We might say that history has been kind to Willem Barentsz. A sea, an island, an international organization and even a yearly festival in Kirkenes are named after him. But by a lot of measures Barentsz’ polar expeditions were complete failures. He even lost his life in the Arctic, and the authorities in Amsterdam refused to support his widow and family after his death.
The flag arrived at Novaya Semlja 427 years ago. What is the history of the fragments? Who found it? How did it end up as fragments in two different museums?
What can the fragments tell us about the North? About relations between countries, men, and commercial interests, then and now?