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History Upernavik District

I have chosen to describe some few parts of the newer history of Upernavik district.

              Knud Rasmussen (L) Peter Freuchen (R)                                                                Navarana Freuchen

Peter and Navarana Freuchen

(20. february 1886 – 2. september 1957) was danish journalist, author and arctic explorer, and together with Knud Rasmussen he established the explorers station in Thule in 1910.

In 1911 Peter Freuchen married an inuitwoman, Navarana Freuchen. And together they got 2 kids, a boy Merkusak and a girl Pipalok.

Navarana Freuchen participated Peter Freuchen on several arctic explorations. Navarana Freuchen died in 1921 under a flue-epidemic in Upernavik and was buried on the old cemetery in Upernavik city. When Navarana was not baptized, the local church rejected to do the funeral, and then Peter Freuchen and his friends performed the funeral themselves.

Read more

http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Freuchen

http://northkayak.blogspot.com/2008/07/tribute-to-navarana-freuchen_14.html

                 The gravestone of Navarana Freuchen                                          Knud Rasmussen

Knud Rasmussen

(7. june 1879 - 21. december 1933) was a Danish / Greenlandic polar explorer who explored Greenland in several expeditions.

Björneborg

Knud Rasmussen's old hut "Björne Borg", "Bear-castle" from 1930 is placed on the island "Block island" / Qarusulik, 25 km northwest of Kullorsuaq.

Read more:

http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knud_Rasmussen

                                                                                       "Björne Borg", "Bear-castle"

Pictures of "Bear-castle"

Original location of Björne Borg: Marked with a red spot. Now it is moved to Qarusulik.

Viking Rune stone

Kingitorsuaq is a smaller approximately 300 meter high island located near Upernavik Ice Fjord in a southerly direction about 20 km from Upernavik.
On the island's highest peak a famous rune was stone found in 1824 together with other remains from Vikings.

The Rune stone is dated to the period 1250 - 1333 and is today at the National Museum in Copenhagen. Upernavik Museum has a copy.

Read more

http://www.tidsskriftetgronland.dk/archive/1967-11-Artikel02.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingigtorssuaq_Runestone

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Kingigtorssuaq_Runestone

Location of the rune stone on the island Kingigtorssuaq

The original viking rune stone from Kingigtorssuaq

The location on Kingigtorssuaq, where the rune stone was found and other remains from Vikings. Picture is from july 2010.

Upernavik Museum

umiaq wifeboat konebåd

Pictures below: Upernavik Museum