A Cultural Landscape Emerges: Analyzing the Evolution of Two Historic North Pole Expedition Bases in Virgohamna, Svalbard, from Trash to a Protected Cultural Heritage Site

Anne Cathrine Flyen ()
Additional contact information
Anne Cathrine Flyen: Building Department, Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research, 0155 Oslo, Norway

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-37

Abstract: The identification and preservation of cultural landscapes worthy of protection is a challenging task, as their significance is often not immediately apparent. Analyzing the process through which a site or landscape became a heritage site and understanding the historical context and the factors that contributed to its designation allows making informed decisions on the management and preservation of the site. To provide research-based knowledge, this paper aims to analyze the transformation of the degraded remains of the North Pole expedition bases of Andrée and Wellman in Virgohamna, Svalbard, into a protected historic landscape and the subsequent emergence of the site as a current popular tourist destination. Virgohamna serves as an illustrative case for examining the heritagization process of cultural heritage sites in Svalbard. This article adopts a multidisciplinary approach, drawing upon case studies, mapping and categorizing the historic and current landscape, the condition and vulnerability assessment of historic remains, behavior studies on visiting tourists and guides on-site, expert interviews, and document studies. The findings highlight the complex processes that have influenced the making of the cultural heritage landscape in Virgohamna, the enduring narrative associated with the site, and the need for continued efforts to ensure the preservation and dissemination of its historical significance. Analyzing the process through which Virgohamna has become a heritage site and understanding the historical context and the factors that have contributed to its designation as a heritage site has the potential to enhance comprehension regarding historical importance and heritage values. Furthermore, it might facilitate engaging stakeholders and formulating management approaches and provide insights for policy suggestions. The comprehensive examination serves as a foundation for responsible and sustainable heritage management, ensuring the preservation and promotion of Virgohamna’s cultural heritage for present and future generations.

Keywords: cultural heritage; cultural landscape; expedition site; heritage values; heritagization; Svalbard; tourism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/8/1481/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/8/1481/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:8:p:1481-:d:1202372

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().