Polar evening October 9th
74 years after the tragedy: Brattind gets a place at the Ishavsmuseet
In 1952, five Arctic ships sank in the Vesterisen, and a total of 79 men perished. Among them were the 14 men aboard the Brattind of Tromsø. Over 70 years later, wreckage was found north of Iceland. Extensive work to identify the find showed that the remains were from the Brattind. Now the story of the ship and the man who never returned home will be brought to light at the Ishavsmuseet.
On Friday, October 9th at 6:00 PM, the Ishavsmuseet invites you to Polarkveld in Brandal, where author and speaker Johannes Bjarne Alme will talk about the Vesteris tragedy and the great detective work to identify the wreckage of Brattind.
The discovery was made by the Icelandic trawler Videy northwest of Iceland, and was the first concrete discovery of wreckage after the Vesteris disaster. The identification became an important piece of documentation of a tragedy that still holds a strong place in the memories of families and local communities along the coast, and especially in Sunnmøre and in Troms. The skipper and rowers of Videy will visit the museum this evening.
New model of Brattind
A highlight of the Polar Night will be the unveiling of a new model of Brattind. The model was built by Vebjørn Møller, an award-winning model boat builder from Reine in Lofoten.
Møller himself will be present at the event and talk about the work of recreating the Arctic ship in model form.
The model will be unveiled by Christian Rieber, who has been heavily involved in Norwegian Arctic history. Rieber himself was the captain of one of the other ships that disappeared in connection with the Vesteris tragedy.
– For the Ishavsmuseet, this is first and foremost about people. We will preserve the history of those who traveled out into the Arctic Ocean, those who never came home, and the families who stayed behind. The model of Brattind makes history concrete and visible for new generations, says CEO Webjørn Landmark.
An evening of remembrance and communication
The Polar Night will also be a cultural event. Ronald Øvrelid will participate with a song, the skipper of Videy, and the mayor of Hareid, Bernt Brandal, will take part in the program.
– That we can now display a model of Brattind, after the wreckage was identified so many years after the tragedy, is a strong opportunity to tell the story again. We hope the evening can be both educational and dignified, and that it can help keep the memory of the 79 who perished alive, says Webjørn Landmark.
The Ishavsmuseet welcomes the public to an evening of powerful stories, new knowledge, music, unveilings and good company – in a museum that is itself dedicated to preserving the history of people, ships and life on the Arctic Ocean.
The evening ends around the dinner table.
After the program, the Ishavsmuseet invites you to a delicious meal. Delicious halibut with accompaniments will be served, and warm apple cake for dessert. Food and socializing have always been an important part of coastal culture, and this evening will also be a time for conversation and reflection after a program of powerful stories. Registration for dinner.
Ticket for lecture and food here lecture with food
Ticket only lecture: Polar Evening only lecture
