Fredrik Hjalmar Johansen grew up in Skien and stood out as a strong and muscular young man. A co-founder of the sports association Odd in 1885, he developed into one of the country’s best gymnasts and was part of the Norwegian troupe that went to the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889. In 1891, he started at Krigsskolen (Oslo’s military academy) but never graduated. Two years later, in 1893, he was nevertheless included as crew on Fridtjof Nansen’s Fram expedition, which aimed to drift over what Nansen believed was an Arctic Ocean. Johansen impressed with his physique during the expedition, and when Nansen left Fram at 84° north in 1895 in an attempt to reach the North Pole with skis and sledges, he took Hjalmar Johansen as his companion. Although they never reached the North Pole, Nansen and Johansen came closer than anyone before, reaching 86° 14′ north. Their return journey across the ice, including overwintering in a stone shelter on Franz Josef Land and later meeting up with the English Jackson-Harmsworth expedition, is still considered one of the most spectacular polar expeditions.
Johansen, along with the entire crew, was hailed on his return in 1896 📜. His book about the expedition, “Selv-anden på 86° 14ʹ “, was published two years later, and an English edition, “With Nansen in the north”, followed in 1899 📜. In 1898, Johansen married Hilda Øvrum, with whom he had four children, Trygve (b. 1899), Margit (b. 1900), Hjalmar (b. 1901) and Per (b. 1903).
As a reward for his efforts during the expedition, Johansen was appointed first lieutenant and later captain in the Army, which was both unusual and outside the rules. Johansen served in Tromsø, but his unhappiness there affected his marriage to Hilda. She later moved back to Skien with the children and they divorced in 1907. In the years that followed, Johansen was involved in several expeditions. He took part in William S. Bruce’s Scottish National Antarctic Expedition in 1907, spent the winter on Svalbard with the German Theodor Lerner 1907-1908 and returned to Svalbard in 1908 and 1909 to participate in the Norwegian expeditions led by Adolf Hoel and Gunnar Isachsen.
On November 24, 1908, Hjalmar Johansen wrote an application to Roald Amundsen to participate in his planned Fram expedition📜, and wrote to inform Nansen of his decision the same day 📜. Already, the week before, Norwegian newspapers had speculated about whether Johansen would join 📜. In an interview with the newspaper “Varden”, Johansen boasted of Amundsen’s plan, but also admitted that it had not yet been discussed whether he might join the expedition.
In March 1909, Norwegian newspapers could still report that Johansen would be with Amundsen, but in May they reported that he had withdrawn because “He had received other offers that are so good, that he has found that he must accept them and has stepped down as Fram‘s second mate.”📜 Speculation continued throughout the spring, and in September 1909 it was reported that Johansen had again decided to join the expedition.📜
Hjalmar Johansen with Roald Amundsen (middle) and Thorvald Nilsen (left) on board Fram before departure in 1910. Photo: Anders Beer Wilse / National Library of Norway.
On arrival in Antarctica, Johansen joined the land party that spent the winter in Framheim. He excelled through the winter, not least by winning the several-month-long competition to guess the outside temperatures and receiving as a prize a pair of binoculars. With responsibility for packing the sledge boxes, Johansen participated in the depot-laying trips during the first sledge season and led the third depot trip to 80° S.
Johansen packs the sledge boxes during the winter in Framheim in 1911. Photo: Follo museum / MiA.
In September 1911, however, the situation changed dramatically. During the return journey on the first, unsuccessful, attempt to reach the South Pole, Johansen and Kristian Prestrud were abandoned by the others, which to them seemed very serious. During breakfast the next day, 17 September 1911, Johansen expressed his dissatisfaction with Amundsen’s decision, to which Amundsen’s responded by expelling Johansen from the polar party and ordering him to join a sledge expedition to King Edward VII Land with Jørgen Stubberud and Kristian Prestrud.
Johansen left the expedition when Fram arrived in Hobart, Tasmania, in March 1912 and returned to Norway on a cargo vessel. Six months after arriving home, on January 3, 1913, Johansen shot himself at Solli Plass in Kristiania (Oslo).
Norway’s National Library holds letters, diaries and photographs related to Hjalmar Johansen’s life 📜.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage, 1903-06. A tinted photograph of him hangs in Amundsen’s home.
The girls Nita and Camilla Carpendale went to Norway and Svartskog together with Amundsen in 1922 where they lived until 1924. The girls called Amundsen “Grandpa”.
Betty was one of the key women in Amundsen’s life. She was the nanny when he grew up, and when Amundsen moved to Svartskog, she joined him and moved into the gatehouse, which became “Betty’s house”.
Eivind Astrup became one of the world’s most experienced polar explorers of his time and a great role model for Roald Amundsen. He chose to end his life when only 24 years old.
Roald Amundsen had strong feelings for Kristine Elisabeth “Kiss” Bennett. She visited Uranienborg several times, but even though Amundsen transferred ownership of it to her, she never moved in.
The girls Nita and Camilla Carpendale went to Norway and Svartskog with Amundsen in 1922 and lived there until 1924. The girls called Amundsen “Grandpa”.
Sigrid Flood Castberg, often called “Sigg”, was one of the women Amundsen had a relationship with. But when Amundsen proposed, she was already married and wanted to wait, and when she was ready he wanted…
Håkon Hammer met Roald Amundsen in Seattle in 1921. He quickly became a collaborator and supporter, but was later named by Amundsen as one of the reasons for his personal bankruptcy.
Participated in the Maud expedition, but left the expedition in 1919, together with Peter Tessem. Both perished. What really happened to them is still unknown.
The Alaska Inupiaq called Elizabeth Magids “Queen of the Arctic”, Amundsen’s crew referred to her as “the mysterious lady”. Amundsen called her “Bess”. She went to live with Amundsen in Norway in 1928….
Participated as a research assistant on the Maud expedition, and as a meteorologist on the Norge expedition. Died on Umberto Nobile’s airship expedition in 1928.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of him decorates a window in Amundsen’s home.
Nobile was the airship engineer whom Amundsen criticized after the expedition in 1926. During the search for his wrecked expedition in 1928, Roald Amundsen disappeared.
Joined the Maud expedition after visiting the ship in Khabarovsk. Also participated in the Norge expedition, but was left out from the actual voyage across the Arctic Ocean.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of her hangs in Amundsen’s home.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of him decorates a door in Amundsen’s home.