Rolf Bloch Hansen (12 October 1894 – 5 May 1981) was a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

military officer and skiing official. He was born in

Horten is a town and municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the town of Åsgårdstrand an ...

as a son of Einar Fredrik Hansen (1867–1946) and Marie Elisabeth Christoffersen (1866–1954). In 1925 he married physician's daughter Ragnfrid Muller (1898-1964). He

finished Finished may refer to: * ''Finished'' (novel), a 1917 novel by H. Rider Haggard * ''Finished'' (film), a 1923 British silent romance film * "Finished" (short story), a science fiction short story by L. Sprague de Camp See also *Finishing (disa ...

his secondary education in 1913, graduated from the

Norwegian Military Academy The Norwegian Military Academy (), in Oslo, educates officers of the Norwegian Army and serves as the King's Royal Guard. The academy was established in 1750, and is the oldest institution for higher education in Norway. History The Commander- ...

in 1916 and the Norwegian Military College in 1919. He was a premier lieutenant from 1916 and captain from 1922. During the

occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until the ...

he joined

Milorg Milorg (abbreviation of militær organisasjon – military organization) was the main Norwegian resistance movement during World War II. Resistance work included intelligence gathering, sabotage, supply-missions, raids, espionage, transport of ...

. In June 1942 he was arrested by the authorities for buying food supplies for the resistance. He was incarcerated in

Åkebergveien Åkebergveien is a street in Oslo, Norway. The street is named after the former farm Åkeberg. ''Åkebergveien 11'' formerly belonged to the brewery Ytteborgs Aktiebryggeri. In 1934 the building was acquired by the city of Oslo, and after rebuil ...

until 31 July 1942, then in

Grini concentration camp '', '' no, Grini fangeleir'', location=Bærum, Viken, Norway, location map=Viken#Norway, built by=Norway, original use=Constructed as a women's prison, operated by=Nazi Germany, notable inmates= List of Grini prisoners, liberated by=Harry Söderma ...

until 11 June 1943. After the war he became major from 1945 and colonel from 1946. In his military career he reached as far as being inspector-general in the Engineer's Regiment from 1951 to 1959. He then headed the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...

's building office from 1960 to 1970. He was the secretary of the

Association for the Promotion of Skiing The Association for the Promotion of Skiing ( no, Foreningen til Ski-idrettens Fremme, or Skiforeningen) is a large association in Norway promoting Nordic skiing and other outdoor recreational activities. Skiforeningen was founded in 1883 and has ...

from 1947 to 1945, board member from 1945 and deputy chair from 1948 to 1954. From 1928 to 1952 he was among the main organizers of the

Holmenkollen ski festival The Holmenkollen Ski Festival ( no, Holmenkollen skifestival or ) is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. History It takes place in March ...

, earning him the nickname "Holmenkollen General". He also chaired the Skiing Committee at the

1952 Winter Olympics The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games ( no, De 6. olympiske vinterleker; nn, Dei 6. olympiske vinterleikane) and commonly known as Oslo 1952, was a winter multi-sport event held from 14 to 25 February 195 ...

. He was decorated with the

Defence Medal 1940–1945 The Defence Medal 1940–1945 () is the award rewarded to those military and civilian personnel who participated in the fight against the German invasion and occupation of Norway between 1940 and 1945. The Defence Medal 1940–1945 can be awarde ...

and the

King's Medal of Merit in gold The King's Medal of Merit (Norwegian: ''Kongens fortjenstmedalje'') is a Norwegian award. It was instituted in 1908 to reward meritorious achievements in the fields of art, science, business, and public service. It is divided in two classes: gold ...

and was a Commander of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

References

1894 births 1981 deaths Norwegian Military Academy alumni Norwegian Military College alumni Norwegian Army personnel of World War II Norwegian resistance members Grini concentration camp survivors Norwegian sports executives and administrators Recipients of the King's Medal of Merit in gold Commanders of the Order of the Dannebrog People from Horten Military personnel from Oslo {{Norway-mil-bio-stub