Xsirius

NANOK - Hochstetter station

About NANOK

The North-East Greenland Company NANOK (NANOK) is a private, non-profit organisation founded in 1992 upon the former East Greenland Trapping Company NANOK Ltd., founded in 1929. Today the aim of NANOK is a.o. to disseminate knowledge of North-East Greenland and its culture history and to contribute in securing the cultural monuments and buildings in the area.

NANOK consists formally of a management of seven persons - named the Board. These are Peter Schmidt Mikkelsen (managing director), Jens Erik Schultz, Tommy Pedersen, Søren Andersen, Palle V. Norit, Søren Rysgaard and Fritz Ploug Nielsen. Besides the Board a number of individual persons - "NANOK'ers" - participate actively in NANOK's projects. All work in NANOK is voluntary and unpaid.

NANOK is not an association and we are not able to offer any membership. The few people needed for our expeditions are handpicked by the Board, and there is not any waiting list available. Unfortunately.

Each summer NANOK sends an expedition of typically 5-10 persons divided on 2-3 teams to work in North-East Greenland for 3 to 5 weeks. In the years 1991-2009 a total of 114 NANOK'ers have been sent out to North-East Greenland. Every year NANOK publish a field report, which briefly describes, what we have accomplished during the summer. The reports are available online - see below.

NANOK's activities are financed by The Aage V. Jensens Foundations. The organisation is furthermore supported by a number of private contributors. Among NANOK's many, good partners are: Royal Arctic Line (RAL), Norlandair, Air Greenland, Polar Logistics Group (POLOG) National Environmental Research Institute (DMU), Greenland Self-Government, Greenland National Museum & Archives, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Sirius Dog Sledge Patrol, Defence Guard in Mestersvig and Logistics Centre Greeland (LCG).

Since 1991 NANOK has restored about 30 culture historic buildings and has for this effort gained considerable recognition from a.o. Greenland Home Rule and Greenland National Museum & Archives. Encouraged by Greenland Home Rule NANOK in 2003-2007 undertook a new survey of all cultural-historical cabins and stations in Northeast Greenland. The records were handed over free of charge to Greenland National Museum & Archives. A comprehensive material from the survey, including photos and GPS-data, was published in the book "North-East Greenland 1908-60. The Trapper Era" (Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, 2008).

Classification and current status

In December 2006 a workgroup, established in 2003 by the then Greenland Home Rule (today Self-Government), agreed upon a future classification of the old buildings in North-East Greenland (huts, stations and houses) - normally just called "huts". The classification, based on a proposal by NANOK, divides the huts into four different categories (A, B, C and D) in relation to maintenance:

• A) Protected. Must not be changed, but further decay must be met as decided by the Greenland National Museum & Archives. To be monitored. In all 28 locations.
• B) Maintainable. Selected location well-suited for renovation and ongoing maintenance for recreational purposes. Maintenance may take place through agreement with NANOK. In all 93 locations.
• C) No maintenance. Locations where no maintenance is performed. Included by general regulations of the area. In all 247 locations.
• D) Manned station. Maintained by other institutions. In all 7 locations.

The distribution between the various categories is available in ABCD hut chart North and ABCD hut chart South. A detailed description of the individual locations and huts including maintenance category is available in "North-East Greenland 1908-60. The Trapper Era"

The current maintenance status of the old huts is available in Status hut chart North and Status hut chart South. Location marked with Red or Yellow dots may be expected to be usable (no guaranties given). Other locations marked with green or without marking (black) dots cannot be expected to be usable.   

Contact NANOK

If you wish to contact NANOK or have any questions regarding the old huts in North-East Greenland please e-mail.

NANOK field reports

Our field reports are available online below: