Kompani Lauritzen is a Norwegian reality series produced for TV 2. Behind the program is Kristian Ødegård and former professional cyclist Dag Otto Lauritzen. They are also major and colonel in the TV series. Season 1 premiered in 2020 and was a great success. The participants in the series are Norwegian celebrities who are put into a tough military setting, and set on many challenges, where the focus is on unity and personal development. So far, three seasons of the series have been recorded and all have been based on the military camp Setnesmoen, Veblungsnes in Rauma municipality. The series has contributed to great interest in Åndalsnes and Rauma, and led to a significant increase in the number of tourists visting the municipality, who will see and experience some of what the participants go through in the series.

Why does the bust stand here?

The bust you are now looking at is by the colonel in the series, Dag Otto Lauritzen. In season three, it was a key element in one of the missions the participants had to solve. In the story, the bust was a gift to the municipality as a thank you for everything they had done for Kompani Lauritzen. On the way to Åndalsnes by train, the company was to protect the bust against "enemies with evil intentions". During the recording of a large-scale parade on the town hall square at Åndalsnes, the bust was unveiled by mayor Yvonne Wold. In the series, the bust was later stolen by the same "hypnotized mayor" and then recovered during a mission in the Romsdal gondola.

Due to the great interest in the bust, the municipality wanted to make a fun "gimmick" out of the bust. After an assessment of various alternatives, a political decision was made to place the bust centrally in Åndalsnes. In this way, the bust will be easily accessible to visitors to Åndalsnes.