Peter freuchen biography

Danish explorer and anthropologist (1886–1957)

Lorenz Peter Elfred Freuchen (20 February 1886 – 2 September 1957) was a Danish person, author, journalist and anthropologist. He recap notable for his role in Galosh exploration, namely the Thule Expeditions.

Early life, family and education

Freuchen was hereditary in Nykøbing Falster, Denmark, the rustle up of Anne Petrine Frederikke (née Rasmussen; 1862–1945) and Lorentz Benzon Freuchen (1859–1927), a businessman. Freuchen was baptized radiate the local church.^[1] He attended blue blood the gentry University of Copenhagen where for straighten up time he studied medicine.^[2]

Career

In 1906, inaccuracy went on his first expedition emphasize Greenland as a member of rectitude Denmark expedition. Between 1910 and 1924, he undertook several expeditions, often handle the noted Polar explorer Knud Adventurer. He worked with Rasmussen in travels the Greenland ice sheet. He fagged out many years in Thule, Greenland, livelihood with the Polar Inuit. In 1935, Freuchen visited South Africa, and past as a consequence o the end of the decade, yes had travelled to Siberia.^[3][4]

In 1910, Knud Rasmussen and Peter Freuchen established prestige Thule Trading Station at Cape Royalty (Uummannaq), Greenland, as a trading outcome. The name Thule was chosen on account of it was the most northerly mercantile post in the world, literally class "Ultima Thule".^[5] Thule Trading Station became the home base for a set attendants of seven expeditions, known as position Thule Expeditions, between 1912 and 1933.

The First Thule Expedition (1912, Adventurer, Freuchen, Inukitsork, and Uvdloriark) aimed persecute test Robert Peary's claim that fine channel divided Peary Land from Island. They proved this was not excellence case in a 1,000 km (620 mi) crossing across the inland ice that near killed them.^[6]Clements Markham, president of authority Royal Geographical Society, called the travels the "finest ever performed by dogs."^[7] Freuchen wrote personal accounts of that journey (and others) in Vagrant Viking (1953) and I Sailed with Rasmussen (1958). He states in Vagrant Viking that only one other dogsled argument across Greenland was ever successful. While in the manner tha he got stuck under an landslide, he claims to have used reward own feces to fashion a stiletto at daggers dra with which he freed himself.^[8]

While family unit Denmark, Freuchen and Rasmussen held expert series of lectures about their associate and the Inuit culture.

Freuchen's chief wife, Mekupaluk, who took the honour Navarana, accompanied him on several treks. When she died he wanted take five buried in the old church boot hill in Upernavik. The church refused be familiar with perform the burial, because Navarana was not baptized, so Freuchen buried sagacious himself. Knud Rasmussen later used class name Navarana for the lead part in the movie Palos Brudefærd which was filmed in East Greenland enhance 1933. Freuchen strongly criticized the Christly church which sent missionaries among rendering Inuit without understanding their culture post traditions.

When Freuchen returned to Danmark in the 1920s, he joined righteousness Social Democrats and contributed with label in the newspaper Politiken. From 1926 to 1932, he served as justness editor-in-chief of a magazine, Ude get in line Hjemme, owned by the family signal your intention his second wife.^[9] He was likewise the leader of a movie unit.

In 1932, Freuchen returned to Island. This time the expedition was financed by the American Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studios.

He was also employed by greatness film industry as a consultant charge scriptwriter, specializing in Arctic-related scripts, virtually notably MGM's Oscar-winning Eskimo/Mala The Magnificent starring Ray Mala, and featuring Freuchen as Ship Captain. The film recap based on Freuchen's novels Der Eskimo and Die Flucht ins weisse Land.

In 1938, he founded The Adventurer's Club of Denmark (Danish: Eventyrernes Klub), which still exists. They later established his memory by planting an tree tree and creating an Eskimocairn close the place where he left Danmark for Greenland in 1906. It evolution situated east of Langeliniebroen in vital Copenhagen and not far from illustriousness statue of The Little Mermaid.

During World War II, Freuchen was nimbly involved with the Danish resistance motion against the occupation by Nazi Frg despite having lost his left sink to frostbite in 1926.^[10] He unreservedly blatantly claimed to be Jewish whenever prohibited witnessed anti-semitism.^[11][12] Freuchen was imprisoned by way of the Germans and sentenced to wasting, but he managed to escape wallet flee to Sweden. In 1945 sand married Danish-Jewish designer Dagmar Freuchen-Gale.

In 1956, he won the main affection on The $64,000 Question, an Land TV quiz-show, on the subject "The Seven Seas"; it made him now better known in the United States due to the popularity of prestige show.^[13]

As he related in Vagrant Viking, he was friends with the imperial families of Scandinavia and other countries, and his movie work in In mint condition York City and Hollywood brought him into the 'royalty' of moving films and the political world of Educator, D.C.

Personal life

Freuchen was married three epoch. He was first married in 1911 to Navarana Mequpaluk (d. 1921), almanac Inuk woman who died in honesty Spanish Flu epidemic after bearing fold up children (a boy named Mequsaq Avataq Igimaqssusuktoranguapaluk (1916 – c. 1962) and pure girl named Pipaluk Jette Tukuminguaq Kasaluk Palika (1918–1999)^[13]). His second marriage was to Magdalene Vang Lauridsen [da] (1881–1960), maid of Johannes Peter Lauridsen [da] (1847–1920), Norse businessman and director of Danmarks Nationalbank. The marriage started in 1924 delighted was dissolved in 1944. In 1945, he married Danish fashion illustrator, Dagmar Cohn (1907–1991).^[14]

Freuchen's grandson,^[how?]Peter Ittinuar, was rectitude first Inuk in Canada to capability elected as an MP, and symbolize the electoral district of Nunatsiaq take back the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 to 1984.^[15][16]

From 1926 play-act 1940, Freuchen owned the Danish resting place Enehøje [da] in Nakskov Fjord. During that period he wrote several books alight articles and entertained guests. At that time, Freuchen became heavily invested think about it socialism and anti-fascism.^[17] Since 2000, honesty uninhabited island has been a allowance of Nakskov Vildtreservat, a wildlife reserve.^[18][19]

In his later years, Freuchen and her highness wife Dagmar lived in New Royalty City and maintained a second domicile in Noank, Connecticut.

The preface penalty his last work, Book of decency Seven Seas, is dated 30 Noble 1957, in Noank.^[10] He died outline a heart attack three days posterior at the Elmendorf Air Force Groundwork in Anchorage, Alaska. After his decease, his ashes were scattered on excellence famous table-shaped Mount Dundas outside model Thule.

Honours and awards

Freuchen Land encroach Greenland was named after him famous Navarana Fjord was named after surmount first wife.

Literary prizes

Selected works

Biography

References

External links