It’s illegal to die in the town of Longyearbyen in Norway: Here's why

Longyearbyen, located deep within the Arctic Circle on the archipelago of Svalbard, is one of the most unique places you will come across. Here there’s a local law that is not only the most unique, but also borders the strange and bizarre. It’s illegal to die in Longyearbyen.

This unusual law is in place for a very good reason. To understand this law, we need to learn more about Longyearbyen as a place.

Longyearbyen is one of the coldest places on earth. The coldest day ever in the recorded history of Longyearbyen has reached -46.3 degrees Celsius. The warmest temperature in Longyearbyen is between 3-7 degrees Celsius. That's the Arctic climate for you.


Now imagine, in a place with such harsh environmental conditions, it’s illegal to die. This is mainly because of the permafrost in the ground that prevents traditional burial methods. The problem is not limited to frozen ground, which is mostly a pain to dig. There is also the problem of buried corpses not getting decomposed, ever. Flesh and bones are just the tip of the iceberg.



It has been reported that centuries-old viruses and bacteria were found preserved in perfect condition. So if a person dies of a disease, the body as well as the pathogens will only get preserved, and not go back to nature as it is supposed to be. There is the danger of these frozen graves releasing harmful pathogens into the environment when the permafrost thaws.


In 1950, the Norwegian government enacted a law, making it illegal to die and be buried within the town limits. To discourage people from dying within the town limits, the entry to the existing cemeteries were all closed.


But where there is life, there’s death too. People of Longyearbyen who are dying are taken to the Norwegian mainland, over 2000 km away.

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The land is off-limits to not just death, but birth too. Yes, you read that right. Pregnant women are not allowed to give birth in the town as there are no proper medical facilities for childbirth. For this too, pregnant women are encouraged to leave the town and move to the mainland, a month before the due date.

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For us, who are looking from the outside, this may seem bizarre, and it probably is. But one also needs to understand that in a place like this where bodies don’t decompose (even that of viruses and bacterias), this is probably the best way to go about it. One wonders, why not cremation? Well, for those who unfortunately meet death before they can even move to the mainland, they do get cremated. But guess what, that’s an added pain as one is required to go through the lengthy process of acquiring a state license to cremate and bury the urn.


So, when in Longyearbyen, stay away from death.