Buildings are an important part of our cultural heritage. They are a tangible reminder from the days of our forefathers; one which we have a duty to look after. It therefore makes good sense that “Old residential buildings” should be the year’s common theme for Sepac annual issue. The house that Greenland Post has chosen to reproduce on this year’s Sepac stamp was built back in 1751. It was restored a few years ago. It is located in Ilimanaq, which is a small settlement about 15 km south of Ilulissat.
The settle-ment is in Western Greenland, approximately 300 km north of the Arctic Circle. It was once a traditional whal-ing town called Claushavn, which is nowadays a centre for a unique blend of tourism, nature, fisheries, cultural heritage and sustainability. Interest in this small Greenlandic settlement began more than ten years ago. This was when Realdania By & Byg entered into a partnership with Greenland’s National Museum on the potential for revitalizing Greenlandic cultural heritage. The partnership led to Realdania By & Byg buying these two buildings during the Summer of 2014: The house of missionary and tradesman Poul Egede was constructed in 1751 and the colonial shop was built in 1778. Both buildings have great historical and cultural importance for the settlement and for cultural heritage as a whole.
