Videnssalon – A veteran's story

Knowledge salon about veterans' motivation to go to war by Henrik Nielsen, who is a Balkan Veteran. The salon is part of 9 knowledge salons about weapons in West Zealand.

What considerations and thoughts do you have when you choose to go to war as a professional soldier? Acts of war have different origins, for example as aggression or expansion, but also as part of a peacekeeping effort. What is the motivation and driving force when you choose to get involved? Many veterans have found pleasure in detector searches as a welcome release for the experiences they have witnessed, and in this lecture we will hear a simultaneous narrative that can make us wiser about people's motivation and consequences of their choices.

Henrik Nielsen is a Balkan Veteran, Area Coordinator Zealand and Mentor Vetector Buddy, Veterans in Archaeology, Aahus University.

It is necessary to buy a ticket in advance.

Coffee and cake are included in the ticket price

Knowledge salons 2025
Museum Vestsjælland presents a series of 9 different knowledge salons that relate to questions of armed force, combat, conflict, defence, resistance and escape from different sides, times and places. Come along to the fight and the various obscure and fascinating corners of the resistance from past to present, and learn more about Stone Age stag axes, Iron Age weapon finds, Viking Age weapon pits, Trelleborg's function and medieval defenses. Hear about the resistance struggle during the Second World War and about what it is like to flee and why you choose to go to war.

We have invited various experts who share their knowledge and, in dialogue with museum inspector Trine Borake, examine various corners of war and conflict. The salons must make us more aware of this gloomy but unavoidable problem, which is unfortunately current both in the past, in the present and probably also in the future.

The 9 salons contribute together with an insight into exciting places, stories and objects that are linked to war and conflict, defense and resistance with a starting point in West Zealand.

Trine Borake gives a short introduction followed by a presentation from our guest, and we end with a conversation with questions and discussion.

The salons are arranged in connection with the research project Weapons in West Zealand. The project is led by museum inspector, Ph.D. and archaeologist Trine Louise Borake in collaboration with Mads Dengsø Jessen, senior researcher at the National Museum. The project has received support from the Augustinus Foundation, the Beckett Foundation, the Knud Højgård Foundation, the Åge and Louis Hansen Foundation and the Ministry of Culture.