Statue of Hans Egede
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The Statue of Hans Egede is a monument in Nuuk, Greenland. It commemorates the Dano-Norwegian Lutheran missionary Hans Egede who founded Nuuk in 1728. Funded by Greenlanders, the statue lies on a hill near the shore above Nuuk Cathedral in the historical Old Nuuk area of the city. The original statue by August Saabye stands outside Frederik's Church in Copenhagen. Egede's controversial missionary practices have recently attracted vandalism and calls for removal of the monument.
Egede arrived in Nuuk under Danish patronage to convert Norse settlers to Christianity.[1]: 56 The Norse settlers, however, had moved and Egede instead encountered the Indigenous population.[1]: 122 Egede's arrival and subsequent stay was not welcomed by these communities.[1]: 71 After roughly ten years of work, Egede returned to Denmark. This was due in part to the deaths of his men and his wife along with the strain of running the colony.[1]: 170
Funding
| Statue of Hans Egede | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Type | Bronze |
| Location | Nuuk, Greenland |
| 64°10′46.6″N 51°44′43.9″W / 64.179611°N 51.745528°W | |
The statue itself was paid for by Greenlanders and erected in 1922.[2] The project was meant to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Egede's arrival in Greenland.[3]: 5 The funds were raised by private collection under secular and religious authorities as well as through donations provided by churchgoers in Denmark.[3]: 5 Until 1953, Greenland was still a Danish colony and the country did not receive self-governing autonomy until 2009.[3]: 7 Views of the statue have evolved as attitudes towards Denmark change.[citation needed]
Formal qualities
The statue of Hans Egede stands on a cobblestone base. Under his feet is a pedestal with an inscription of his name. Together, the statue and pedestal stand at roughly 7-feet tall. One foot steps out to indicate foreword motion. Egede stands up straight, holding a pastoral staff in his right hand and a bible in his left.[3]: 5 He is dressed in the simple robes of a monk, his face maintaining a neutral expression as he looks outward.
This statue of Egede is a copy of a statue created by August Saabye in 1913 and placed outside Frederik's Church in Copenhagen.[citation needed] Here, Egede is in the same pose wearing the same attire, resting on the inscribed pedestal above a stone base.
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