Gunnar Isachsen
Encyclopedia
Gunnerius Ingvald Isachsen (3 October 1868 – 19 December 1939), was a Norwegian military officer and polar scientist. From 1923, he was the first president of the Norwegian Maritime Museum
.
, Norway
in 1868 and grew up there. His father was the shipmaster Nils Høgh Isachsen (1838–1913), and his mother was Marie Cecilie Sivertsen (1839–1909). His sister, Louise Isachsen, was a physician.
After passing the matriculation exam in 1888, he entered the Norwegian Military Academy
.
in the Norwegian cavalry
in 1891. Gymnastics and sports keenly interested Isachsen, and he graduated from the gymnasium Central School in 1898, also taking courses at the Marine Observatory in Wilhelmshaven
and the marine research in Bergen
.
From 1898 to 1902, Isachsen was topographer on Otto Sverdrup
's Fram
expedition to the Arctic archipelago
. During this voyage, he was promoted to Rittmeister
in 1899, and mapped large areas of hitherto unknown islands in Northern Canada
, mainly by long sledge journeys. These included Ellef Ringnes Island
, King Christian Island
.
From 1903 to 1905, he participated in the French military service in Algeria
and Paris
. From 1906 to 1910, he led topographic and bathymetric research expeditions at Svalbard
. These expeditions were paid for by Prince Albert of Monaco
.
Isachsen led his own government-financed expeditions to Spitsbergen
in 1909 and 1910. As a result of these expeditions, he founded the Norwegian systematic research work on Svalbard. In 1911, Isachsen was on assignment in Russia and Japan. Three years later, a fire destroyed his house in Asker, and with it all his maps and records and maps. He served as a regular salaried officer to 1917. He was the Norwegian government's technical delegate to the Svalbard Treaty of Paris in 1914 and the Paris Peace Conference in 1919
.
Isachsen visited the Faroe Islands
and Iceland
in 1922. In 1923, he became the Director of the Norwegian Maritime Museum in Oslo, and in 1923 and 1924, he took part in expeditions to East Greenland . He was promoted to Major in 1924, and participated in a special whaling mission to the Ross Sea
in 1926-27. He was the government's whaling inspector in the Southern Ocean
in 1929-30, and the leader of the fourth Norvegia expedition circumnavigating the South Pole
in 1930-31.
.
In 1903, he was knighted 1st Class of the Order of St. Olav, and was commander of the Cross 2nd Class in 1931. He held the King's Medal of Merit
in gold (1912), as well as a number of foreign orders and medals.
From 1911, he lived on his farm Vardeborg, under the Vardåsen, the highest point in Asker
, Norway. Isachsen died of a heart attack in Asker in 1939.
Norwegian Maritime Museum
The Norwegian Maritime Museum , previously known as the Norsk Sjøfartsmuseum, founded in 1914, is located at Bygdøynesveien on the Bygdøy peninsula, on the western side of Oslo, Norway....
.
Early years
He was born in DrøbakDrøbak
Drøbak is an unincorporated city and the centre of the municipality of Frogn, in Akershus county, Norway. The city is located along the Oslofjord, and has 13,358 inhabitants....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1868 and grew up there. His father was the shipmaster Nils Høgh Isachsen (1838–1913), and his mother was Marie Cecilie Sivertsen (1839–1909). His sister, Louise Isachsen, was a physician.
After passing the matriculation exam in 1888, he entered the Norwegian Military Academy
Norwegian Military Academy
The Norwegian Army Academy was established in 1750. It is the oldest university-level educational institution in Norway, and one of the oldest active military academies in the world. Krigsskolen primarily educates officers for the Norwegian Army. There are separate academies for the Royal...
.
Career
Isachsen was made a first lieutenantFirst Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
in the Norwegian cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
in 1891. Gymnastics and sports keenly interested Isachsen, and he graduated from the gymnasium Central School in 1898, also taking courses at the Marine Observatory in Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
and the marine research in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
.
From 1898 to 1902, Isachsen was topographer on Otto Sverdrup
Otto Sverdrup
Otto Neumann Knoph Sverdrup was a Norwegian sailor and Arctic explorer.-Early and personal life:...
's Fram
Fram
Fram is a ship that was used in expeditions of the Arctic and Antarctic regions by the Norwegian explorers Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, Oscar Wisting, and Roald Amundsen between 1893 and 1912...
expedition to the Arctic archipelago
Canadian Arctic Archipelago
The Canadian Arctic Archipelago, also known as the Arctic Archipelago, is a Canadian archipelago north of the Canadian mainland in the Arctic...
. During this voyage, he was promoted to Rittmeister
Rittmeister
Rotamaster was the military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in charge of a squadron , the equivalent of O3 or Captain, in the German-speaking armies, Austro-Hungarian, Polish-Lithuanian, Russian and some other states.The exact name of this rank maintains a variety of spellings in different...
in 1899, and mapped large areas of hitherto unknown islands in Northern Canada
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
, mainly by long sledge journeys. These included Ellef Ringnes Island
Ellef Ringnes Island
Ellef Ringnes Island is one of the Sverdrup Islands in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. Also a member of the Queen Elizabeth Islands and Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is located in the Arctic Ocean, east of Borden Island, and west of Amund Ringnes Island...
, King Christian Island
King Christian Island
King Christian Island is an uninhabited member of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in the Sverdrup Islands, a part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands archipelago, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It lies in the Arctic Ocean, from the southwestern coast of Ellef Ringnes Island, separated by...
.
From 1903 to 1905, he participated in the French military service in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. From 1906 to 1910, he led topographic and bathymetric research expeditions at Svalbard
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
. These expeditions were paid for by Prince Albert of Monaco
Albert I, Prince of Monaco
Albert I was Prince of Monaco and Duke of Valentinois from 10 September 1889 until his death.-Early life:...
.
Isachsen led his own government-financed expeditions to Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
in 1909 and 1910. As a result of these expeditions, he founded the Norwegian systematic research work on Svalbard. In 1911, Isachsen was on assignment in Russia and Japan. Three years later, a fire destroyed his house in Asker, and with it all his maps and records and maps. He served as a regular salaried officer to 1917. He was the Norwegian government's technical delegate to the Svalbard Treaty of Paris in 1914 and the Paris Peace Conference in 1919
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
.
Isachsen visited the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
and Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
in 1922. In 1923, he became the Director of the Norwegian Maritime Museum in Oslo, and in 1923 and 1924, he took part in expeditions to East Greenland . He was promoted to Major in 1924, and participated in a special whaling mission to the Ross Sea
Ross Sea
The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land.-Description:The Ross Sea was discovered by James Ross in 1841. In the west of the Ross Sea is Ross Island with the Mt. Erebus volcano, in the east Roosevelt Island. The southern part is covered...
in 1926-27. He was the government's whaling inspector in the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
in 1929-30, and the leader of the fourth Norvegia expedition circumnavigating the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
in 1930-31.
Personal life
Isachsen married Signe Amalie Eide (1876–1911) in 1903. Signehamna harbour in Svalbard is named in her honour. They had three children (Fridtjov, Nils, and Gerd). His second marriage, in 1916, was to Marie Sophie Louisa Steenstrup (1884–1958). They had five children (Kjell, Inger, Karen, Odd, and Finn); Odd Isachsen is still living. Through his second marriage, Gunnar Isachsen was a brother-in-law of Hjalmar SteenstrupHjalmar Steenstrup
Hjalmar Steenstrup was a Norwegian insurance agent, and Milorg pioneer and intelligence agent during World War II.-Personal life:...
.
In 1903, he was knighted 1st Class of the Order of St. Olav, and was commander of the Cross 2nd Class in 1931. He held the King's Medal of Merit
HM The King's Medal of Merit
The King's Medal of Merit is a Norwegian award. It was instituted in 1908 to reward meritorious achievements in the fields of art, science, business and public service. It is divided in two classes: gold and silver. The medal in gold is rewarded for extraordinary achievements of importance to the...
in gold (1912), as well as a number of foreign orders and medals.
From 1911, he lived on his farm Vardeborg, under the Vardåsen, the highest point in Asker
Asker
Asker is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Viken traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Asker. The municipality is a suburb of Oslo, the national capital...
, Norway. Isachsen died of a heart attack in Asker in 1939.
Honors
- Isachsen, NunavutIsachsen, NunavutIsachsen was a remote Arctic research-weather station named after the Norwegian explorer of the Arctic, Gunnar Isachsen. it is located on the western shore of Ellef Ringnes Island in the Sverdrup Islands, in the territory of Nunavut in Canada. Isachsen Station was established to participate in a...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, a now abandoned remote ArcticArcticThe Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
research station on the western shore of Ellef Ringnes IslandEllef Ringnes IslandEllef Ringnes Island is one of the Sverdrup Islands in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. Also a member of the Queen Elizabeth Islands and Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is located in the Arctic Ocean, east of Borden Island, and west of Amund Ringnes Island...
in the Sverdrup IslandsSverdrup IslandsThe Sverdrup Islands is an archipelago of the northern Queen Elizabeth Islands, in Nunavut, Canada. The islands are situated in the Arctic Ocean, west of Ellesmere Island from 77° to 81° North and 85° to 106° West.- History :...
, was named in his honour in April 1948. - He was depicted on a Norwegian postage stamp in 2006 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the exploration of Svalbard.
- Isachsen MountainIsachsen MountainIsachsen Mountain is a large mountain rising to 3,425 m, standing 4 miles southeast of Mount Bergersen in the Sor Rondane Mountains. Mapped by Norwegian cartographers in 1957 from air photos taken by U.S. Navy Operation Highjump, 1946-47, and named for Maj...
, south-east of Mount BergersenMount BergersenMount Bergersen is a large mountain rising to 3,170 m, standing at the west side of Byrdbreen in the Sor Rondane Mountains. It was mapped by Norwegian cartographers in 1946 from air photos taken by the Lars Christensen Expedition, 1936–37, and named for Ambassador Birger Bergersen, chairman of the...
in the Sør Rondane Mountains, is named for Maj. Gunnar Isachsen, who was the leader with Captain Hjalmar Riiser-LarsenHjalmar Riiser-LarsenHjalmar Riiser-Larsen was a Norwegian aviation pioneer, polar explorer and businessman. Among his achievements, he is generally regarded as the founder of the Royal Norwegian Air Force....
of the Norwegian expedition to this area in 1930-31. - 1931, Charles P. Daly Medal
Partial works
- Isachsen, G. (1907). Astronomical and geodetical observations. Report of the second Norwegian Arctic expedition in the 'Fram, no. 5 = vol. 2. Kristiania: A.W. Brøgger.
- Isachsen, G. (1913). Exploration du Nord-Ouest du Spitsberg entreprise sous les ausp. de S.A.C. le Prince de Monaco par la mission Isachsen 2 Description du champ dóperation. Monaco: Impr. de Monaco.
External links
- Gunnar Isachsen at Norwegian Polar History