Grytviken
| Grytviken | |||
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| Coordinates | 54 ° 17 ′ S , 36 ° 30 ′ W | ||
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| Basic data | |||
| Country | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | ||
| ISO 3166-2 | GS | ||
| Residents | 0 (2017) | ||
| founding | 1904 | ||
| Post Code | SIQQ 1ZZ | ||
 Grytviken in the summer of the mid-1990s
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Grytviken (Norwegian: gryte = pot, kettle ; vik = bay ; original German Translation: Grapen bay ) is a now-abandoned whaling station on the island of South Georgia . The settlement used to be the capital of the British overseas territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands . A small number of residents live in the nearby King Edward Point base .
Grytviken is considered the best natural harbor on the island. It consists of King Edward Cove , which lies within Cumberland East Bay . There is a relatively large area of arable flat land around King Edward Cove; the area is relatively sheltered from the wind; there are fresh water springs and streams.
history
The place was founded in November 1904 by Carl Anton Larsen as a whaling station of the Compañía Argentina de Pesca . Larsen was born in Norway and obtained British citizenship upon application in 1910. The local facilities, including a field railway (see railways on South Georgia ), served as an industrial base for whaling and processing until their closure in 1966 . Remains of it have survived to this day, e.g. B. huge whale oil tanks and some administrative facilities.
Grytviken is also known for its connection to the biography of Sir Ernest Shackleton . The adventurous journey he began on Elephant Island in 1916 came to a happy end in Grytviken after the endurance expedition failed . In 1922 Shackleton was buried in Grytvikens Cemetery after he died at the start of another expedition. In 2011 the polar explorer Frank Wild, who died in South Africa in 1939, was buried next to Shackleton .
population
Grytviken itself no longer has any inhabitants. Up to 44 researchers and staff from the British Antarctic Survey, as well as two government officials and their spouses, live and work at the nearby research station at King Edward Point . There are no more permanent residents in the entire overseas area.
Attractions
The Whalers Church , a church that was brought to Grytviken from Norway in prefabricated parts and which was consecrated for Christmas 1913, has been preserved and restored . Church services usually take place at Christmas for cruise participants and the crews of ocean-going ships.
The Grytviken mansion, the former administration building of the whaling station, has housed the South Georgia Museum since 1991 . The exhibits deal with the history and nature of South Georgia. With around 7000 visitors annually, it is one of the most popular museums in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands.
Grytviken can be explored using Google Street View , and Whalers Church can also be viewed from outside and inside.
Grytviken, 1914
Grytviken, 1989
Church in Grytviken
Grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton
Web links
- Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands
- South Georgia Museum
- South Georgia Heritage Trust
- Virtual tour of Grytviken
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c About SGSSI. In: gov.gs. Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands.Retrieved December 31, 2017 .
- ^ South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. In: wikitravel.org. Retrieved December 31, 2017 .
- ^ Gatis Pāvils: Grytviken Church (Whalers Church). In: wondermondo.com. Wondermondo, December 31, 2011, accessed December 31, 2017 .
- ^ Grytviken Church. In: sght.org. South Georgia Heritage Trust, accessed December 29, 2018 .
- ^ South Georgia Museum. In: gov.gs. Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands.Retrieved December 31, 2017 .
- ^ South Georgia Museum. In: sgmuseum.gs. South Georgia Museum, accessed December 31, 2017 .
- ↑ Visiting. In: sgmuseum.gs. South Georgia Museum, accessed December 31, 2017 .