Lars Christensen

Lars Christensen ( born April 6, 1884 in Framnäs in Sandefjord, † 10 December 1965 New York) was a Norwegian shipowner and whaling magnate with a strong interest in Antarctic research.

Christensen was born in a rich family; its whaling fleet he inherited from his rich father, Christen Christensen ( 1845-1923 ).

Whaling Museum and Library

The Whaling Museum, now the Museum of Sandefjord, 1917 financed through donations. Sandefjord had one of the first excellent museum building in Norway.

In his travels, Christensen collected a large amount of literature, including much about whaling; his interests included research as well as a support for the industry. This material the library of Sandefjord Museum was donated in the 1920s and 1930s. Christensen also provided funds for the future enlargement of the stocks.

Antarctic

Christensen had a big interest in Antarctica and the local wildlife. It was made mainly on geographical discoveries and instructed his captains accordingly. He financed several expeditions, which were dedicated to the exploration of the Antarctic continent and its waters and also participated in some part of himself, where he 1936/37, even brought his wife Ingrid. He was among the first who took to map the coast of the support of seaplanes to complete. This mapping he completed from the Weddell Sea to the Shackleton Ice Shelf, where he focused on the Bouvetoya and the region of Enderbyland to Coats Land. On the expedition of 1936/37, as in 2200 air photos were taken, covering 16,187 square kilometers. Mrs. Ingrid Christensen became the first woman to fly over the Antarctic.

On December 1, 1927 Christensen ended up as an expedition leader on the Bouvetoya and claimed it for Norway. It had previously been claimed by Great Britain, but the British soon renounced their claim and recognized the island as Norwegian.

While nine expeditions he financed 1926-1937, discovered and explored Christensen's people important areas of Queen Maud Lands and the Mac Robertson Coast.

This and that

In the Antarctic, there are some after Christensen named places:

• Lars Christensen Summit
• Lars Christensen Land, also known as Mac - Robertson Land. Here was operating the (now closed ) Soyuz station the Russians.
• Lars Christensen Coast

The Endurance, the ship that became known after Ernest Shackleton's failed expedition of 1914, was originally built for Christensen, who wanted to use them for polar cruises and tourist Polar Bear hunts. As a result, the ship was sold to but Shackleton.

Together with Otto Sverdrup and Oscar Wisting succeeded Christensen, the Fram, Fridtjof Nansen, the legendary ship, Otto Sverdrup and Roald Amundsen to rescue from decay. In 1935, the Fram was housed in Oslo Frammuseum where they can still be seen today.

Christensen died on December 10, 1965 during a stay in New York. He was transferred to Norway and on December 30th in the family vault in Sandar ( since 1968 belonging to Sandefjord) buried.