Hinrich Johannes Rink

Hinrich Johannes Rink ( born August 26, 1819 in Copenhagen, † December 15, 1893 in Christiania ) was a Danish geologist and explorer Greenland.

Hinrich Rink was the son of John Rink and Agnese, born Hedde. Both came from Dithmar. Hinrich Rink married in 1853 Nathalia Sophie Nielsine ( Signe ) Caroline, born Møller (* 1836 in Godthåb ). Together they had a daughter.

Rink studied at the University of Copenhagen Physics and Chemistry, 1844 Ph.D. at the Christian -Albrechts -University of Kiel and listened to 1845 medical lectures in Berlin. There he got the invitation to participate as a mineralogist at the Erdumseglung the frigate Galatea. Actually, he wanted the Galathea to Calcutta, but took him to the Nicobar Islands, which were then colonized by Denmark. After five months he fell ill with a fever, which should weaken him throughout his life. He had to return to Denmark, where in 1847 his first major geographical work appeared: " The Niko Malabar islands" ( in German ).

Then Rink explored from 1848 to 1851 with public support North Greenland. Rink lived four years among the native Inuit. He made the first geological map of the Greenland coast country. But his great interest was to explore the inland ice. The first scientist he fathomed the origin and movement and the causal relationships with the icebergs in the North Sea. In 1853 he published his treatise "Om Isens Udbredning above Bevægelse over Nordgrønlands Fast Land" ( about the spread and movement of the ice on the North Greenlandic mainland ). 1851 Rink returned back to Copenhagen, where he took a seat in a Commission which reflected on the monopoly of trade in Greenland. On behalf of this committee in 1852, he returned to Greenland back, traveled through southern Greenland and published the work "Om monopoly Handelen paa Grønland " (About the monopoly of trade in Greenland). In 1853 he entered the service of monopoly trade and was first colonial administrator in Godthåb (Nuuk ) and Julianehåb ( Qaqortoq ). During this time his main work " Grønland, Geografisk above Statistisk beskrevet " (Greenland geographically and statistically described ), which was the first standard work on Greenland by Hans Egede " Perlustration " ( 1729 ) was born. 1858-68 he was a royal inspector of South Greenland.

Rink caring actively for the welfare of the Inuit with whom he had close contact. So it was his idea and under his guidance, the official boards were introduced, which secured the Greenlanders the impact on their business. In 1858, he called the local population, to process and hold the traditions Greenlandic artistic, and supported them while materially. So artists like Jens Kreutzmann and Aron were discovered and promoted by Kangeq. In 1861 he taught in Godthåb a print shop where the first Greenlandic newspaper, Atuagagdliutit ( Worth reading ) appeared, which was founded by Rink. Rink studied the Greenlandic language and the Greenlandic folklore. 1866 appeared " Eskimoiske äventyr above Sagn " ( Eskimo tales and legends ).

In 1868, he was forced for health reasons to leave Greenland and went to Copenhagen. There he was director of the Royal Greenland Trade 1871-1882, as which he the whole administration of the country - with the exception of the mission system - board. He continued to try to work within the meaning of the Inuit by the official boards of the Greenlanders were continued under his leadership. In Copenhagen, he founded the Grønlænderhjem ( Grönländerheim ) for young Inuit who were for training in Denmark.

In 1882 he moved to Christiania (now Oslo) on, where his daughter was married. There he finished his last work. He died in 1893 as the most important Greenland connoisseurs of his time.

Rink left behind, among other things, a collection of over 140 manuscripts with Greenland cards that he and others had drawn. This collection is now on display in the Royal Library in Copenhagen.

Work

From his writings on Greenland to the research itself Rink has rendered outstanding service are the most important, apart from various essays in Peter 's Geographic releases:

• Greenland, geographically and statistically described (Copenhagen 1852-55, 2 volumes, English edition of Brown, London 1877)
• Fairy tales and legends of the Eskimos (Copenhagen 1866, Suppl 1871; English 1875) Eskimoiske Eventyr og Sagn. Copenhagen 1982
• Tales and traditions of the Eskimo. Mineola 1997

All in Danish; he also published in German language The Niko Malabar Islands (Copenhagen 1847). After his death appeared The history of Kagsagsuk (Leipzig, Insel-Verlag 1914).