Ittoqqortoormiit Museum

Located in the heart of Ittoqqortoormiit, the local museum is housed in one of the town’s oldest buildings, a property generously handed over by the Greenlandic Home Rule to the Ittoqqortoormiit Kommunea in 1995 for this specific purpose. Officially opened on September 4th, 1997, this historic building, which dates back to 1930, served as the Royal Greenlandic Trading store and later as the office for Greenland’s Technical Organization after a careful restoration. The museum’s permanent exhibition features an authentic reproduction of a 1950s/1960s hunter’s home from the Ittajimmiit village, demonstrating the living conditions and lifestyle of the era. Adjacent to this is a room showcasing a collection of photographs taken by Ib Tøpfer, a former worker at the Kap Tobin telephone station, which provides a unique snapshot of the period. Upstairs, the museum houses a vast array of fascinating pictures from the town’s foundation and early years of colonization in 1924-1925. In addition to a kayak skeleton and traditional East Greenlandic clothing, the museum also features a significant collection of oil paintings from 1957-1959, painted by the town’s first qualified doctor, Jens Nielsen. This room is often used for rotating exhibits, including works by various artists such as Åge Gitz-Johansen and Inger Lise Westman. This intimate museum serves as a vibrant reminder of Ittoqqortoormiit’s rich history and the resilient spirit of its people.