Week 19 - 2020
Johannes Stage, The Home Force occupy Akershus Fortress, 11th of May 1945. Belongs to the Preus Museum's collection
A piece from a collective memory bank
Sometimes you don't know until after a picture is taken that it will become substantial. Other times, you undoubtedly know that an event is of such historical importance that the images documenting it will be invaluable for posterity.
This photograph, of three men standing apart at a good distance, is of the latter sort. It shows colonel and leader of Milorg (the resistance movement during WW2), Terje Rollem (1915-1993), taking over the control of Akershus Fortress on the 11th of May 1945 - 75 years ago this year. The German occupation force is represented here by major Josef Nichterlein (1886-1947) and his assistant captain Johannes Hamel. Rollem had actually declined when asked to be photographed, but Aftenpostens photographer, Johannes Stage, (1889-1962) was nevertheless requested at the last minute to document the whole event. It was Rollems leading official, Viggo Didrichson, who wanted the picture to be taken. Allegedly, Rollem later said: «Luckily, Didrichson is more reasonable than me». Rollem himself didn’t fully grasp that he was part of a historical moment; he was just on duty. But by the time the Norwegian flag was raised, he finally realised: now, the war was over!
It can be both tough and touching to read the subjective experiences of other people and their throwback memories of important events. This image has become one of Norway's most famous press photos. It plays a part in shaping our understanding of the war in Norway and how it ended. Even without the personal experience of having lived through the war, images like this have the ability to shape our collective memories, and that could be worth reflecting on.