Hinrich Johannes Rink

Dr. Hinrich Johannes Rink (first name sometimes as Henrik) (26 August 1819 – 15 December 1893) was a Danish geologist, one of the pioneers of glaciology, Rink, who first came to Greenland in 1848, spent 16 winters and 22 summers in the Arctic region, he served as Royal Inspector of South Greenland and went on to become Director of the Royal Greenland Trading Department. With "Forstanderskaber", Rink introduced the first steps towards Greenlandic home rule. the first systematic collection of Greenlandic oral tradition stories. He was the founder of Atuagagdliutit, the first Kalaallisut language newspaper.

Early years Rink was born in Copenhagen to Holstein parents. His father was Johannes Rink (1783–1865), a Kiel, Germany merchant, and his mother was Agnese Margaretha (née Hedde) Rink (1793–1865); both were from Dithmarschen. He had a brother, Johan Jacob Rink (1815–1849).

Initially taught by a private teacher, he later went to study at the Sorø Academy. it was in Berlin that he received an offer to participate as a mineralogist for the first of the Galathea expeditions aboard the frigate Galathea. The voyage lasted from 1845 through 1847. He was intent on going to Calcutta, but he ended up at the Nicobar Islands, colonized by Denmark at the time, to investigate them geographically. After five months he fell ill with Nicobar Fever, weakening him the rest of his life, and forcing his return to Denmark. On the return trip, he stopped in Cairo and Malta, where, in October 1846, he collected geological materials. In 1847, his first major geographical work, "The Nicobarese islands", was published.

From 1848 until 1851, with public support, he went to Western Greenland for geological and glaciological studies at Upernavik and Umanak. Here, he lived among the Kalaallit which gave him an opportunity to study them. But his objective was to create a map of Greenland based on the surveys that he performed and those of others. He was able to survey large areas of Western Greenland's fjords and their glaciers. In the last year, he spent some time in Ilulissat and sailed to Paakitsoq, a bay in Western Greenland. He travelled by sledge to Sermeq Kujalleq in the spring of 1851. He mapped the Greenland coast, and made the first geological map of it. Rink's surveys are notable as the first in a series of ice margin change surveys that have lasted over 150 years. Rink established a print shop in Godthaab in 1861, the South Greenland Press, and founded with his wife the first Greenlandic language newspaper, Atuagagdliutit (translation: "Readings"). Its first issue was published in January 1861, and it was published monthly thereafter. In addition to the newspaper, the print shop published pamphlets.

Rink actively cared for the welfare of the Inuit, with whom he had close contact. It was his idea and under his guidance, that the Commission's board members were introduced, which ensured Greenlanders' influence on their own affairs. In 1858, he called on local people to learn their artistic traditions. He helped discover and promote the artists Jens Kreutzmann and Aron of Kangeq. Rink studied the Greenlandic language and folklore; Eskimo tales and legends was published in 1866.

In 1868, forced to leave Greenland for health reasons, Rink again returned to Copenhagen. From 1871 until 1882, he served as Director of the Royal Greenland Trading Department. As their only daughter, Antoinette Margrethe Rink (b. 1855) moved to Christiania, Norway, Rink and his wife retired there in 1882, and he finished his last work. Rink died in 1893 as the leading expert of his day on Greenland. A memorial built of stone in Godthaab contains a plaque with the inscription kalatdlit asavai ilisimavai (translation: "He loved and knew Kalaallit Inuit (Greenlanders)"). of over 140 manuscript maps also includes cards upon which he and others had drawn. It is now in the Royal Danish Library.

Rink Glacier (Kangilliup Sermia) and Rink Glacier (Melville Bay) in northwest Greenland are named in his honor. The HJ Rinksvej is one of the main streets in the urban centre of Nuuk.

Partial works Danish Greenland : its people and products The Danish trade areas in North Greenland, their geographic nature and productive industry sources ("De danske handelsdistrikter i Nordgrønland, deres geographiske beskaffenhed og produktive erhvervskilder", in Danish) The East Greenland dialect according to the annotations made by The Danish East Coast Expedition to Kleinschmidt's Greenlandic Dictionary The Eskimo tribes : their distributions and characteristics, especially in regard to language, with a comparative vocabulary and a sketch-map The girl and the dogs : further comments Greenland, geographically and statistically described Greenlanders and Danes in Greenland The interior of Greenland and the opportunity to travel the same The Origin of the Eskimo as traced by their Language. The Reason Why Greenlanders and Similar People Living by Hunting Decline Materially Through Contact with Europeans Tales and traditions of the Eskimo: with a sketch of their habits, religion, language and other peculiarities The Danish trade areas in North Greenland, their geographic nature and productive industry sources ("De danske handelsdistrikter i Nordgrønland, deres geographiske beskaffenhed og produktive erhvervskilder", in Danish)