Memorial marks 90 years since Pourquoi-Pas? disaster
Wednesday 16th September 2026 on 18:01 in
Iceland
A memorial mass at Landakotskirkja, a church in Reykjavík, has marked 90 years since the French scientific vessel Pourquoi-Pas? sank off Straumfjörður on Mýrar, mbl.is reported.
The ceremony on Tuesday morning followed a similar service held at the church in September 1936, when a requiem mass was sung for the ship’s crew before their coffins were taken aboard a vessel for burial abroad.
Forty people died in the disaster. The ship had departed from Reykjavík but soon encountered severe weather, was driven north across Faxaflói Bay and struck the Hnokka skerry off Straumfjörður. One crew member survived.
The dead included the captain, Jean-Baptiste Charcot, a prominent scientist known particularly for his research in the Arctic. His body and those of 22 other crew members were found, while 17 were never recovered.
The memorial programme, organised by the French Embassy in Reykjavík, also included visits to the graves of several Pourquoi-Pas? crew members buried in Fossvogur Cemetery. Icelandic President Halla Tómasdóttir attended.
A further ceremony will be held at Straumfjörður on Mýrar today, when roses will be cast into the sea in memory of those who died.
On Thursday, September 17, a symposium at Veröld, Vigdís’s House at the University of Iceland, will examine Charcot and his scientific legacy, particularly his work in the Arctic. The event is being held in cooperation with the University of Iceland’s Institute of International Affairs and the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute.
Among those who have travelled to Iceland for the commemorations is Anne Manipoud, Charcot’s great-great-granddaughter, who has spoken about his life, work and legacy. The symposium begins at 3.30pm.
Anna Margrét Björnsson, an information officer at the French Embassy, told Morgunblaðið that the ceremony at Landakotskirkja had been deeply moving and would not be forgotten by those who attended. She said Charcot and the Pourquoi-Pas? disaster continued to be remembered in France, where his achievements were still honoured.