Until this time, Svalbard had been an attraction for people from many nations, with no one country assuming territorial rights. With the arrival of mining interests, and the increase of conflicts about claims and rights, it was obvious that there was a need for this to change. However, it was not until the end of WWI that a solution was reached during the Versailles negotiations.

The Svalbard Treaty was signed on 9 February 1920. Navigate to this page of the Svalbard Museum’s website to read more about the principles of the treaty. Importantly, the treaty provided that Svalbard became part of the Kingdom of Norway.