Eske Brun
Encyclopedia
Eske Brun was a high civil servant in Greenland
and in relation to Greenland from 1932 till 1964.
Brun was born in Aalborg
in the northern part of Jutland
, Denmark
. His father died when he was 15 and the family moved to Ordrup north of Copenhagen
. He received a law-degree from University of Copenhagen
in 1929.
In 1932, at the age of 28, Brun was given a substitute job as governor of Northern Greenland
. In 1939 he got a permanent position as governor. When World War II
started and the connection to Copenhagen
(the capital of the Kingdom of Denmark, which Greenland was a part of) was severed, on account of the German occupation. Brun and his colleague Aksel Svane, via the law concerning the ruling of Greenland of 1925, took control of the island. They established supply-lines from United States
and Canada
with the help of the Danish ambassador in Washington, Henrik Kauffmann
. From 1941 until the end of the war Aksel Svane was situated in US to organize the supplies and Eske Brun became governor of Southern Greenland as well . The administration was centralized in Godthåb (Nuuk
).
After the war Eske Brun was made vice-president of the Greenland Administration (Grønlands Styrelse) (in 1947). In January 1949 he succeeded Knud Oldendow as president.
Eske Brun worked as a senior official until his voluntary retirement in 1964 after disputes concerning equality between Danes and Greenlanders.
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
and in relation to Greenland from 1932 till 1964.
Brun was born in Aalborg
Aalborg
-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....
in the northern part of Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. His father died when he was 15 and the family moved to Ordrup north of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. He received a law-degree from University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
in 1929.
In 1932, at the age of 28, Brun was given a substitute job as governor of Northern Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. In 1939 he got a permanent position as governor. When World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
started and the connection to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
(the capital of the Kingdom of Denmark, which Greenland was a part of) was severed, on account of the German occupation. Brun and his colleague Aksel Svane, via the law concerning the ruling of Greenland of 1925, took control of the island. They established supply-lines from United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with the help of the Danish ambassador in Washington, Henrik Kauffmann
Henrik Kauffmann
Henrik Kauffmann was the Danish ambassador to the United States during World War II. On April 9, 1941, the anniversary of the German occupation of Denmark, he signed on his own initiative "in the Name of the King" an "Agreement relating to the Defense of Greenland" authorizing the United States...
. From 1941 until the end of the war Aksel Svane was situated in US to organize the supplies and Eske Brun became governor of Southern Greenland as well . The administration was centralized in Godthåb (Nuuk
Nuuk
Nuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in...
).
After the war Eske Brun was made vice-president of the Greenland Administration (Grønlands Styrelse) (in 1947). In January 1949 he succeeded Knud Oldendow as president.
Eske Brun worked as a senior official until his voluntary retirement in 1964 after disputes concerning equality between Danes and Greenlanders.