Gustav Frederik Holm
Encyclopedia
Gustav Frederik Holm was a Danish naval officer and Arctic
explorer, born at Copenhagen
. He was made commander in the navy in 1899, was chief of the hydrographic bureau from 1899 to 1909, and became director of pilots in 1912. He became distinguished for his explorations, especially of the east coast of Greenland
. In 1876, he participated in K. J. V. Steenstrup
's geological
expedtition to the Julianehåb District
. From 1883 to 1885 he led the Umiak Expedition with T. V. Garde, exploring the east coast of Christian IX Land, as far as 66° 8' N using umiak
boats. The expedition discovered 11 hitherto unknown Inuit
communities, numbering 431 inhabitants, and five great ice fiords. For his explorations he received gold medals from the Société de Géographie
, Paris
(1891), and the Danish Geographical Society (1895), and the Danish Order of Merit (1909). The results and observations of the expeditions were published in Den danske Konebaads-Expedition til Grønlands Østkyst 1883-85 (1889) and Om de geografiske Forhold i dansk Østgrønland (1889). Cape Gustav Holm
is named after him.
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
explorer, born at 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 was made commander in the navy in 1899, was chief of the hydrographic bureau from 1899 to 1909, and became director of pilots in 1912. He became distinguished for his explorations, especially of the east coast of 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 1876, he participated in K. J. V. Steenstrup
K. J. V. Steenstrup
Knud Johannes Vogelius Steenstrup was a Danish geologist and explorer of Greenland. He was a nephew of the zoologist Japetus Steenstrup....
's geological
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
expedtition to the Julianehåb District
Qaqortoq
Qaqortoq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. With a population of 3,230 as of 2011, it is the most populous town in southern Greenland, and the fourth-largest town in the country. The name is western Greenlandic and means "[the] white [one]".- History :The area around...
. From 1883 to 1885 he led the Umiak Expedition with T. V. Garde, exploring the east coast of Christian IX Land, as far as 66° 8' N using umiak
Umiak
The umiak, umialak, umiaq, umiac, oomiac or oomiak is a type of boat used by Eskimo people, both Yupik and Inuit, and was originally found in all coastal areas from Siberia to Greenland. First arising in Thule times, it has traditionally been used in summer to move people and possessions to...
boats. The expedition discovered 11 hitherto unknown Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
communities, numbering 431 inhabitants, and five great ice fiords. For his explorations he received gold medals from the Société de Géographie
Société de Géographie
The Société de Géographie , is the world's oldest geographical society. It was founded in 1821 . Since 1878, its headquarters has been at 184 Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris. The entrance is marked by two gigantic caryatids representing Land and Sea...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1891), and the Danish Geographical Society (1895), and the Danish Order of Merit (1909). The results and observations of the expeditions were published in Den danske Konebaads-Expedition til Grønlands Østkyst 1883-85 (1889) and Om de geografiske Forhold i dansk Østgrønland (1889). Cape Gustav Holm
Cape Gustav Holm
Cape Gustav Holm is a cape in eastern Greenland, located near the Arctic Circle on the shores of Denmark Strait coast, northeast of Tasiilaq. It is named for Gustav Frederik Holm....
is named after him.
See also
- Thomas Vilhelm Garde
- Cartographic expeditions to GreenlandCartographic expeditions to Greenland....
- List of Arctic expeditions
- Ammassalik wooden mapsAmmassalik wooden mapsIn the 1880s, Gustav Holm led an expedition to the Ammassalik coast of eastern Greenland, where he met several Inuit communities who had had no prior direct contact with Europeans...