In 2011 a century will have passed since Roald Amundsen planted the Norwegian flag on the South Pole. It is also the 150th anniversary of the birth of Fridtjof Nansen who devoted himself to Arctic research and epic journeys in remote and icy regions.
A series of projects will be included in the celebration program. Liv Arnesen will lead a ski expedition of women from many continents to the South Pole. On Svalbard, Amundsen’s house at Ny Ålesund will be restored. Tromsø will celebrate its local hero Helmer Hanssen, who took part in Amundsen's push to the Pole.
"A lot of exciting things will happen during the celebrations," says Jan-Gunnar Winther, the head of the Norwegian Polar Institute, to daily newspaper Aftenposten.
He thinks that it important that these polar exploits are not forgotten. Young people need to be made aware of what happened and the role that Norwegians played.
