Iceland review - 2012, Page 73

ICELAND REVIEW 71
By Eygló Svala arnarSdóttir Photo By Eðvarð SigurgEirSSon
The official heart of Akureyri is the square
Ráðhústorg, yet geographically speaking, the
municipality’s center is actually Hrísey Island.
Despite dubious beginnings—Akureyri was first
mentioned in written sources in 1562, in a ver-
dict over a woman who had bedded a man without a marital
license—the town dubbed ‘The Capital of the North’ has grown
and prospered through the ages, celebrating its 150th anniversary
as kaupstaður (‘market town’) this past summer.
Built on sandbanks in the innermost part of the fjord
Eyjafjörður and in steep gullies on both sides of the river glerá,
Akureyri is surrounded by picturesque mountains. According to
historian Jón Hjaltason, Akureyri was long under Danish influ-
ence, as many aspects of its history bear witness to, such as the
townspeople’s interest in horticulture. The town became famous
for its trees and it remains one of the country’s greenest. Meat and
wool from the region was sought after by Danish merchants and
so local farmers founded the cooperative KEA to deal with the
Danes in 1886. KEA became a decisive factor in Akureyri’s devel-
opment throughout the 20th century and along with the fisheries
industry, made its mark on the local economy. Today, Akureyri
also boasts a blossoming university, founded in 1987.
Up from a population of 286 in 1882 to approximately 18,000
today, Akureyri is the largest urban settlement outside the capi-
tal region. The town’s strangest ‘suburbs’ are the islands Hrísey
(almost 40 kilometers away by air) and grímsey (at a distance of
more than 100 kilometers), which merged with the municipality
in 2004 and 2009, respectively. 
haPPy anniversary!
This past
summer,
150 years
had passed
since
Akureyri,
‘The Capital
of the North,’
became a
kaupstaður
(‘market
town’).
People gather at the harbor as a ship leaves for a voyage to the Nordic countries in 1952.
The landmark Church of Akureyri is in the background.