. Most intriguing, however, is the murder in the Powder Tower and the weapon that remains there to this day. But more on that later.

We begin with Gjest Baardsen—a gentleman criminal and escape artist. He is best known for his numerous jailbreaks, outsmarting sheriffs and bailiffs, and his many travels around the country. He gained a reputation as a Norwegian Robin Hood who fought against the injustices of those in power. In 1827, he was sentenced to life at hard labor and was confined in the Powder Tower. While there, he wrote his autobiography, which perhaps explains why the stories about him today seem so noble. A film about his life was made in 1939, and it remains quite good even today.

Next is Ole Høiland, a master thief and Casanova. He became somewhat of a folk hero, as he also played a bit of the Robin Hood role and was sympathetic toward ordinary people. He is best known as the only person to successfully rob Norges Bank, and he escaped from prison a total of 13 times. He eventually ended up in the Powder Tower—where he actually managed to escape. He sawed through the floor and dug his way through the ground beneath the walls, very much in a Dalton-style. He did the digging naked because he couldn’t afford to get dirt on his clothes, as that would have raised suspicion. But after three years, he was captured again, betrayed by those who were hiding him, and ended up back in the Powder Tower. There, he was put on display every Sunday in his chains as a warning of what could happen if you became a criminal. In the end, he took his own life by hanging himself in the Powder Tower. His life was portrayed in the Norwegian feature film 'Balladen om mestertyven Ole Høiland' from 1970.

Most people know Vidkun Quisling, the traitor whose surname has become synonymous with the words “traitor” and “Judas.” After the liberation of Norway, Quisling was convicted in 1945 for treason, murder, and theft in the Eidsivating Court of Appeal. He ended up in the Powder Tower. Not long after, he was executed at the execution site in Akershus Fortress. This was done in the dead of night in silence because they did not want to make him a martyr. They just wanted to get rid of him, and that they did.

The last one is the robber-murderer Rudolf Hansen. He is not as well-known as the other three I mentioned, but his story in the Powder Tower is the most thrilling of all. A brutal event involving him occurred in the Powder Tower. He was a robber and murderer, which is why he ended up there. One day, he decided to escape. He crafted a weapon from one of the bed legs, to which he attached large nails and a pair of scissors he had managed to smuggle in from the Slave Prison. The scissors were attached to provide the right weight for the weapon. He beat one of the guards to death in the Powder Tower. The guard’s life could not be saved. Hjalmar Hansen, a large guard who was standing outside the Powder Tower, heard the screams from inside and ran in. Rudolf was put in chains and later placed in 'the pit,' where he ended his life by hanging himself. The homemade murder weapon can still be seen in the Powder Tower today, and you can only imagine the bloody murder deep within the Powder Tower when you see the weapon.