A small plaque commemorating John Munro Longyear, the American founder of Longyearbyen, resides just outside of the center of the city. This small marker commemorates him in an incredibly simple way but is surrounded by other pieces of history to create an experience for audiences that is set to span across all eras of the […]
Tag: svalbard
Polar Bear Signs Become Icons of and for Svalbard
The polar bear population in the Svalbard archipelago is around 3,000 which exceeds the number of people that reside in the town of Longyearbyen. While encounters with the animals in the town are rare, Svalbard Polar Bear Signs warn residents and visitors of the potential danger they face when venturing beyond the limits of the […]
Modern Monuments: The Miner by Tore Bjørn Skjølsvik Showcases the Legacy of Svalbard
Residing in the town Longyearbyen just outside of the modern Svalbardbutikken (general store) in the center of town, The Miner statue celebrates a legacy that represents the past and present of the entire Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. This life-sized statue depicts a miner headed to or from work for the day, enabling a variety of […]
Monumentous Potential: The Svalbard Seed Vault
Carved into a hillside above Longyearbyen, the Svalbard Seed Vault was created to provide long-term storage of seeds that come from countries and regions across the world. Its purpose is to backup genebank collections to secure the foundation of our future food supply, highlighting why the Svalbard Seed Vault has been mentioned as one of […]