The Hanko 1941-1944 Team
The Hanko 1941-1944 Team
Archaeologist, Doctoral researcher MA, Jan Fast (University of Helsinki)
I´m Jan, an experienced field archaeologist and the project manager of the "Hanko 1941-1944" project.
My Doctoral thesis "Deutsches Lager Hanko-The Modern Conflict Archaeology and History of a German Second World War Transition Camp in Hanko S. Finland is now finished and ready for public examination on October 12th 2024.
Archaeologist, Doctoral researcher MA, Teemu Väisänen (University of Turku)
I'm Teemu, an archaeologist from the University of Turku.
I've been involved in the Hanko 1941-1944 project since the very beginning. Besides fieldwork, I'm specialized in geophysical prospection and GIS.
I'm currently working on my PhD about the activities of the German Luftwaffe in Finland.
Local expertise and recording the human stories of the conflict, Johanna Pakola (Non-Fiction writer)
I'm Johanna, I have been researching the history of the naval artillery, the naval fortresses and the history of the Finnish archipelago for twenty years. As part of my work I collect memory history and conduct archive research in the archives of Finland and Russia.
I am a member of the advisory board of Sotavainajien Muiston Vaalimisyhdistys and a member of the board of The Association for Military History in Finland. I´m the cairwoman of Rannikkotykistön Perinneyhdistys.
Cartographer BA , Aleksi Rikkinen (University of Helsinki)
I’m Aleksi, a geography student from Helsinki. My studies and interests include cartography, remote sensing and military history.
In the scope of the Hanko 1941-1944 project, my focus is especially in field mapping of military historical sites using laser scanning, drones and novel GNSS-methods.
Apart from the Hanko 1941 project, I have been cnducting field mapping of the German WWII “Sturmbock”-defence position in North-Western Finnish Lapland.
MA (Mil.sc), Paul Karle
I´m Paul, a retired Coast Guard officer (Lt Cdr).
I am very interested in local war history, especially the battle in the northern archipelago. This started in the 70´s when i found my first cartridge shells and wondered why they where there. Later on everything has moved towards a more scientific approach and linked to specific battles and dates. To find a lost fallen Finnish soldier wound be of highest priority.
Archaeologist, Senior researcher MA, Elisa Melasniemi (University of Turku)
I`m Elisa and I have studied archaeology at the University of Turku. A while back I also finished my BA thesis about the scientific exhumation of war dead.
I have been team member of the Hanko 1941 -project since 2019 and in these years I have participated in many facinating excavations, finding war dead and inventories of war sites in archipelago.
I find the project really intresting and feel priviledged to be part of it.
Cartographer, Marjo Karppanen
I'm Marjo. I work as a surveyor in a private company. I have over 20 years of experience in surveying and laser scanning, both field work and post-processing.
In the Hanko 1941–1944-project i take part in mapping military historical sites by using total station and GNSS-survey equipment.
I have also been mapping the German WW2 transition camp in Hanko Tulliniemi and many stone-age excavation sites.
Besides archaeology, photography is another passion of mine.
Osteoarchaeologist, Senior researcher MA, Fanny Fagerholm
I'm Fanny. I have recently graduated from Uppsala university.
In my BA thesis I studied the everyday life of the German soldiers in the transition Camp in Hanko Tulliniemi 1942-1944.
Archaeologist, Assistant researcher, MA Jaakko Ervasti
My name is Jaakko and I am an archaeologist from the University of Oulu.
In my master thesis I studied the memorials of WW2 in the north-east Finland as well as the changes in
the memory culture of war in general.
In the Hanko 1941 project my specialty has also been the memory and oral tradition of war among the citizens of Hanko. Besides of that I have enjoyed the
various excavations of the WW2 sites in Hanko as well.
Apart from the project I am working as a field archaeologist in a company of commercial archaeology in Finland. In the future I am also very open to many kinds of opportunities in the field
of archaeology.
Scientific diver, Archaeologist MA, Matias Laitinen
I’m Matias, maritime archaeologist working in the Finnish Aviation Museum as a Head of Collections. I have a masters degree in archaeology from the University of Helsinki.
In 1996 I became certified Scientific Diver (AESD) and between 1997 and 2009 I also worked as a Scientific Diver Instructor.
I was one of the founding members of the Finnish Scientific Diving Steering Committee and later Finnish Scientific Diving Steering Association.
I have worked for the Finnish Heritage Agency for several years both as a scientific diver and maritime archaeologist. Lately my research interests have focused on underwater aircraft wrecks and naval engagements in the Gulf of Finland.
During 1941 several Finnish, Soviet ja German aircraft were lost in the archipelago on the Hanko front. I’m eager to survey the locations and debris fields of those aircraft remains during this project.
Archaeologist MA, Rebecka Fleischer, Uppsala university
I´m Rebecka, a Swedish archaeologist based in Uppsala, currently doing my master's degree in archaeology, where my expertise primarily lies in the Vendel period and into the Viking Age.
I have worked extensively with the material from Valsgärde boatgrave field located just north of Old Uppsala. Right now, I´m working with the material from boatgrave 13 in Valsgärde, which will be published soon and is part of Uppsala university's research project: The Viking Phenomenon.
I have been working with Jan Fast since 2023, where my journey began on Kimito Island. What I appreciate about being part of Jan's team is the variety in my work. I´m a dedicated enthusiast of the Vendel and Viking periods, but here I get to explore both Finnish Stone Age and Conflict Archaeology at its best.
Archive research (Sweden), BA Fredrik Creutz
My name is Fredrik Creutz and I'm a student at Swedish Defence University, completing my Bachelors degree in history with a specialisation in military history 2021.
In my thesis I researched Swedish volunteers' incentives to join the Finnish army in 1941. During the work on my thesis i found out about Hanko Front Museum, where I'm doing a 20 week long internship. I will assist both the museum and Hanko 1941 project with information from Swedish archives about the Swedish volunteer batallion.
Metal detectorist specialist, Lasse Nyman (Sotavainajien Etsintäryhmä Taipale)
My name is Lasse, I´m the former chairperson of the Finnish Metal Detecting Association (Suomen Metallinetsijät ry).
I’ve been working with Jan Fast in the Hanko 1941-1944 project since 2015. Trying to locate new areas for the archaeologists to excavate.
I also work for the Association for Cherishing the Memory of the Dead of the War where my work is searching and bringing back remains of Finnish soldiers from the battlefields currently located in Russia and near the Eastern border of Finland. You will also find me in auditoriums talking about the laws and ethics of metal detecting.
