Collaboration and cohesion in war: Lessons from the 1940 Norwegian gold run

This year’s Regius Lecture includes a public screening of the 2022 movie Gold Run which tells the incredible true story of the daring mission to transport the Norway’s national gold reserve out of the country at the start of the German invasion in 1940.

Before the film screening, there will be a roundtable discussion, covering topics such as the historical basis of the events in the movie, their broader significance, and what more general research can tell us about social cooperation and organisation in war and crises, during the Second World War and in contemporary conflict.

The roundtable panel will include:

Magnus Haslund, grandchild of Fredrik Haslund who led the gold transport, will discuss the relationship between the actual event and the movie and the challenges of historical dramatisations.

Professor Carolina Garriga, Department of Government at the University of Essex, will discuss the role of war finance and what might have happened subsequently if the gold transport had failed and the Germans had managed to seize the national gold reserves.

Regius Professor of Political Science University of Essex Kristian Skrede Gleditsch, grandson of Nini Haslund and Kristian Gleditsch who participated in the gold transport, will discuss social cohesion, collaboration, and resistance under the threat of war.

The roundtable will be followed by a Q&A and will be moderated by Professor Faten Ghosn, Head of the Department of Government at the University of Essex.

The event, which is open the public, will take place on Wednesday 16 October between 6.15pm – 10.00pm (Roundtable discussion between 6.15pm – 7.30pm and Gold Run from 8.00pm) at the Lakeside Theatre, Colchester Campus. The event is free but booking is required. Book to attend here.

The event is part of the University of Essex’s Regius Professorship in Political Science, which was awarded by Her Majesty the Queen in 2013, recognising 50 years of excellence in research and education in political science at Essex.

The roundtable will take place before the screening of the movie, with a short break in between where light refreshments will be available. Participants who are unable to attend the screening of the movie or who would like to see the movie in advance of the roundtable can find a copy of the movie on BBC iPlayer.

The film will be presented in Norwegian with English subtitles.

Gold Run is suitable for 12 years and over.