Falstad was an infamous prison for military and political prisoners during the occupation. About 4500 prisoners from 13 nations were housed here. After the war, Falstad was used as a prison for NS members.
The nearby Falstad woods was the scene of many executions and is now a protected war memorial
Falstad was one of many prison camps that the Germans established throughout Norway and was the second largest after Grini. As at Grini, many of the prisoners were sent to concentration camps in Germany