Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.01.2018, Page 56

L IF E , T R AV EL & EN T ER TA INMEN T IN ICEL A ND
Issue 01 × 2018
Jan 5 – Feb 2
www.grapevine.is

LAST WORDS
Whose
History?
Words: Valur Gunnarsson
In Brussels, they have just opened a museum
of European History. But is it really possible to
tell the unified history of a continent shaped
by various groups usually at war with one an-
other? Isn’t it, in some ways, manufacturing
history to fit your needs—in this case the need
for a united Europe?
Then again, that’s just what history is. It is
the telling of a story of a particular group, be it
national, ethnic, religious or even continental,
at the exclusion of others. This year, Iceland
will be celebrating 100 years of independence.
Well, half-independence. Sovereignty. What-
ever. The celebrations started on the TV and
radio on the first day of the year, and will no
doubt peak on December 1st, the actual date
independence was established.
But what actually took place on that day?
It’s traditionally seen as the date when the
brave Icelanders finally won their freedom
from the wicked Danes, largely by exhausting
them with petitions. Hating the Danes might
not be as in-vogue today. The nationalist nar-
rative has receded somewhat. And we’ve even
gotten better at football than them. I went to
Jón Sigurðsson’s grave last year, and found two
students and a photographer from Morgun-
blaðið. Everyone still knows Jón—he is on the
500 króna bill—but people will be hard pressed
to tell you what he actually did. He petitioned
the Danes, yes, but he died in 1879 when inde-
pendence was still a far-off dream.
So what did happen in 1918? Well, you may
have heard of another incident that will be
commemorated this year, 100 years since the
end of World War I. It was this event that made
declarations of independence acceptable, and
even fashionable. The Danes wanted Slesvig
back from the Germans; they got it, but they
had to let go of Iceland instead. It was a small
price to pay for the 200,000 Danish speakers
returning to the fold.
Perhaps all history is continental, or even
global, rather than national. The European
History Museum is at least an attempt to ex-
plore the big picture. Perhaps in this year of
anniversaries, we should do the same.
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