Sisimiut

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Sisimiut (the inhabitants of the burrow)
Holsteinsborg (Holsteinburg)
Sisimiut
View over Sisimiut from the air (2006)
View over Sisimiut from the air (2006)
Commune Qeqqata communia
District Sisimiut
Geographical location 66 ° 56 '9 "  N , 53 ° 40' 3"  W Coordinates: 66 ° 56 '9 "  N , 53 ° 40' 3"  W.
Sisimiut (Greenland)
Sisimiut
Residents 5,582
(January 1, 2020)
founding 1756/1764
Time zone UTC-3

Sisimiut [ siˈsimiutˢʰ ] ( Danish Holsteinsborg ) is a Greenland city ​​in the district of Sisimiut in the Qeqqata Kommunia . It is the capital of the district and the municipality and with around 5500 inhabitants also the second largest city in Greenland.

location

Nasaasaaq enthroned above the city (2010)

Sisimiut is located on the west coast of Greenland, about 50 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle and halfway between Nuuk and Disko Bay .

The city is located at the tip of the peninsula between the two fjords of Kangerluarsuk Tulleq in the north and Amerloq in the south. Behind the town is the local mountain Nasaasaaq (Kællingehætten), which at 784 meters forms a barrier between the town and the rest of the peninsula. Kangerluarsunnguaq Bay divides the city. There are also numerous islands in front of the city, of which Qeqertarmiut is the largest.

The city is the end point (more frequent direction of walking) or the starting point of the Arctic Circle Trail , which is well known in the trekking scene and runs through the west Greenland coastline at its widest point between Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq.

history

Until the colonial days

The oldest traces of settlement go back to 2500 BC. BC and come from members of the Saqqaq culture . Subsequently, the area was inhabited by the Dorset culture . In the 15th century, European whalers came to the area and traded with the now resident Inuit.

After Hans Egede had founded his mission station on Håbets Ø in 1721 , attempts were made to found another settlement in 1724. This was the place Nipisat 15 km south of today's Sisimiut. The trading post was burned down by Dutch whalers as early as 1725. In 1729 the trading post was rebuilt and left in 1731, whereupon the whalers let it burn down again. The whalers used the place Ukiivik 33 km north of today's Sisimiut for barter with the Kalaallit.

18th century

The old church of Sisimiut (2010)

In 1756 Jørgen Holm and Anders Olsen founded the colony Sydbay in Ukiivik , which was soon named after Niels Egede Holsteinsborg , named after Johan Ludvig von Holstein , the chairman of the Missionskollegiet , which was responsible for the Danish Mission in Greenland. In 1759 Niels Egede founded a mission lodge in Asummiut , which he wanted to call Missionens Ønske . Because of the poor fishing and trading opportunities in Ukiivik, the colony was moved in 1764 to the place of today's city, across from Asummiut. In 1767 the mission box was also moved to Sisimiut and thus united with the colony. In 1773 the church in Sisimiut, which still stands today, was built, part of which was paid for by the Greenlanders in the form of whale blubber and whale whale.

19th century

Sisimiut on a drawing by Jacob Arøe from 1845
The colonial buildings of Sisimiut (1854)

The population subsequently grew rapidly, but around 400 people died in a smallpox epidemic in 1801. But the city quickly recovered and grew throughout the 19th century.

In 1850 the colony had a church, school, missionary apartment, two houses, a provision house, a brewery, a forge, a bacon house and a provisions store.

20th century

Sisimiut (around 1900)

From 1911, the Holsteinsborg colony also formed its own municipality, to which the Isortoq residential area still belonged. It was part of the 11th district electoral council of South Greenland.

In 1918 there were 293 people in Sisimiut, including eight Europeans. Among them were 24 people who actually lived in Isortoq, which was abandoned for a short time this winter. Among the Greenlanders there were 19 hunters and 10 fishermen. Publicly employed were the colonial administrator, the commercial assistant, a supervisor, three carpenters, three coopers, a gunsmith, a blacksmith, a baker, a boatman, a cook, a colonist, a nurse and a midwife as well as the pastor and two in church services Catechists.

In addition to 32 Greenlandic houses, there was a house from 1846 in Sisimiut in 1918, which was used by the colonial administrator and assistant, a house probably from 1756 that housed the bakery and the carpentry workshop, a food store and shop built in 1852, a food house from 1844, a bacon house with cooperage from 1896, a liquor factory from 1853, a hospital from 1906, a brewery, a forge, a salmon house, a fish house, a material house, three coal sheds, a boathouse, a prison, a wash house, a powder house and a petroleum house, the church from 1773, the pastor's apartment and the school. The pastor ran a catechist school that replaced the training at Grønland's seminary for catechists in small homes.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the conversion from whaling to fishing and fish processing began, so that in 1924 the first fish factory in Greenland was built in Sisimiut. Seven years later, the country's first shipyard was also built here.

When Greenlanders began to move from the small villages to the cities in the 1960s, Sisimiut grew to the size it is today. In the course of this development, the cityscape was increasingly shaped by large prefabricated buildings.

From 1950 to 2009, Sisimiut was the capital of the municipality of Sisimiut , to which Itilleq , Sarfannguit and, since 2002, Kangerlussuaq belonged, before the municipality was merged with the municipality of Maniitsoq to form Qeqqata Kommunia as part of the administrative reform .

List of colonial employees until 1921

Colonial administrator

The following colonial administrators were responsible for the Holsteinsborg colony until 1921.

Whaling commanders

Two whaling commanders were temporarily active in the colony.

  • 1825-1835: Boh Olufs
  • 1842-1852: Jacob Hayen

Missionaries and pastors

The following missionaries and pastors were employed in the colony until 1921. From 1807 to 1812 and from 1815 to 1817 the Holsteinsborg colony was subordinate to the Godthaab colony . In between there was no missionary in South Greenland. From 1875 to 1900 and from 1902 to 1903 the missionary von Godthaab was also responsible. An ordained head catechist was temporarily responsible as a representative.

  • 1758–1763: Jacob Borch
  • 1763–1769: Henrik Christopher Glahn
  • 1769–1778: Hans Jørgen Adolphsen Jæger
  • 1778–1784: Christopher Holm
  • 1784–1793: Peter Rudolph Heide
  • 1793-1800: Niels Christian Rønning
  • 1800–1804: Johann Conrad Büchler
  • 1804–1807: Niels Giessing Wolf
  • 1817–1823: Andreas Fridsch Hønne
  • 1823–1831: Knud Kjer
  • 1831–1835: Christian August Jürgensen
  • 1835–1840: Erik Adolf Wandall
  • 1840–1844: Carl Junius Optatus Steenberg
  • 1844–1848: Carl Emil Jansen
  • 1848–1857: Carl Julius Emil Jørgensen
  • 1857–1868: Jacob Kjer
  • 1868–1872: Thøger Sørensen
  • 1872–1875: Osvald Valentin Bøggild
  • 1884–1885: Erneĸ Jens Lars Johan Berthelsen (head catechist)
  • 1885–1900: Jens Anton Barsilai Ignatius Chemnitz (head catechist)
  • 1900–1902: Carl Ferdinand Wagner
  • from 1903: 00.Valdemar Christoffer Frederiksen

doctors

From 1906 to 1913/14 the colony was a separate medical district. She was then placed under the Sukkertoppen medical district .

  • 1906–1910: Henrik Deichmann
  • 1910–1911: Holger Nathanael Smidt (interim)
  • 1911: -0000Niels Julius Eilertsen (interim)
  • 1912–1914: Holger Sverdrup Kiær

economy

The city with the port (2010)

Initially whaling dominated in Sisimiut, as the two whale bones in the center of the village still testify today. Sisimiut was the first place in Greenland with a fishing industry in the early 20th century. Today shrimp production predominates in the city, but the catch of sea ​​hare , cod , striped sea wolf, and white and black halibut also plays a role. The largest fish factory in the country is now in Sisimiut. The city is also the headquarters of the trading company KNI . Sisimiut is also a popular tourist destination and one of the most important educational centers in the country with numerous educational institutions.

Infrastructure and supply

Sisimiut has a large port area that has several quays and a mooring length of 1.3 km. In addition, there is a leisure harbor further east for private boats with eight jetties. For the future there is also the possibility of building an even larger port about 8 km northwest of the city on Kangerluarsuk Tulleq. In 1998, Sisimiut Airport was built on the site of the former Asummiut settlement. A road connects Sisimiut with the airport, 3 km to the north-west. Overall, Sisimiut has an extensive road network.

Nukissiorfiit secures the power supply via a hydropower plant and an emergency diesel power plant. The drinking water is supplied via several lakes, the water of which is treated in the waterworks in the east of the city. The city's garbage is dumped and then burned. Two thirds of the houses are connected to the sewage system. The sewage is mostly discharged into the sea.

Three Brugseni branches, one from Pisiffik , three from Spar , one from Torrak, one from JYSK and one from Pisattat supply the residents with goods and goods.

Development

Old and New Church (2008)
The historic center of Sisimiut with the new church above (2016)

Sisimiut consists of several parts. The oldest part of the city is south of the port. Here is the Bethel Church, built in 1775, the oldest wooden church in Greenland. It and the entire area around it with numerous colony buildings up to 250 years old are now part of the Sisimiut Museum .

Residential areas can be found south of the historic city center, northeast of it, in the east of the city and west of the historic area on Tømmermandsøen (Carpenter's Island). The youngest residential area is being built on the other side of the bay on the way to the airport and is to be expanded by hundreds of houses to the east over the next few years.

The Taseralik Culture House (2017)

There are kindergartens for around 430 children in Sisimiut. The city's two primary schools together teach around 790 students. There is also a private school and a special school in Sisimiut. The city is also home to a grammar school ( GUX ), the only technical grammar school in the country ( THX ), the Sanaartornermik Ilinniarfik (construction and plant school), together with the Saviminilerinermik Ilinniarfik (iron and metal school) in Nuuk and the one in Sisimiut The Teknikimik Ilinniarfik (KTI) forms the raw materials school . The ARTEK branch of Danmarks Tekniske Universitet is also located in Sisimiut. In 1962, Knud Rasmussens Højskole was opened in Sisimiut, the first university in the country, which today is one of the two Greenland universities alongside Sulisartut Højskoliat . There is also a language school and the Kalaallisuuliornermik Ilinniarfik , which has been separated from the KRH and teaches the making of the national costume . In the city there is also a retirement home and numerous apartments suitable for elderly people.

To the east of the city is a large ski area that plays a role in the city's tourism. Sisimiut also has the only outdoor swimming pool in the country. In the city there is also a meeting house, a sports hall and the Taseralik cultural center .

Dozens of buildings in Sisimiut are worthy of preservation or are listed.

climate

In Sisimiut there is a maritime - subpolar climate with an average temperature of −3.8 ° C, which means it is a little colder, especially in winter, but also significantly drier than in Nuuk all year round . Due to the polar days and nights, the summers are rich in sunshine, while they hardly rise in winter.

Sisimiut
Climate diagram
J F. M. A. M. J J A. S. O N D.
 
 
19th
 
-9
-16
 
 
20th
 
-10
-18
 
 
22nd
 
-10
-18
 
 
28
 
-4
-11
 
 
18th
 
3
-3
 
 
30th
 
7th
1
 
 
44
 
10
3
 
 
52
 
9
3
 
 
51
 
6th
1
 
 
37
 
1
-4
 
 
38
 
-3
-9
 
 
23
 
-7
-13
Temperature in ° C ,  precipitation in mm
Source: Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) and DMI data from Jan. 2000 .
Climate table for Sisimiut (1961–1990)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Max. Temperature ( ° C ) −9.4 −10.2 −10.1 −3.6 2.9 6.8 9.8 9.3 5.8 0.7 −3.2 −6.9 O −0.6
Min. Temperature (° C) −16.3 −17.7 −18.0 −10.9 −3.2 0.8 3.3 3.3 0.7 −4.4 −8.7 −13.3 O −7
Temperature (° C) −12.8 −13.9 −14.0 −7.1 −0.2 3.6 6.3 6.1 3.2 −1.9 −5.9 −10.1 O −3.8
Precipitation ( mm ) 19th 20th 22nd 28 18th 30th 44 52 51 37 38 23 Σ 382
Hours of sunshine ( h / d ) 0.13 1.89 4.65 6.5 7.26 7.9 8.29 5.81 4.57 2.39 0.67 0.04 O 4.2
Rainy days ( d ) 5 5 6th 5 5 6th 7th 8th 8th 8th 8th 6th Σ 77
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
−9.4
−16.3
−10.2
−17.7
−10.1
−18.0
−3.6
−10.9
2.9
−3.2
6.8
0.8
9.8
3.3
9.3
3.3
5.8
0.7
0.7
−4.4
−3.2
−8.7
−6.9
−13.3
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
N
i
e
d
e
r
s
c
h
l
a
g 		19th
20th
22nd
28
18th
30th
44
52
51
37
38
23
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

sons and daughters of the town

Population development

The population of Sisimiut rose for a long time and has remained constant at around 5500 for about ten years.

panorama

and display information about the image
360 ° panorama of Sisimiut

Web links

Commons : Sisimiut  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Map with all official place names confirmed by Oqaasileriffik , provided by Asiaq
  2. ↑ a b History at greenland-guide.dk
  3. ↑ Nipisat in Den Store Danske
  4. ↑ Sydbay in Den Store Danske
  5. ↑ a b c d e f Louis Bobé : Beskrivelse af Distrikterne i Sydgrønland: Holsteinsborg District. History. Colonies . In: Georg Carl Amdrup , Louis Bobé , Adolf Severin Jensen , Hans Peder Steensby (eds.): Grønland i tohundredeaaret for Hans Egedes landing (=  Meddelelser om Grønland . Volume 60-61 ). tape 2 . C. A. Reitzel Boghandel, Copenhagen 1921, p. 90 f . ( Digitized in the Internet Archive ).
  6. ↑ a b Sisimiut at groenlandkreuzfahrt.de
  7. ↑ a b c Ole Bendixen : Beskrivelse af Distrikterne i Sydgrønland: Holsteinsborg District. Bopladser i Holsteinsborg district. Holsteinsborg colonies . In: Georg Carl Amdrup , Louis Bobé , Adolf Severin Jensen , Hans Peder Steensby (eds.): Grønland i tohundredeaaret for Hans Egedes landing (=  Meddelelser om Grønland . Volume 60-61 ). tape 2 . C. A. Reitzel Boghandel, Copenhagen 1921, p. 67 ff . ( Digitized in the Internet Archive ).
  8. ↑ a b Qeqqata Kommunia in Den Store Danske
  9. ↑ a b Sisimiut in Den Store Danske
  10. ↑ a b c Sisimiut at qeqqata.odeum.com
  11. ↑ Population of Sisimiut 1977–2019 at bank.stat.gl