Northeast Greenland

During the first years of seal hunting, the Sunnmøring also came to the coast of Nordaust-Greenland. They had heard that there were polar bears, marmots, polar foxes, polar wolves and reindeer. But they hadn't heard of musk before. The Sunnmørings took live muskox calves home to show that this animal species existed in Nordaust-Greenland.

The first attempt at overwintering was made with the icebreaker "Idræt" in 1905/06. But "Idræt" sank in the ice. The next overwintering attempt was made in 1908/09 with the icebreaker "Floren" and with Severin Liavaag as expedition leader. Liavaag himself and one of the crew drowned while hunting polar bears on the ice. In 1909/10, an expedition overwintered with the icebreaker "7de Juni" and with Vebjørn Landmark as expedition leader. The pioneers had shown that it was possible to overwinter and hunt in Nordaust-Greenland. The overwintering expeditions became annual. But the Norwegian activity in the area aroused displeasure with the Danish authorities, who had dominion over the area. There were conflicts. On June 27, 1931, Hallvard Devold and four other trappers raised the Norwegian flag and occupied Nordaust-Greenland for Norway. They called the area Eirik the Red's Land. Denmark appealed the case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where Norway lost on all counts. In 1959, all Norwegian activity in Nordaust-Greenland was discontinued. The Arctic ship "Polarsel" brought back people, equipment and catch. A department in the Ishavsmuseet tells more about the Norwegian activity in Nordaust-Greenland. In that department, a replica of the wintering hut Hoelsbu, which was set up in Nordaust-Greenland in 1930, has been built.