Hiorthhamn
| Moskushamn | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Basic data | |||||
| Country | Norway | ||||
| Outdoor area | Svalbard | ||||
| Coordinates : | 78 ° 15 ' N , 15 ° 43' E | ||||
Hiorthhamn (1925 initially Hiorth (h) avn , from 1927 Hiorth (h) amn , from 1935 also Moskushamn ) is a former mining settlement in the north of the Adventfjorden on the island of Svalbard . The settlement is on the opposite side of the fjord from Longyearbyen .
The settlement was built between 1916 and 1921 on behalf of the coal mining company A / S De Norske Kulfelter Spitsbergen . It was named Hiorthavn in honor of the then director Fredrik Wilhelm Louis Hiorth (1851-1923). The Hiorthfjellet , a 924 m high mountain south of the village, the mine was located at the edge, still bears his name today. Due to the combination of the name “Hiorth-hamn” ( hamn is a Norwegian word for port ), there are spellings with one or two “ h ”. In 1925, the settlement was expanded with the houses from the abandoned mining village of Advent City , which was a few kilometers north. The name Hiorthamn has also been documented since 1927 . Today the village and the mine belong to Norske Kulfelter A / S from Fana near Bergen , which was founded in 1938. This gave the place the new name Moskushamn , after the musk oxen released in the region in 1929 . The musk ox initially reproduced and reached around 50-100 individuals in the 1960s. After that, the population decreased significantly. The last sighting dates back to 1985, so that today they are considered extinct on Svalbard. Mining took place in the at 582 m above sea level. M. lying mine took place sporadically until operations were finally stopped in 1940. In 2002 the name was changed back to Hiorthhamn.
Today you can find a number of houses in Hiorthhamn, as well as technical equipment from the mining industry, especially cable cars and other material that has remained behind. The systems are in relatively good condition and are being maintained. Hiorthhamn is home to, along with Ny-Ålesund , the best-preserved historical mining facilities in Svalbard. Some residents of Longyearbyen have weekend houses in Hiorthhamn.
source
- Hiorthhamn . In: The Place Names of Svalbard (first edition 1942). Norsk Polarinstitutt , Oslo 2001, ISBN 82-90307-82-9 (English, Norwegian).