Behind the ice gate

Behind the ice gate lies the village of Ilimanaq near the mouth of the Ice Fjord in the Disco Bay. The area was an Inuit summer settlement from ancient times, but following the arrival of Dutch whalers and Danish missionaries in the 18th century, Ilimanaq took on the status of a village. The Dutch named it Claushavn. Ever since then Ilimanaq/Claushavn has been a vibrant village that has absorbed people from smaller villages nearby as they were abandoned. Today Ilimanaq is itself fighting for survival. The fish factory closed, and today the number of inhabitants is down to fifty. Private and public organisations are currently making a considerable effort to reverse this depopulation. But will they succeed? What does life look like in one of Greenland’s oldest villages when its existence is threatened? The renowned Danish photographer and author, Henrik Saxgren, has visited Ilimanaq at different seasons and created this portrait of the village, the bay and the fjord.