Reykjavík Grapevine - 19.05.2017, Síða 42

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Strangers In A
Strange Land
The female German farmer invasion of 1949
Words: Valur Gunnarsson Photo via: Wkipedia Commons
‘Eisheimat’
Bíó Paradís, Hverfisgata 54
In German, Icelandic subtitles
It’s strange to think that refugees
and economic migrants used to
come to Iceland in search of a bet-
ter life not from Eastern Europe or
the Middle East, but from Germany.
Stranger still is the
fact that this wasn’t
such a long time ago,
and many of them are
still alive today.
This is the subject
of the documentary
‘Eisheimat’, which
translated literally
from German is “Ice-
home,” though the
film’s Icelandic title
is the rather warmer
‘Á nýjum stað’ (“In a
New Place”). In the
late 1940s, ads were
placed for women in Germany to
come work on Icelandic farms.
The old country was still in ruins,
many of the men had been killed
or were in POW camps in Siberia,
and Germans weren’t much liked
in most places in Europe. So quite
a few took up the call, having little
idea where or what Iceland was.
Some of the qualms of new ar-
rivals in Iceland are familiar. They
miss fresh vegetables and the sight
of trees. Others are of an entire-
ly different order. Some women
found that along with farming du-
ties they were expected to warm
the farmer’s bed. A single mother
of two found this fate the least bad
option available. The two eventu-
ally got married, though hubby
was too drunk at the
courthouse to sign
her name. Another
ma na ged to st ay
sober for the dura-
tion, only for the
newlyweds to head
straight back to the
farm after the cere-
mony, change clothes
and start shoveling
cow dung that same
a f t e r n o on . M o s t
found little solace in
marriage, being left
at home to tend the
children and animals while the
men went out to meet other men.
Or other women, in the case of the
farmer who managed to have an
affair while his wife was in labour.
The German girls were more
willing to participate in that tra-
ditional custom, the “sveitaball”
(“country dance”), which at least
was an opportunity to cut a rug,
even though the men would in-
evitably start fistfights with one
another. At least one of them man-
aged to find love in such inauspi-
cious surroundings. She, at least,
seems happy in her old age. And yet
none of the others interviewed in
the film decided to leave.
No pixie dust
There is something almost voyeuris-
tic about watching these women talk
about former slights, while their hus-
bands sit beside them, decrepit and
uncomprehending of the German
being spoken. The camera goes out
of its way to portray them in an un-
flattering light—we get long scenes of
old men on old man scooters. Perhaps
this is their just desserts, and a pun-
ishment befitting the social media
era. Their own fault for living so long.
In any case, this is a fascinating
tidbit of Icelandic history, and direc-
tor Heike Fink has done well to docu-
ment it before it’s too late. It is also
sobering to finally get a documentary
from abroad that does not portray Ice-
land sprinkled with the usual pixie
dust. We can only hope that Iceland-
ers, and Icelandic men in particular,
have improved somewhat since the
period under consideration.
And yet, the most common qualm
of all is that the foreign workers were
underpaid, and some are still await-
ing payment, some 70 years later. The
nationalities change, but the story re-
mains the same. We can only hope
that the stories now being acted out
will reflect more favourably on the
country when they are brought to
light. And do our best to make sure
this will in fact be the case.
Museums
ÁRBÆR OPEN AIR MUSEM
Daily guided tours
Tours are from 13:00 to 14:00
through its open air exhibits.
• On permanent view
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ICELAND
'The Making of A Nation'
This exhibition is intended to pro-
vide insight into the history of the
Icelandic nation from Settlement to
the present day.
• On permanent view
REYKJAVÍK CITY MUSEUM
‘Settlement Sagas: Accounts from
Manuscripts’
This exhibition has rarely seen
manuscripts that tell the history of
the settlement of Reykjavík.
• On permanent view
REYKJAVÍK MARITIME MUSEUM
'The Coast Guard Vessel Óðinn'
This vessel sailed through all three
Cod Wars and has also served as a
rescue ship to more than 200 ships.
• On permanent view
'From Poverty to Abundance'
Photos documenting Icelandic
fishermen at the turn of the 20th
century.
• On permanent view
'The History of Sailing'
Iceland’s maritime history that
showcases the growth of the Reyk-
javík Harbour.
• On permanent view
'Seawomen'
The fishing women of Iceland, past
and present.
• On permanent view
VOLCANO HOUSE
The exhibition gives a brief overview
of Iceland’s magnificent nature.
• On permanent view
THE ICELANDIC PHALLOLOGICAL
MUSEUM
Permanent Exhibition
More than 215 penises and penile
parts belonging to land and sea
mammals of Iceland.
• On permanent view
Film
This month's special screenings at Bíó Paradís. For the complete schedule,
visit www.bioparadis.is.
Currently Screening
• Everybody Wants Some!!:
Premier May 19th
• Boogie Nights Party Screening:
May 19th
• MAMMA MIA! Sing-A-Long Screening:
May 20th
• Sigur Rós: Heima:
May 20th
• Knight of Cups:
Premier May 26th
• Rocky Horror Party Screening:
May 26th
• Black Sunday - The Evil Dead:
May 27th
Events
Sigur Rós - Heima
Getting ready for the
"sveitaball," perhaps
"Along with
farming
duties
they were
expected
to warm the
farmer’s
bed."
FILM
Daily departures at 08:30
Visit Seljalandsfoss Waterfall,
Skógarfoss Waterfall,
Sólheimajökull Glacier and
Reynisara the Black Sand Beach
Price: 13.400 ISK
BOOK
ONLINE &
GET
STERNATR
AVEL .COM
THE BEAUTIFUL
SOUTH COAST
WALK U
P TO A
GLACI
ER
BLACK SAND BEACH
WALK BEHIND SELJALANDSFOSS