There are laws against speeding, stealing, and trespassing. But in one small town on the edge of the world, there is a law against something you cannot control: Dying.
Welcome to Longyearbyen, a remote settlement on the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. Located halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, it is one of the northernmost inhabited places on Earth.
It is a place of stunning beauty, endless winter, and one very strange rule: If you are terminally ill or about to die, you have to leave.
Here is the interesting story behind the town where death is forbidden.
1. Why Is Dying Illegal?
It sounds like a joke, but the ban on dying is strictly enforced for a very practical (and terrifying) scientific reason: Permafrost.
In 1950, the town discovered a horrifying truth. Because the ground in Svalbard is permanently frozen, bodies buried in the local cemetery were not decomposing. The permafrost preserved them perfectly—essentially turning the graveyard into a cryogenics lab.
This became a major health crisis. Scientists realized that if a person died of a contagious virus, the virus would stay alive in the frozen body forever. If the permafrost ever thawed, it could re-release the plague.
In fact, when scientists exhumed bodies from the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic in Longyearbyen, they found live traces of the virus still preserved in the tissue 80 years later.
To protect the living, the town closed the cemetery to new burials. Today, if you are sick, you are flown to the mainland to spend your final days.
2. You Must Carry a Gun (Because of Polar Bears)
In Longyearbyen, you are not allowed to die, but nature is constantly trying to kill you.
The island is home to 3,000 Polar Bears—which outnumber the 2,500 human residents. Because bears frequently wander near the town, it is legally required for anyone traveling outside the settlement limits to carry a high-powered rifle for protection.
It is one of the few places on Earth where walking to the grocery store without a weapon is considered irresponsible.
3. No Cats Allowed
If you love cats, Longyearbyen is not for you.
Since the 1990s, cats have been banned from the island. The government declared that cats pose a threat to the local bird population. Since Svalbard is a critical breeding ground for Arctic seabirds, authorities decided to prioritize the ecosystem over house pets.
However, there is a rumor of one “secret cat” named Kesha who was smuggled in and registered as a “fox” to bypass the law!
4. The “Doomsday” Vault Is Here
Longyearbyen isn’t just about freezing bodies; it’s about saving the world.
Deep inside a mountain overlooking the town lies the Global Seed Vault. This futuristic bunker holds over 1 million seed samples from every country in the world. It is the ultimate insurance policy for humanity.
If nuclear war, asteroid strikes, or climate change destroys our food crops, the survivors can come to Longyearbyen, unlock the vault, and restart civilization.
Conclusion
Longyearbyen is a place of extremes. It has months of total darkness (Polar Night) and months of total sunlight (Midnight Sun). It is a place where you cannot be buried, where you must fight bears to go hiking, and where the keys to humanity’s survival are hidden under the ice.
It might be illegal to die there, but it is certainly an interesting place to live.
Enjoyed this frozen tale? Read about the Real Wolverine or discover why Reindeer Eyes Turn Blue in the Arctic.
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