Smeerenburg
Smeerenburg | |
|---|---|
Whaling station | |
Smeerenburg Location in northwestern Svalbard | |
| Coordinates: 79°43′54″N 10°59′42″E / 79.73167°N 10.99500°E | |
| Country | Norway |
| Syssel | Svalbard |
| Island | Spitsbergen |
| Settled | 1619 |
| Closure | 1657 |
| Population | |
• Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | +2 |
Smeerenburg was a whaling station on Amsterdam Island in northwest Svalbard. It was founded by the Danish and Dutch in 1619 as one of Europe's northernmost outposts. With the local bowhead whale population soon decimated and whaling developed into a pelagic industry, Smeerenburg was abandoned around 1660.