Wintering capture in Nordaust-Greenland
Seal hunters from Sunnmøre were already on the coast of Greenland and catching seals in 1900. The country had much to offer, and they caught many animals on these trips, which were often an extension of the seal hunt in the Vesterisen, and the summer hunt in the Danish Strait.
They brought home both live and dead polar bears and musk oxen on their first trip. They understood that if they were to establish a rational operation here, they would have to go ashore and engage in land capture throughout the winter. After a failed attempt with the ship "Idræt" in 1905, the "Floren" was equipped for wintering in 1908. This was the start of a new and important trade route. In the 1930s there was great activity, and they even tried to occupy parts of this area in 1931, giving the new land the name "Eirik Raudes Land". (Greenland case).
During the first years of seal hunting, the Sunnmøre people also came to the coast of North-East Greenland. They had heard that there were polar bears, walruses, arctic foxes, polar wolves and reindeer there. But they had not heard of musk oxen before. The Sunnmøre people brought live musk oxen home to show that this animal species existed in North-East Greenland. They had an exhibition in a seaport in Ålesund to show live polar bears and musk oxen. The entrance fee was 5 øre.
The first attempt at overwintering was made with the icebreaker "Idræt" in 1905/06. But "Idræt" sank in the ice. The next attempt at overwintering 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 Webjørn Landmark as expedition leader.
The pioneers had shown that it was possible to overwinter and hunt in Nordaust-Greenland. 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 hunters raised the Norwegian flag and occupied Nordaust-Greenland for Norway. They called the area Eirik Raudes 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 Hoelsbu wintering hut, which was set up in Nordaust-Grønland in 1930, has been built.
