Ole Jørgen Hammeken
Greenlandic explorer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ole Jørgen Hammeken (25 June 1956 - 7 November 2025)[1] was a Greenlandic explorer and actor based in Denmark and New York.[2] He was born in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, and was the son of Maritha and Motzflot Hammeken.[3]
Ole Jørgen Hammeken | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 June 1956 |
| Died | 7 November 2025 (aged 69) |
| Citizenship | Greenlandic, Kingdom of Denmark |
| Known for | Polar exploration and acting |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Maritha and Motzflot Hammeken |
Career
Polar exploration
He participated in 2007 in the 'Global Warming Dogsled Expedition' – a journey of over 500 km (310 mi) up and over the Greenland ice sheet from Uummannaq Fjord to Ilulissat,[4] intended to draw people's attention to climate change and global warming.
In 2008, Hammeken completed a circumpolar voyage in a motorized open boat. In February 2009, Hammeken planned a centennial dog sled trip from northern Canada to the North Pole, 771 km (480 mi), one-way, minimum distance, retracing the footsteps of Robert Peary.[5][6] He was a member of The Explorers Club.[7]
Acting
In 2009 Hammeken played the lead role of Ikuma in Le Voyage D'Inuk, a French-Greenlandic film in the Greenlandic language. The film premiered on 20 April 2010 in Stockholm, Sweden.[8]
Personal life
In 1993, Hammeken returned from Denmark, having abandoned a judicial career, deciding to settle in Uummannaq. January 2013 Hammeken moved from Uummannaq.[3][9][10]
It is important to have all these things right because we were colonized so long ago, we can't remember what we forgot.
— Hammeken commenting on the Danish-to-Greenlandic name changes in cartography[11]
Hammeken was an advocate of traditional Greenlandic arts, preservation of dogsledding and historical hunting techniques.[12]
Hammeken died on 7 November 2025 following a cancer diagnosis.
He had two children, a daughter named Alexandra Pipaluk Hammeken, and a son named Ludvig Hammeken.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Inuk | Actor | Award Best Film at the 2012 Byron Bay International Film Festival |