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.