Polar evening at the Ishavsmuseet
50 years since the tragic mining accident in Kings Bay, Ny-Ålesund.
Herdis Lien with a lecture at the Ishavsmuseet on Friday, November 2nd at 7:00 PM.
Communication manager and conservator Herdis Lien at Svalbard Museum will give a lecture about the Kings Bay community and the accident in the Estergruva mine on November 5, 1962.
The coal adventure in Brandal city
By 1916, the seal hunting industry had established itself and was selling its products throughout Europe. It was in the middle of World War I, and the seal hunters were short of coal for their ships. The situation was untenable, and it was necessary for the seal hunters to secure a stable supply of coal for their ships. They had visited Kings Bay on Spitsbergen several times, and showed that there was coal to be had here. In 1916, Peter S. Brandal received an offer to buy the rights in Kings Bay, and there was no doubt about it. Peter S. Brandal equipped his two ships, "Polaris" and "Signalhorn", and set off for Kings Bay to investigate the matter. The expedition was successful and they returned with 300 tons of coal. He also named the place Brandal City. Peter found that he had to act quickly, and once home he transferred all rights, and the Brandal City name, to himself.
After a while he found out that if he wanted to continue this, he would have to bring more enterprising people and more capital. He brought with him Michael Knutsen – who was also an Arctic ocean shipowner, Trygve Klausen the skilled and competent lawyer and Trygve Jervell. The rights were now transferred to a new company called; Kings Bay Kull Comp. A/S, and three years later the name of the town changed from Brandal City to Ny-Ålesund. The company continued to operate with coal mining until the great accident in 1962.
In Kings Bay's mines in Ny-Ålesund, 82 workers have lost their lives. Mining there was terminated after the explosion accident in the Ester mine on November 5, 1962. The accident claimed 21 lives and led to the resignation of the Gerhardsen government.
On Friday, November 2, the Ishavsmuseet will be visited by Communication Manager Herdis Lien at the Svalbard Museum who will give us a lecture. This will start at 7:00 PM, and in the usual style, the Ishavsmuseet will serve dinner after the lecture. Ticket and dinner NOK 200,- Ticket NOK 100,-
Registration for dinner at the Ishavsmuseet.
