Digging in the North

**Finnlander** · 06-03-2013, 03:13 PM

Hey.

Im not sure if this thread even belongs to here. Im sorry if it doesnt.

Im interested in obtaining some German/Finnish war relics, by myself. I live in Finland so I have a chance to visit Eastern-Front's most Northern part, Lapland. SS-Nord along with Wehrmacht served there. There was a total of 200 000 German soldiers plus 50 000 Finnish soldiers. Im intending to dig some Lapland War (Finland vs Germany) battlefields/areas.

Has anyone of you gone metal detecting there? Do you know any good spots there? Where can I find information about good spots there?

Do you know any relic helmets dug up from there?

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 06-03-2013 03:13 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**kemi** · 06-03-2013, 03:57 PM

Digging in Finland is prohibited by law. The remains of WW2 battlefields are usually classified as historic remains under the common law under the National Board of Antiquities and the Finnish military. We are beginning to get very sensitive about our own modern history and of our tragic battlefield ridden past

**Finnlander** · 06-03-2013, 06:22 PM

Thanks. That's a ridiculous law. All is to be melted no matter what the historical value is..
Nevertheless I've seen quite a few threads started by diggers who dig in Lapland. I've seen a couple helmets and such. It's relieving to know that atleast some people are breaking the law and saving these treasures. Do you know would it be possible to go beyond the border to Russia and dig battlefields there (Russo-Finnish war battlefields near the border)? What does Russian laws say about it? And I've heard that moving those relics through the border could be a problem?

**António Fragoeiro** · 06-03-2013, 06:35 PM

by Finnlander

Thanks. That's a ridiculous law. All is to be melted no matter what the historical value is..
Nevertheless I've seen quite a few threads started by diggers who dig in Lapland. I've seen a couple helmets and such. It's relieving to know that atleast some people are breaking the law and saving these treasures. Do you know would it be possible to go beyond the border to Russia and dig battlefields there (Russo-Finnish war battlefields near the border)? What does Russian laws say about it? And I've heard that moving those relics through the border could be a problem?

I get your point.
But law is law, if our society runs by it, by all means we should respect it, no matter the country were we live.
Of course there are threads of diggers that done there. But there are also black diggers, who i suspect disrespect the most part of this laws and if they disrespect the country and its historic heritage, i wonder what they will do their finds and the fallen soldiers they discover. Would you want to be classified as one? would you like to pay a big fine or perhaps would like to taste prison food?

As collectors and historian diggers, we should give an example to other people and other generations.

**Finnlander** · 06-03-2013, 08:55 PM

Yeah, i know that law is a law and never intended to break it. With the russia question i meant in a legal perspective that is digging allowed in there and do they allow to move metal detectors beyond the border? Also i heard that digging battlefields is allowed in estonia? Can anyone enlighten me about this?

**kradman** · 06-04-2013, 08:04 AM

Hi Finnlander Digging in Lapland these days is a big problem alot of the German storage areas are on Army land and if you get found there digging you will have big problems ,The other thing is when Finland joined the EU there was a agreement to clear the forests of the the war rust and alot of what was there is now gone to metal scrapyards so gone for ever ,There are also local people who guard the areas and will phone the police if they see you digging so be warned .Russia is really another no no the Russian customs laws clear state that no Military items can be taken across the border from Russia to Finland and i know of one Finnish guy who spent 5 days in the Russian Police hotel and lost his car for trying to bring dug up items across the border to Finland big problems for some rusty helmets

**Finnlander** · 06-04-2013, 01:52 PM

Thanks krad. Then Russia is a nogo. The only place near me is Estonia. Do you know anything about it's laws regarding this issue? Latvia is another choice, but it seems a little bit to far, because I'd have to drive through whole Estonia to get there, or is there some ferry which goes straight to Latvia from coastal Finland? Anyways Estonia seems to be the last branch I can hold on to.

P.S I found archeology section, so this thread is definetly in a wrong place. Sorry. Feel free to move this if necessary.