Svalbard This week in history, 4 March
2020
Svea Nord closes
The last mine at Sveagruva, Svea Nord, was closed on 4 March 2020. A large clean-up has since returned Sveagruva to a near natural state.
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Friday 7 March 2025Before the Wire, which starts 26 October 2026Updated 23:59
Daylight 07:33 to 16:47, 9 h 14 min. Midnight sun from 19 April.
Svalbard Wire starts on 26 October 2026. Pages before that date show the history of the island.
From the timeline, Discovery and whaling
1596
Barentsz finds Spitsbergen
The Dutchman Willem Barentsz discovered Spitsbergen in 1596. He named the land after the sharp, jagged peaks he saw. The name Svalbard is older and appears in Icelandic annals for 1194.
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The timeline by era
- 1596Discovery and whaling, 3 entries
- 1715Hunting and expeditions, 4 entries
- 1905The coal town, 6 entries
- 1920The Svalbard Treaty, 4 entries
- 1941War and rebuilding, 4 entries
- 1975The modern town, 3 entries
- 2015The present transition, 6 entries