Jørgen Chemnitz (politician)

Jørgen "Jôrut" Niels Peter Chemnitz (born February 13, 1890 in Sisimiut , † April 19, 1956 in Copenhagen ) was a Greenland councilor and interpreter .

Life

Jørgen Chemnitz was born in Sisimiut and grew up as the son of a pastor and catechist in the mission stations of the Moravian Brethren Alluitsoq (Lichtenau) and Narsarmijit (Friedrichstal). After his school education he was sent to Denmark by the doctor Henrik Deichmann , who worked in Greenland , where he received medical training as a Samaritan in order to be able to provide medical care to the inhabitants of small towns without a doctor. He then returned to Greenland, but the idea from the auxiliary doctors had already been rejected. He was later able to use his training as an obstetrician . He began to work as a helper in Tasiilaq (Ammassalik) and was later appointed Udsteds administrator in Qassimiut , where he managed the trade in the small settlement. In 1924 he was appointed assistant to the inspector of South Greenland. A few months later, the office of inspector was replaced by that of Landsfoged. Jørgen Chemnitz worked under numerous Landsfeders until his death. His knowledge of his homeland was of great help to everyone. He traveled a lot with the Landsfoged and served as an interpreter between the Greenland population and the Landsfoged. He was also honored in 1952 for King Frederik IX. to translate on his Greenland trip.

He was chairman of the Nuuk Town Council for many years . In 1927 he was first elected to Grønlands Landsråd, where he remained in office until 1932. He was a member of the South Greenland State Council from 1945 to 1950, but was represented by Augo Lynge in 1949 . He was also a member of numerous commissions and committees, such as the Grønlandsudvalg and the Grønlandskommission .

In 1956, when he had just traveled to Qaqortoq with Landshøvding Niels Otto Christensen , he fell ill. He was flown to Copenhagen, where he died after a few days in Rigshospitalet at the age of 66.

During his life he had received the Kongelige Belønningsmedalje in gold and had been made a Knight of the Order of Dannebrog and Dannebrogsmand .

family

Jørgen Chemnitz was the son of the pastor and catechist Jens Anton Barsilai Ignatius Chemnitz (1853–1929) and his wife Ane Marie Jacobine Cathrine Holm (1858–1929). His maternal great-grandfather was the inspector Jørgen Nielsen Møller (1801–1862). Anders Olsen (1718–1786) was his great, great, great grandfather. His nephews include the three brothers Erling (1924–1993), Ingvar (1927–2007) and Oluf Høegh (1927–2018). On August 25, 1917, he married Vilhelmine Else Kathrine Dorthe Josefsen (1894–1978), who became known as a women's rights activist . The couple had six children:

• Marie Guldborg Chemnitz (1919–2003), women's rights activist
• Johanne Chemnitz (1921–?)
• Jørgen Hans Kristian Gustav Chemnitz (1923–2001), director and teacher
• Lars Hans Jens Josva Chemnitz (1925–2006), politician and teacher
• Dorthea Flavia Chemnitz (1928-2016)
• Margrethe Marie Tabea Chemnitz (1930–?)

During his time in Tasiilaq, the midwife Kirsten Malene Juditte Thomsen gave birth to twins out of wedlock:

• Thomas Josias Thomsen (1913–?)
• Augusta Juliane Asta Thomsen (1913–?)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Axel Kjær Sørensen: Denmark-Greenland in the Twentieth Century (= Meddelelser om Grønland . Man and Society. 34). Danish Polar Center, Copenhagen 2006, ISBN 87-90369-89-0 , ( digital copy (PDF; 3.35 MB) ).
2. ^ Necrology by Eske Brun in the Tidsskriftet Grønland
3. ^ Jørgen Chemnitz død in the Atuagagdliutit of May 3, 1956
4. ↑ Kathrine Chemnitz in Dansk Kvindebiografisk Leksikon
5. ^ Church records Tasiilaq 1890–1921 (Born boys p. 19 / Born girls p. 57)