Iceland review - 2014, Qupperneq 26

24 ICELAND REVIEW
a variety OF events
This charming and historic house is on four floors,
restored in the spirit of the time it was built. The entry
level floor is home to the restaurant Borðstofan, headed by
one of Iceland’s leading seafood chefs Sveinn Kjartansson,
which also offers coffee and delicious pastry baked on the
premises. Verses from Hannes Hafstein’s poetry decorate
the placemats on the coffee tables; his spirit is everywhere.
“We wanted to include a restaurant so that people would
have a casual reason to visit. Sit down for a meal or a cup of
coffee and get some spiritual nourishment as well.”
The upper floor has cozy meeting rooms and a room
containing items the once belonged to Hannes Hafstein,
including his desk, which he must have used to pen his
striking poems that encouraged the Icelandic people to
take the leap into modernity.
A bronze plaque of his beloved wife Ragnheiður Hafstein
(1871-1913) watches over the adjacent drawing room,
decorated in the style of the early 1900s. “She was only 42
when she passed away, leaving Hannes heartbroken and
with eight children to care for. Shortly thereafter, there was
a big fire in Reykjavík’s center resulting in 12 burned down
buildings and the death of two people. Directly following
the fire he commissioned this house; one of the first houses
built of concrete, wanting to ensure their safety, no doubt.
At that time, only 15,000 people lived in Reykjavik and —
half the nation still lived in turf farms.”
Beautiful sounds from the piano can be heard as we make
our way to the auditorium in the back yard, a new addi-
tion to the house. “Here, we organize all sorts of events,
including sing-alongs, where people get together and sing
classic folk songs. This is an example of how we maintain
our cultural heritage. Other events include philosophical
and ethical debates, lectures, literary nights, reading circles
and historic city walks around the area,” she explains. “We
also have a 12 minute documentary about Hannes Hafstein
and the formative years of the city, which visitors can enjoy
upon request.” And many exciting things are still to come.
“We committed to getting Hannesarholt up and running
but eventually it has to become self-sustainable. It opened in
February of 2013 and things are looking promising. People’s
appreciation for this project has been both rewarding and
encouraging. I really feel privileged in this work and hope
that it can make life in Reykjavik more meaningful, for its
inhabitants and visitors alike.” *
“Learning from the past, enjoying the best the present has
to offer and giving future generations a more solid cultural
identity is equally important everywhere.”
history