The War in Svalbard, 1939–45

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Author: Elbo, J. G.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1952
• Subjects: Adventfjorden; Barentsburg; Grumant; Grumantby*; Longyearbyen; Moskushamn; Polar Record; Pyramiden; Svalbard; Sveagruva; Sysselmann*; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400047276; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400047276

Upon the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939 there were three coal mines in full production in Svalbard: the Norwegian Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani Aktieselskap at Longyearbyen, and two Russian Arktikugol mines, at Barentsburg and Grumantbyen. In addition the Russians had begun to develop Pyramiden, an old Swedish claim sold to the Russian company Russky-Grumant in 1926 and taken over by Arktikugol when that company was founded in 1931: Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani A/S was investigating and repairing the old Swedish mine at Sveagruva bought from Svenska Stenkols Aktiebolaget in 1934: and another Norwegian company, Norske Kulfelter A/S, was engaged in trial workings at Moskushamn on the east side of Adventfjorden. In all, the population of Svalbard numbered some 2500 miners, and a small number of wireless operators, meteorological observers, and trappers.W. Marlow was Sysselmann.