A Description of Greenland

Hans Egede (1686-1758) was a Norwegian-Danish Lutheran missionary known as the 'Apostle of Greenland.' He embarked on a mission to search for the lost Norse colonies along Greenland's coasts but ultimately focused on establishing a mission among the Inuit populations. Egede's enduring legacy is rooted in his pioneering role in the Christianization and Westernization of Greenland and in establishing Danish sovereignty in the area. In 1721, Egede founded the colony of Godthåb, now known as Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. His devotion to the welfare of the Greenlanders and his efforts to record and understand their culture were pioneering. Egede's mastery of the local language led to the first comprehensive accounts of Greenland's indigenous inhabitants and their environment. His book 'A Description of Greenland' (1741) provides a detailed observation of Greenlandic life, including the geography, climate, wildlife, and the social customs of the Inuit people. The work remains a valuable resource for understanding 18th-century Greenland and serves as a testament to Egede's scholarly and humanitarian pursuits. Although his encounters were shaped by the colonial mindset of his time, Egede's work can be appreciated for its contributions to ethnography and the history of Greenland. His efforts helped lay the foundations for ongoing relations between Greenland and Denmark, an impact that reverberates to this day.