Forord til Roald Amundsen katalog

Roald Amundsen’s expedition to the South Pole, 1911 - 2011

Exhibition at Schæffergården, Copenhagen 25 May – 26 August 2011, then travelling in Denmark and Greenland

 

Catalogue foreword by Jonas Gahr Støre

Polar explorers and polar history are an important part of the Norwegian identity. On 14 December 1911, the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his men reached the South Pole as the first people ever to do so. This catalogue presents Amundsen’s South Pole expedition in 1910-12 and includes photographs that Amundsen subsequently used in public lectures about his expeditions.

His success was partly due to the knowledge he had gained about how to survive in a harsh climate during the time he had spent with the Inuits in Canada. Greenland has also had a special place in the minds of the Norwegian people ever since Norse explorers settled on the island more than a thousand years ago. During the union with Denmark, a number of Norwegians contributed to the development of Greenland, such as Hans Egede, who was a missionary in Greenland in the 18th century.

Norway continues to have a strong interest in assisting in the economic development of Greenland. Hopefully we will be able to share our experience and expertise in the petroleum sector and the sound management of environment and resources as Greenland explores its potential resources.

In Norway, 2011 is being celebrated as Nansen-Amundsen Year, marking the 100th anniversary of the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole and the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Norwegian polar explorer, scientist, diplomat and Nobel laureate Fridtjof Nansen, who also led the first expedition on skis across Greenland, in 1888.

Today, the High North is Norway’s number one foreign policy priority. This is the part of Norway’s neighbouring areas where most change is taking place and where we have the most interests to safeguard.

We intend to shoulder our share of the responsibility in these areas.  Our aim is to ensure that the Arctic remains a peaceful region characterised by political cooperation and legal clarity, ensure the sustainable use of living resources and environmentally sound exploitation of non-renewable resources and promote prosperous economic, social and cultural development in this region.

We will continue our active dialogue on High North issues with Denmark and our other good neighbours, partners and allies. Closer international cooperation in the north will benefit all of us.

I invite you to share our enthusiasm for the polar regions and hope that you enjoy Roald Amundsen’s captivating photographs from his expedition to the South Pole a hundred years ago.

Jonas Gahr Støre, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs

Oslo, April 2011