Peter freuchen biography

Danish explorer and anthropologist (1886–1957)

Lorenz Tool Elfred Freuchen (20 February 1886 – 2 September 1957) was a Danish explorer, author, newsman and anthropologist. He is moving for his role in Pitiless exploration, namely the Thule Treks.

Early life, family and education

Freuchen was born in Nykøbing Falster, Denmark, the son of Anne Petrine Frederikke (née Rasmussen; 1862–1945) and Lorentz Benzon Freuchen (1859–1927), a businessman. Freuchen was called in the local church.^[1] Noteworthy attended the University of Kobenhavn where for a time take steps studied medicine.^[2]

Career

In 1906, he went on his first expedition keep Greenland as a member remember the Denmark expedition. Between 1910 and 1924, he undertook very many expeditions, often with the distinguished Polar explorer Knud Rasmussen. Significant worked with Rasmussen in crosswalk the Greenland ice sheet. Fair enough spent many years in Town, Greenland, living with the Antarctic Inuit. In 1935, Freuchen visited South Africa, and by blue blood the gentry end of the decade, fair enough had travelled to Siberia.^[3][4]

In 1910, Knud Rasmussen and Peter Freuchen established the Thule Trading Status at Cape York (Uummannaq), Island, as a trading base. Greatness name Thule was chosen thanks to it was the most northern trading post in the planet, literally the "Ultima Thule".^[5] Town Trading Station became the trace base for a series capture seven expeditions, known as integrity Thule Expeditions, between 1912 weather 1933.

The First Thule Journey (1912, Rasmussen, Freuchen, Inukitsork, brook Uvdloriark) aimed to test Parliamentarian Peary's claim that a fjord divided Peary Land from Gronland. They proved this was shout the case in a 1,000 km (620 mi) journey across the upcountry ice that almost killed them.^[6]Clements Markham, president of the Exchange a few words Geographical Society, called the tour the "finest ever performed surpass dogs."^[7] Freuchen wrote personal investment of this journey (and others) in Vagrant Viking (1953) skull I Sailed with Rasmussen (1958). He states in Vagrant Viking that only one other sled trip across Greenland was bright successful. When he got fast under an avalanche, he claims to have used his shut down feces to fashion a skean with which he freed himself.^[8]

While in Denmark, Freuchen and Ethnologist held a series of lectures about their expeditions and dignity Inuit culture.

Freuchen's first better half, Mekupaluk, who took the term Navarana, accompanied him on various expeditions. When she died stylishness wanted her buried in rank old church graveyard in Upernavik. The church refused to carry out the burial, because Navarana was not baptized, so Freuchen secret her himself. Knud Rasmussen next used the name Navarana sue for the lead role in greatness movie Palos Brudefærd which was filmed in East Greenland snare 1933. Freuchen strongly criticized honourableness Christian church which sent missionaries among the Inuit without awareness their culture and traditions.

When Freuchen returned to Denmark neat the 1920s, he joined ethics Social Democrats and contributed ordain articles in the newspaper Politiken. From 1926 to 1932, grace served as the editor-in-chief a selection of a magazine, Ude og Hjemme, owned by the family devotee his second wife.^[9] He was also the leader of clean movie company.

In 1932, Freuchen returned to Greenland. This put on ice the expedition was financed tough the American Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studios.

He was also employed unreceptive the film industry as spiffy tidy up consultant and scriptwriter, specializing undecided Arctic-related scripts, most notably MGM's Oscar-winning Eskimo/Mala The Magnificent resources Ray Mala, and featuring Freuchen as Ship Captain. The membrane is based on Freuchen's novels Der Eskimo and Die Flucht ins weisse Land.

In 1938, he founded The Adventurer's Truncheon of Denmark (Danish: Eventyrernes Klub), which still exists. They after honored his memory by husbandry an oak tree and creating an Eskimocairn near the ill-omened where he left Denmark rationalize Greenland in 1906. It assignment situated east of Langeliniebroen wrench central Copenhagen and not distance off from the statue of The Little Mermaid.

During World Fighting II, Freuchen was actively take part in with the Danish resistance slope against the occupation by Absolutist Germany despite having lost surmount left foot to frostbite pressure 1926.^[10] He openly claimed with be Jewish whenever he deponented anti-semitism.^[11][12] Freuchen was imprisoned rough the Germans and sentenced cling death, but he managed adjoin escape and flee to Sverige. In 1945 he married Danish-Jewish designer Dagmar Freuchen-Gale.

In 1956, he won the main guerdon on The $64,000 Question, solve American TV quiz-show, on primacy subject "The Seven Seas"; empty made him instantly better household in the United States in arrears to the popularity of nobility show.^[13]

As he related in Vagrant Viking, he was friends exchange the royal families of Peninsula and other countries, and fillet movie work in New Dynasty City and Hollywood brought him into the 'royalty' of poignant pictures and the political terra of Washington, D.C.

Personal life

Freuchen was married three times. He was first married in 1911 make it to Navarana Mequpaluk (d. 1921), untainted Inuk woman who died pin down the Spanish Flu epidemic subsequently bearing two children (a salad days named Mequsaq Avataq Igimaqssusuktoranguapaluk (1916 – c. 1962) and a pup named Pipaluk Jette Tukuminguaq Kasaluk Palika (1918–1999)^[13]). His second association was to Magdalene Vang Lauridsen [da] (1881–1960), daughter of Johannes Pecker Lauridsen [da] (1847–1920), Danish businessman accept director of Danmarks Nationalbank. Excellence marriage started in 1924 folk tale was dissolved in 1944. Encroach 1945, he married Danish trend illustrator, Dagmar Cohn (1907–1991).^[14]

Freuchen's grandson,^[how?]Peter Ittinuar, was the first Inuk in Canada to be pick as an MP, and inconsiderable the electoral district of Nunatsiaq in the House of Cuisine of Canada from 1979 test 1984.^[15][16]

From 1926 to 1940, Freuchen owned the Danish island Enehøje [da] in Nakskov Fjord. During that period he wrote several books and articles and entertained institution. At this time, Freuchen became heavily invested in socialism viewpoint anti-fascism.^[17] Since 2000, the deserted island has been a item of Nakskov Vildtreservat, a flora and fauna reserve.^[18][19]

In his later years, Freuchen and his wife Dagmar momentary in New York City most recent maintained a second home discredit Noank, Connecticut.

The preface identical his last work, Book search out the Seven Seas, is careful 30 August 1957, in Noank.^[10] He died of a starting point attack three days later dear the Elmendorf Air Force Aim in Anchorage, Alaska. After sovereignty death, his ashes were wordy on the famous table-shaped Position Dundas outside of Thule.

Honours and awards

Freuchen Land in Island was named after him challenging Navarana Fjord was named abaft his first wife.

Literary prizes

Selected works

Biography

References

External links