To u r i s m , C u lt u r e
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Business
I s su e 47 • 2022
Austurvöllur
The Central Square where people gather in Reykjavík
A drawing of Austurvöllur and surrounding area in 1820, by Aage Nielsen-Edwin.
I
n olden times, when Reykjavík was simply a farm, Austurvöllur (the East Field) was its best grassfield, and much larger than it is today. It extended over much of what is now the old centre of Reykjavík: from Aðalstræti to Lækjargata, and from Hafnarstræti to the Lake. When Reykjavík Cathedral was built in 1788-90, rock was quarried nearby and stored on Austurvöllur. By the early 1800s the field was in a poor state due to overuse and turf-cutting (for construction). As a result the town magistrate banned unauthorised turf-cutting. In 1806 he stated that it had once been a fine, useful field, but was now nothing but a neglected peat-bog. At that time, dumping of ash and refuse on the field was prohibited, but no other measures were
Tug-of-war on Austurvöllur in 1912. Photo. Magnús Ólafsson
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taken. The field was marshy and uneven, and unsuitable for building. As the village of Reykjavík grew, it gradually encroached on the field. In the
Scottish sheep grazing on Austurvöllur in 1932 Photo. Magnús Ólafsson
19th century it served as a campsite for countrymen visiting the town, and also for early tourists. In 1874 the town council of Copenhagen presented a statue to the people of Reykjavík: a self-portrait by IcelandicDanish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. The town council chose a place for it in the middle of Austurvöllur, and in the summer of 1875 the field was fenced, levelled and turfed, and paths were made. The sculpture was ceremonially unveiled on 19 November 1875, the artist’s birthday. It was Reykjavík’s first public sculpture. In 1930 the fence was removed, opening the square, and in 1931 the Thorvaldsen statue was moved to the Hljómskálagarður park, to make way for a statue of Jón Sigurðsson (1811-79), leader of Iceland’s
Celebrations on Austurvöllur as women in Iceland gained the right to vote, June 19th 1915. Photo. Magnús Ólafsson
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