Lögberg-Heimskringla - 17.12.1993, Page 14

14 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 17. desember 1993
All roads lead to Þingvellir
... on June 17 next year,
as Icelanders prepare
to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of the
establishment of the
modern republic
For Icelanders, wherever
they may be, all roads
will lead to the plains of
Þingvellir on June 17 next
year, as the former site of the
country’s parliament once
again becomes the focus of
the nationai consciousness,
this time as the setting for the
official celebrations to mark
the 50th anniversary of the
establishment of the modern
republic.
The choice of Þingvellir
was announced by the coun-
try’s government last month.
At thc same time, responsibili-
ty for arranging the event and
ail other ceiebrations sur-
rounding thc anniversary was
placed in the hands of a spc-
cially appointed National Day
Committcc.
Chairing the committee is
former foreign minister
Matthías Á. Mathiesen, with
senior Icclandair cxccutivc
Steinn Lárusson, who has
becn granted a lcave of
abscnce to carry out his
duties, serving as its director.
Iceland’s most significant
historical sitc, Þingvcllir was
the seat of the country’s par-
liament, the Alþing, from its
establishment in AD 930 until
its removal to Reykiavík in
1798.
In 1874, the area hosted
the millennial celebrations of
Iceland’s settlement, an occa-
sion on which King Kristjan
IX of Denmark, in his capaci-
ty as Iceland’s then head of
state, became the first
monarch ever to visit the
country.
Þingvellir ncxt became the
focus of national attention in
1930, when an estimated
crowd of 35,000 assembled
between June 26-28 to cele-
brate the thousandth anniver-
sary of the establishment of
the Alþing.
During the 56 years since
the previous event, much had
changed. In 1918, Iceland had
gained a large measure of
independence from Denmark
through the 1918 Treaty of
Union, a process which cul-
minated on June 17, 1944,
composed, and anythin
He lived at 701 Victor
Strcet when he first movcd
Information Wanted
Iam rcsearching the life
and career Of stcingrimur
Kristjan Hall who was
the organist and choijnmaster
at first Lutheran church in
Winnipcg from 1905 to
1935* He then retíred and...............
moved to Wynyard, Sask- and in which I found pub-
atchewan in 1936, wherc he lishcd music of his in thc
attic fiftcen ycars ago. i am
currcntly writing a book
about his contnbution to the
lcelandic and musicai com-
munities, and hopc you can
be of help. í thank you for
your assistance in advance.
Robcrt Rahn
Lot 32, RR#3
Rrandon, Manitoba R7A
P.S. I am aíso iooking for
any rclatcd photographs.
in 1954. Whcn hc moved
back to Winnipeg for about
fivc ycars., S.K. was admítted
to thc Bctel old folks homc
in Gimlí in 1959, and died
there ten years later at the
agc of 91.
I am secking any informa-
tion about Mr. Hall, his wifc
Sigridur, daughters Sylvia
Lenorc (Einarsson) and
Norma Evclyn (Manning),
the choírs S.K. conducted,
when a crowd of 25,000
assembled once again at
Þingvellir to witness the
proclamation of the Republic
of Iceland.and the inaugura-
tion of the country’s newly
independent parliament.
Large numbers of Ice-
landers last converged on
Þingvellir to celebrate an
event of national importance
in 1974, when 60,000 - 27%
of the population - gathered
to celebrate the llOOth
anniversary of the country’s
settlement.
Should people tum out in
similar numbers next summer,
a crowd of well over 70,000
can be expected, and with
large numbers of tourists also
likely to be íhere, the advice
for Icelanders living abroad
planning to be present is —
book early.
Courtesy of News From Iceland
Answers to Last Week's
Crossword Puzzle “Christmas Fun”
Croaaword Puzzle /y
Ardal-Geysir Lutheran Church in Arborg.
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