The National Monument, by sculptor Gunnar Janson, was built in 1975 in Akershus Castle. The composition stands against the background of an overturned boat, which symbolises Norway under Nazi occupation. The woman in the centre, an allegory of life and hope, encourages a man to fight.
Standing on a rock north of Oslo, Akershus Castle was founded seven centuries ago. Besieged nine times, it never surrendered. The fortress lost strategic importance in the late 18th century. During World War Two it was turned into a prison, in which many Resistance fighters were executed by firing squad. Akershus presently houses Norway’s Resistance Museum. The Liberty Bell tolls here three times a year—on New Year’s Eve, Constitution Day of May 17 and Independence Day, June 7.