Narsaq Parish, Greenland Genealogy

Background

 * Narsaq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The name Narsaq is Kalaallisut for "Plain", referring to the shore of Tunulliarfik Fjord where the town is located.
 * Remains of the Norse settlement can be found in the area. The church ruins of Dyrnæs can be found on the north-western outskirts of the town. The Landnám homestead, Landnamsgaarden, can be found immediately to the west of the town. Dated to the year 1000, the homestead is among the oldest of the Norse ruins in the area.
 * Present day Narsaq was founded as Nordprøven ("North Prøven") in 1830.
 * A trading center was established here due to the natural deep water harbor which could accommodate ocean faring vessels. Initially local seal hunters traded blubber and seal skin for continental goods, such as coffee, sugar, bread and buckwheat.
 * Until approximately 1900, seal hunting formed the main economy for Narsaq. In the early 1900s seal hunting began to fail, and the main basis for the economy gradually shifted to fishing. The city's historical fishing village is from 1914.
 * The population increased from 25 in 1870, to 162 in 1919, and to 300 in 1930. However the settlement did not experience significant population growth until 1953, when its first prawn and fishing factory of Royal Greenland was established.
 * In 1959 the population exceeded 600, and Narsaq achieved town status. With 1,346 inhabitants as of 2020, it is the ninth-largest town in Greenland.

Place Names
Farm names or small village names within this parish include these place names and variations:
 * Igaliku
 * Kujalleq
 * Narsaq
 * Narsaq Kujalleq
 * Narsarsuaq
 * Nordprøven
 * Qassiarsuk

Census Records

 * 1834-1870 Greenland, Denmark, Censuses, 1834-18701 (in Danish) at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1834-1921 Greenland Censuses, 1834-1921 (in Danish) - incomplete indexes
 * Dansk Demografisk Database - incomplete indexes

Church Records

 * 1822-1940 - Narsaq Kujalleq/Frederiksdal Church Records - at Greenland National Archives Kirkebóger, images only, complete.

Church Location and Contact Information
Narsaq Præstegæld Postboks 17 3921 Narsaq Greenland Telephone: (+299) 661183 Telefax: (+299) 661583 E-mail: narsaq@ilagiit.gl Website

Reading the Records
Because the Faroe Islands were under the jurisdiction of Denmark, many research resources relating to Denmark will be helpful in using Faroe Islands records.
 * Help Reading Danish Records:


 * Denmark Parish Register Headings provides translated examples of parish headings. You will be able to interpret much of what is in the records using these headings. Danish Word List covers typical  terms found in the records. Fixed and Moveable Feast Days for: Denmark will help you translate dates written in feast day form. Denmark surnames are patronymic and change every generation, so carefully study Denmark Names, Personal.


 * Help Reading Old Handwriting: 


 * Scandinavian Handwriting
 * Scandinavian Handwriting, part 3 - No part 2 available
 * Gothic Script and examples (Danish)
 * Gothic script help links (Danish)


 * Knowing What to Look for Next:


 * To understand the best research strategies for these records, see Denmark Church Records Christenings Guide.