Polar explorer Peter Freychen: biography, personal life, discoveries and interesting facts

Lorenz Edfred Peter Freikhen (02.02.1886-02.09.1957) is a Danish Arctic researcher, author of numerous books, anthropologist and journalist. His biography, personal life and travel will be devoted to our article. A lot in the life of Peter Freychen is connected with the Soviet Union. He came to Russia and participated in expeditions to develop the Arctic. He also collaborated with Soviet polar explorers. And what do we know about his personal life? They say he settled in Greenland and even married an Eskimo? In the photographs , the Arctic explorer looks like a real giant. Especially in the neighborhood with his tiny wife. What are the drawbacks of retro photos or did Frejanc really suffer from gigantism? What books did he write? Can they be read to an inexperienced person in scientific terminology? All this will be told in this article.

Biography, the beginning of a traveler's career

Peter Freikhen was born in the town of Nyköbing, in Denmark, on February 2, 1886. His parents were Lorenz Benzon and Anna Petrina Frederikka (nee Rasmussen). The boy attracted the sea from his childhood. Probably, the genes of the Vikings affected. However, the young man graduated from the university with a degree in philology. This helped him in the future to become famous as a writer and journalist. In 1906, he enrolled in the expedition and, thus, until 1908, explored Greenland. But, returning home, he never stopped dreaming with the Far North. In 1910, together with his crony friend, another polar explorer Knud Rasmussen, he founded the station-station Tule. Lived among the Eskimos from 1913 to 1919. Later became a member of another expedition, which compiled a detailed map of the island of Greenland (1921-1924).

A family

About the private life of the polar explorer is known that he was three times married. For the first time he really combined a marriage with an Eskimo by the name of Navarana Mekupaluk. She gave birth to the husband of the son of Mekusak Avataka Igimaksusuktoranguapaluka and daughter Pipaluk Zhett Tukuminigak Kasaluq Palika Hager. This marriage lasted ten years (from 1911 to 1921), while Navarana did not die from the "Spanish" - a terrible epidemic of influenza, which collected a huge human harvest in Western Europe and North America. The second time Peter Freyhen married in 1924 on Magdalena Wang Lauridsen. But the couple decided to divorce in 1944. And finally, in 1945 the polar explorer linked his fate with Dagmar Kohn (1907-1991). About the grandson of Freichen, Inuit (Eskimo) Peter, it is known that he was elected Mayor of Nuantsinak in Canada from 1979 to 1984.

Life in Greenland. Tule Base Station

Having once visited Greenland, Freychen could no longer live without this largest island in the world. He returned there in 1910 and for a long time connected his fate with the indigenous people, the Inuit. Together with another polar explorer, Knud Rasmussen, Freychen founded Thule. The station received its name from Ultima Thule, the northernmost post office. Thule became the base for many expeditions. On it constantly lived from 1913 to 1919 Peter Freychen and his wife, Navarana. Polar explorers made bold outings deep into the island, twice crossed Greenland on dog sleds. In total from 1912 to 1933, seven such expeditions were carried out.

What was Peter Freyhen: height and weight

In 1958, Denmark published a book of memoirs about this remarkable polar explorer. Its authors are the daughter of the first marriage Pipaluk, Uvdlurik Inuterssuak, brother of Navarana, Niels Bohr, Nobel Prize winner, and others. The "Book of Freychen" is full of warm words about the brave polar explorer, who linked his whole destiny with the Inuit and even became related to them. Among other things, the question of the growth of this unique person is also raised there. After all, in an old photo depicting the polar explorer Peter Freychen with his wife, he looks like a real giant. But this effect is achieved due to the diminutiveness of his wife Dagmar (in the girlhood Galya).

Although Freychen, as they are written about by those who knew him personally, was a tall man of a powerful physique. Even Thor Heyerdahl himself, far from being short, was impressed by his figure. But this hero never used his strength for evil. He was known as an exceptionally kind, sympathetic person, always coming to the aid of the weak. Many call him a human rights activist. After all, he fought for a better life for the indigenous peoples of the Far North. From the pages of the "Book of Freychen" we are faced with the image of a researcher, a talented writer and a humanist.

Research in other countries

Greenland was the land of his dreams. But the harsh nature of other territories of the Far North beckoned to him with no less force. He took the opportunity, and when the Americans decided to film a documentary about the natural beauties of Alaska, he headed this film expedition. Peter Freychen visited the Hudson. Later he traveled to the extreme northern territories of Sweden (Lapland) and Norway. In 1935, the Arctic researcher decided to temporarily change the polar ice to the climate of the savannah and, for this purpose, went to South Africa. He also traveled all over South and North America. But most of all he liked the harsh northern nature. In 1928 and 1937, he took part in two Soviet expeditions that were equipped in the Siberian Circumpolar. He was connected by a strong friendship with Academician O. Yu. Schmidt. Knowing nothing about the background of the Stalinist regime and the Gulag, the Danish polar explorer adhered to idealistic views on the Soviet Union.

The times of World War II

In this terrible period, when Europe was swept by Nazism, Peter Freyhen, whose growth was six feet and seven inches, could not stay away from the events. He returned to his homeland, to Denmark, and became an active participant in the resistance movement. But in fact for that period he already lost his leg (due to frostbite in 1926). Freien openly declared that he was a Jew, wherever he was, if he only had to hear an anti-Semitic maxim. In the end, he was captured by the Nazis and sentenced to death. But the courageous polar explorer managed to escape from captivity. At first he was hiding in Sweden, and then moved to the United States of America. After the Second World War Freychen again returns to his dear heart Greenland, the Inuit, the language, customs and customs of which he knew so well. Passion for travel did not leave him until his death. And the famous traveler died in September 1957 from a heart attack at the airport of Elmendorf, Alaska, when he was going to fly to Greenland. He was seventy-one years old. His remains were buried on his dear land - near the Thule station in Greenland. The last years of his life he lived with his wife Dagmar in New York or in his second house, in Noanke (Connecticut).

Biography and author's books

Freikhen Peter is known not only for his polar research. He also wrote books. And it's not just about scientific works, essays and documentary stories, but also artistic works - stories, plays and novels. Unfortunately, only three of his works were published in Russian. These are the novels My Greenland Youth and The Great Catcher. Another story with elements of autobiography - "St. John's Wort". Turning the pages of this book, we see the image of an interesting, friendly person who admires others with his moral and physical qualities. Friends are drawn to him, and he respects others, regardless of their color. This polar explorer sought to help anyone who was in trouble. "St. John's wort of Melville Bay" is a hymn to the people of Inuit who lives in harsh and dangerous conditions on an island almost entirely bound by an ice shell. The book also contains a narrative about European sailors and whalers. The second visit of Peter Freichen in the Soviet Union can be read in the book "Siberian Adventures." Literally three days before his death, which happened on September 2, 1957, the author finished work on the manuscript of "The Book of the Seven Oceans".

Other activities

Polar explorer Peter Freyhen has been a member of numerous geographic societies for many years in different countries around the world. All highly appreciated his undeniable contribution to the study of the Arctic. Among the main and eminent circles can be mentioned the International Society. Mark Twain, an honorary member of which Freychen was. He traveled the world with a series of lectures on the culture of the Inuit. On merit, his activities as a writer and journalist were also evaluated. He was a corresponding member of the Arctic Institute of Denmark. For several years, Peter Freychein served as chairman of the Writers' Union of his native country. It should be said that the researcher performed well in the role of an actor. After all, he often found himself in the frame of documentary films about the harsh nature of the North. At first he only accompanied the film expedition as an experienced conductor. But later he himself began to comment on what the camera recorded. He also starred in several Hollywood films.

Awards

The famous researcher of the Arctic Peter Freichen was awarded many prizes for his activities. He became the owner of gold medals of the Geographical Societies of the city of Philadelphia and the name of Hans-Egged. He was also awarded the highest prize of Benjamin Franklin.