Mindebrønden (Memorial Fountain) is a fountain in stone and bronze, located in the small Greenlandic town of

Qaqortoq Qaqortoq, formerly Julianehåb, is a city in the Kujalleq municipalities of Greenland, municipality in southern Greenland, located near Cape Thorvaldsen. With a population of 3,050 in 2020, it is the most populous town and the municipal capital in ...

, formerly Julianehåb, in southern

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...

. It is the older one of the only two public fountains in Greenland.

Construction

Mindebrønden is located in the middle of the small town square of Qaqortoq, and is one of the most well-known tourist sights in the city. Construction of the fountain began in 1929 by architect Pavia Høegh (1886-1956), the grandfather of artist

Aka Høegh Aka Høegh (b. 16 December 1947) is a Greenlandic artist. Born in Qullissat on Disko Island, she moved to Qaqortoq in her childhood, and has lived in southern Greenland ever since. As a painter, graphic artist, and sculptor, Høegh focuses on nati ...

. The fountain was finally completed in 1932, and it is the first and by far the oldest fountain in Greenland. The only other public fountain in Greenland can be found in

Sisimiut Sisimiut (), formerly known as Holsteinsborg, is the capital and largest city of the Qeqqata municipality, the second-largest city in Greenland, and the largest Arctic city in North America.The term 'city' is loosely used to describe any popula ...

. The base of the fountain is carved from

Igaliku Igaliku is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The town was founded as Igaliko in 1783 by the trader and colonial administrator Anders Olsen and Greenlandic wife Tuperna. In 2020, Igaliku had 21 inhabitants. The ...

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

, which is visually characteristic and easily recognizable. The distinctive stones were transported to Qaqortoq from the nearby Igaliku settlement. The hexagonal structure in the center of the fountain has its origin in the "Anders Olsens minde" hexagonal

gazebo A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or turret-shaped, often built in a park, garden or spacious public area. Some are used on occasions as bandstands. Etymology The etymology given by Oxford Dictionaries (website), Oxford D ...

, which stood beside Lake Storsøen, which lies just behind the town. The fountain was protected in 1998 by the Greenlandic home rule. The fountain is turned off during the winter months.

Theme

The theme of the fountain is referencing the

whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industry ...

tradition, and three bronze whale sculptures are spouting water from their blowholes at the top of the structure. The round stone basin has a circle of spouts directed towards the fountain's center pillar, showering the center with small water jets.

References

External links

* Normander, Bo

aqortoq - Atlas Obscura {{Authority control Qaqortoq Sculptures of whales Buildings and structures in Greenland Fountains