William Rolf Hakvaag (born December 13, 1948, in Svolvær, Norway)[1] is a Norwegian museum director[2] and former musician.

William Hakvaag

Career

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In the 1960s and 1970s, Hakvaag was a solo guitarist in several pop groups and rock bands, including Zoo (1966-1968 and 1971–1976), Outlaws (1967), and Prudence (1971).[1]

 
In 1996, William Hakvaag established the Lofoten War Memorial Museum in Svolvær, Norway based on his private collection of militaria.[3][4] The museum contains Norway's largest collection of uniforms and smaller objects from World War II.

In 1996, the Lofoten War Memorial Museum in Svolvær was opened,[4] an institution that William Hakvaag initiated and founded.[3] The museum displays Hakvaag's extensive private collection of military and civilian items from World War II in Norway, including 140 uniforms.[5] In 2010, the war museum became part of the Museum Nord.

William Haakvaag was awarded the Vågan Municipality Cultural Prize in 1996, the King's Medal of Merit in silver in 2003,[3] and the Defense Medal with Laurel Branch in 2017.[3] In 2022, he received a plaque from the Ministry of Defense with recognition from the government for his efforts as a mediator of war history.[3]

Hakvaag published his books Vi som ikke ble berømt ("We Who Did Not Become Famous") in 2010,[6] De utrolige bildene ("The Incredible Pictures") in 2013,[7] and Gjennom Leicas linser: Det tredje riket og 2. verdenskrig fotografert ("Through the Lenses of Leica: The Third Reich and World War II Photographed") in 2019.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Svolvær Historielag: William Hakvaag (Interview in Norwegian 2004)
  2. ^ a b "Lofoten War Remembrance Museum".
  3. ^ a b c d e "William honoured by government". 28 July 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Lofoten Krigsminnemuseum". 31 August 2018.
  5. ^ "The Lofoten War Memorial Museum". 9 February 2023. Presentation 2023 at All Things Nordic
  6. ^ "Vi som ikke ble berømt". Lofoten.store.
  7. ^ "Boken "De utrolige bildene" – Lofoten Krigsminnemuseum".