BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 14. Minister of Defense of Serbia Bratislav Gašić received Norwegian author and historian Knut Flovik Thoresen during the latter’s official visit, Trend reports.
The Norwegian author and historian is in the Republic of Serbia to visit the Military Archive and conduct research into archival materials necessary for the development of a database and the preparation of a publication on Serbian prisoners held in labour camps in Norway during the Second World War. He is the author of the book Til Norge for å dø (To Norway to Die), which was translated into Serbian in 2015. The publication documents the imprisonment of Serbian internees held in Nazi camps in northern Norway.
During Mr Thoresen’s visit, Minister Gašić expressed his appreciation for the author’s long-standing dedication to researching the fate of the Serbian people in Nazi camps on the territory of Norway. He emphasized that fostering a culture of remembrance is of vital importance for preserving historical truth and honouring the dignity of the victims. On this occasion, the Minister also expressed his full support for efforts aimed at preserving the memory of Serbian suffering and stressed that the Ministry of Defence remains open to cooperation in the fields of historical research and international memorialization.
Thoresen presented the Minister of Defence with the results of his research to date, as well as with his planned research and publishing activities. He emphasized that the story of Serbian prisoners in Norway is an important yet insufficiently known chapter of history – one that deserves greater attention and respect.
Knut Flovik Thoresen is the recipient of the Miloš Obilić Gold Medal for Bravery for exceptional courage and an act of personal heroism, which was presented to him by the President of the Republic, Aleksandar Vučić, on the Serbian Statehood Day – Sretenje, in 2022. As a member of an intervention battalion consisting of approximately 250 Norwegian troops, Thoresen played a key role during the violent events of March 17, 2004, in Kosovo and Methoja. His actions were instrumental in preventing the destruction of the Serbian village of Čaglavica near Priština, as well as the burning of the Gračanica Monastery.
