Niels Peter Høeg Hagen facts for kids
Niels Peter Høeg Hagen (born October 15, 1877 – died November 1907) was a Danish army officer, an explorer of the polar regions, and a mapmaker. He took part in the unlucky Denmark Expedition to Northeast Greenland in 1906, where he sadly died.
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About Niels Peter Høeg Hagen
Niels Peter Høeg Hagen was born in Denmark. He joined the military and became an officer. He was also very good at making maps, which is called cartography. His love for exploring led him to join a big trip to the cold, icy lands of Greenland.
The Denmark Expedition
In 1906, Høeg Hagen joined the Denmark Expedition. This trip aimed to explore the northeastern part of Greenland. The leader of the expedition was Ludvig Mylius-Erichsen, and another important member was Jørgen Brønlund, a Greenlander.
Exploring Greenland
Høeg Hagen, Mylius-Erichsen, and Brønlund used dog sleds to travel. Their goal was to explore the area around Independence Fjord from the east. However, the maps they had were not quite right. This made them travel much farther than they planned. Because of this, they could not get back to their ship at Danmarkshavn before the spring.
Challenges and Hardship
The three explorers had to spend the summer in a very empty and cold area. They did not have the right shoes for hunting on the rocky ground. Finding enough food for themselves and their dogs became a huge problem. They had to reduce their three dog teams to just one because they couldn't feed them all.
In September, when the sea ice froze again, they finally started their journey back along the coast. But when they reached the southern part of Mallemuk Mountain, they found open water. This meant they had to travel inland instead.
The Tragic End
Sadly, the journey became too difficult. Niels Peter Høeg Hagen died from hunger, being very tired, and the extreme cold. He passed away while walking on the ice in the Nioghalvfjerdsbrae area. Just a few days later, Mylius-Erichsen also died.
The last person to die was Brønlund. The next spring, his body was found by Johan Peter Koch in Lambert Land. Brønlund's diary and Høeg Hagen's map sketches were found with him. These important items helped people understand what happened on the expedition.
Later, in 1912, explorer Ejnar Mikkelsen found some reports left by Mylius-Erichsen at Danmark Fjord. These reports were brought back to Copenhagen.
Legacy
To honor Niels Peter Høeg Hagen, a part of Independence Fjord was named Hagen Fjord. A glacier, a large river of ice, was also named Hagen Glacier after him.
