Egede, Hans

Egede, Hans (häns ā'gudu) [key], 1686–1758, Norwegian Lutheran missionary, called the Apostle of Greenland. He went to Greenland in 1721 and, with the support of the Danish government, founded a mission for the Eskimo. He also helped to initiate trade between Denmark and Greenland. He returned to Copenhagen in 1736 to become principal of a seminary that trained missionaries for Greenland. His son, Paul Egede,. 1708–89, also a missionary to Greenland, completed a translation of the New Testament for use by the Eskimo.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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