House of Hegelund
Arctic family traditions since 1635
Four centuries above the Arctic Circle. A family that made use of what was at hand, took care of each other and saw opportunities where others saw none.
1635
A family shaped by the Arctic.
In 1635, Morten C. Hegelund, a Dane in the service of the Crown, came north and settled at Elvevoll – today’s Hansnes on Ringvassøy – far above the Arctic Circle. Life on the outer islands was harsh and isolated. The family endured – and thrived.
Here, survival has always depended on ingenuity, cooperation and a strong sense of community. Those are still the qualities that define the Hegelund family today.
The Hegelund spirit
Make use of what is at hand. Be creative. Take care of each other. See opportunities where others see none.
The Hegelunds recognised opportunities where no one else was looking. They challenged established conformities and traded with Russia and South Norway.
Through the centuries
Four hundred years in the North.
1620s
Christen Hegelund is mayor of Viborg in Denmark. Two of his sons move to Norway.
1635
Morten C. Hegelund comes to the Arctic and settles at Elvevoll on Ringvassøy as bailiff of Troms.
1661
Christen M. Heggelund, “the King of Skjervøy”, starts trading on Skjervøy.
1700s–1917
The Pomor trade with Russia shapes the coast. Legal from 1796, it ends with the revolution.
1889
Helgøy church, built at Hemnes in 1741–42 and later moved to Hamn on Senja, is consecrated on Helgøy.
1944–45
The Lyngen Line. Nord-Troms east of Lyngen is forcibly evacuated and burned.
Today
The family carries the spirit forward from Tromsø, through House of Hegelund.
Our homesteads
The places that made us.
Helgøy
The island at the heart of the family’s story: a harsh land of extremes, of midnight sun and months of blue darkness.
The Helgøy Church
The church of the Hegelunds for several hundred years, and the heart of the community.
In preparation
Lessons from the Arctic.
Drawing on four centuries of Arctic resilience, House of Hegelund is preparing small gatherings in Northern Norway on leadership, culture, history and finance – together with selected partners.
The landscape and the family’s history are the classroom.
Letters from the Arctic
A few times a year we share stories from the Hegelund family, our history and life above the Arctic Circle – and invitations to what we are building next.