Hafnarfjörður
Encyclopedia
Hafnarfjörður is a port town and municipality located on the south-west coast of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, about 10 km south of Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
.
It is the third most populous city in Iceland, after Reykjavík and Kópavogur
Kópavogur
Kópavogur is a city and Iceland's second largest municipality, with a population of 30,779.It lies immediately south of Reykjavík and is part of the Greater Reykjavík Area. The name literally means seal pup bay...
, with a population of 26,099. The population of Hafnarfjörður reached 25,000 on February 29, 2008. As the third largest city, Hafnarfjörður has established local industry and a variety of urban activities, with annual festival events.
Activities
The town is the site of an annual VikingViking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
festival, where Viking culture enthusiasts from around the world display reconstructions of Viking garb, handicraft, sword-fighting, etc.
Tourists with a New Age mindset enjoy a guided tour of the habitats of elves and other hidden people in the town area.
Hafnarfjörður is now arguably considered to be the rock n' roll capital of Iceland (a title that once belonged to Keflavík
Keflavík
Keflavík is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. In 2009 its population was of 8,169.In 1995 it merged with Njarðvík and Hafnir to form a municipality called Reykjanesbær with a population of 13,971 .- History :...
). Popular Icelandic bands such as Botnleðja
Botnleðja
Botnleðja is an Icelandic rock band formed in 1994. They gained popularity when they won the 'Músíktilraunir', an Icelandic "battle between the bands" competition in 1995. The band members are guitarist and singer Heiðar Örn Kristjánsson, bass-guitarist Ragnar Páll Steinsson, and drummer Haraldur...
, Jet Black Joe, HAM
HAM (band)
HAM is an Icelandic rock band which was active in the years 1988 to 1994. They are often listed as a heavy metal band but have never categorized themselves as such. They did not attain significant popularity while active, but have gradually come to be acknowledged as an important part of...
, Kátir Piltar, Panther's Punch, Sign
Sign (band)
Sign is an Icelandic rock band that was formed in 2001, as Halim, to compete in the Icelandic version of the Battle of the bands called Musiktilraunir....
, Úlpa
ULPA
ULPA is an acronym for "ultra-low penetration air". An ULPA filter can remove from the air at least 99.999% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and any airborne particles with a size of 120 nanometres or larger...
, Vicky, Lada Sport and Jakobínarína
Jakobínarína
Jakobínarína were an Icelandic six-piece indie-punk band, signed to record label Regal Recordings, through Parlophone Records. All members of the band are aged between 17 and 21 years old and originate from the town of Hafnarfjörður...
all trace their origins to the town of Hafnarfjörður.
Local industry
Just two kilometers outside of Hafnarfjörður is an aluminiumAluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
smelter, run by Alcan
Alcan
Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. is a Canadian company based in Montreal. It was created on November 15, 2007 as the result of the merger between Rio Tinto PLC's Canadian subsidiary, Rio Tinto Canada Holding Inc., and Canadian company Alcan Inc. On the same date, Alcan Inc. was renamed Rio Tinto Alcan Inc..Rio...
. Alcan has applied for an extension for the smelter, which will make it the fourth largest smelter in Europe. The local governing body has sold Alcan land for the extension, Alcan has received permission for the extension from the government and a deal has been struck for selling energy to the smelter, even though the neighbouring area is the only place around Hafnarfjörður with available domestic building area for Hafnarfjörður.
Local elections were held in May 2006, where the people of the town voted against extension of the smelter.
The smelter was originally built in 1969, and it has improved its cleaning process since then, especially regarding fluoride
Fluoride
Fluoride is the anion F−, the reduced form of fluorine when as an ion and when bonded to another element. Both organofluorine compounds and inorganic fluorine containing compounds are called fluorides. Fluoride, like other halides, is a monovalent ion . Its compounds often have properties that are...
. The effect that the extension will have on the environment and the local residents is, though, a huge concern for the people of Hafnarfjörður.
History
| 1910 | 1,547 |
|---|---|
| 1920 | 2,366 |
| 1930 | 3,591 |
| 1940 | 3,686 |
| 1950 | 5,087 |
| 1960 | 7,160 |
| 1970 | 9,696 |
| 1980 | 12,205 |
| 1990 | 15,151 |
| 2000 | 19,640 |
| 2008 | 25,107 |
Hafnarfjörður takes its name (meaning harbour fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
) from the area's excellent natural harbour. The town is first named in the medieval "Book of Settlements
Landnámabók
Landnámabók , often shortened to Landnáma, is a medieval Icelandic written work describing in considerable detail the settlement of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries AD.-Landnáma:...
", and the earliest reports of voyages to Hafnarfjörður date from the end of the 14th century. Englishmen began trading in Hafnarfjörður in the 15th century, but German merchants followed in their wake and eventually drove the English out. The first Lutheran church in Iceland was raised at Háigrandi, opposite Óseyri, just outside of the small boat harbour in 1533. After that, the Hanseatic traders
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
prevailed in town until 1602, based at Hvaleyri. At this point, the Danish monarchy established a Danish trade monopoly in Iceland which lasted until late in the 18th century. During this period, Hafnarfjörður was the nation's busiest trade centre.
In 1793, Bjarni Sívertsen settled here and became influential in local business and international trade, setting up a major commercial fishing operation. His enterprise and initiative signaled the start of impressive commerce in the town. Ever since, he has been called "the father of Hafnarfjörður" and nicknamed "Sir Bjarni." Around 1870, dramatic changes took place in Icelandic fishing. Residents followed the growing trend in Iceland of using decked boats rather than row-boats. This led to even more employment and rapid growth, and Hafnarfjörður attained official municipal status in 1908. The first mayor was Páll Einarsson, who later became the mayor of Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
. The first road between Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
and Hafnarfjörður was finished in 1898. The first hydrological power plant in Iceland was built in Hafnarfjörður in 1904.
The Coot
Coot (Trawler)
The Coot was the first Icelandic trawler.She was built in 1892 by the Glasgow firm William H. Hamilton & Co. and purchased in Aberdeen....
, Iceland's first trawler operated from Hafnarfjörður between 1905 and 1908. Its boiler stands by the roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
on the junction of Reykjavíkurvegur, Strandgata and Vesturgata. A harbour for large commercial ships was raised in 1912, and the first car arrived in 1913.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, more advanced trawlers and numerous motorised ships were added to the fleet. The town's first stern trawler appeared in 1973. Today, Hafnarfjörður is one of the nation's largest fishing centers and the site of Iceland's first fish wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
rs' auction market. Through the years, Hafnarfjörður's dynamic local economy has been strongly linked to fishing, although freight transport has recently become the major harbour activity. And now, the town is Iceland's second-ranked import and export harbour.
Bright days
Each year in May, the Bright Days festival is held . The events include short movies and concerts, and usually concludes on a day commemorating the sailors of Iceland.Viking festival
Each year on the summer solsticeSolstice
A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the Sun's apparent position in the sky, as viewed from Earth, reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes...
a Viking festival is held in Hafnarfjörður. A local pub and restaurant, Fjörukráin, started the festival and maintains it to this day.
Elves
Hafnarfjörður is known as one of the most popular residences for elvesHuldufólk
Huldufólk are elves in Icelandic folklore. Building projects in Iceland are sometimes altered to prevent damaging the rocks where they are believed to live. According to these Icelandic folk beliefs, one should never throw stones because of the possibility of hitting the huldufólk...
in Iceland. The town is built on lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
and around huge boulders, which are believed to be homes for elves. A popular mythology is that it is very hard, and almost impossible, to destroy these homes. Tours around Hafnarfjörður to visit the most popular elven homes are available, and even though belief in elves has diminished in recent years, these are very popular amongst both Icelanders and tourists.
Swimming pools
Hafnarfjörður has three swimming pools, despite its low population. This is common for any town in Iceland, due to the geothermal energy.Twin towns — Sister cities
| Uppsala Uppsala - Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med... , Sweden (Since 1947) Tartu Tartu Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the... , Estonia Frederiksberg, Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... Cuxhaven, Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... Flensburg Flensburg Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... Bærum Bærum is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city.... , Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
Sport
There are two major sport clubs in Hafnarfjörður the first being FH HafnarfjörðurFimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar
Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar, commonly referred to as FH, is Icelandic football club based in Hafnarfjörður.- Overview :The team are perhaps best known outside Iceland for beating Scottish side Dunfermline in the qualifying rounds of the 2004/05 UEFA Cup 4–3 on aggregate...
which have won the Icelandic premier football league, Pepsi-Deildin five times between 2004 and 2009(2004-2005-2006-2008-2009).
The second club is Knattspyrnufélagið Haukar
Haukar
Haukar is an Icelandic athletic club from Hafnarfjörður with divisions in Football, Team Handball, Basketball, Karate,Masturbation, Skiing & Chess...
they are the current Icelandic handball champions. Haukar have a magnificent history in handball with many titles. Champions (1943, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010) and cup holders ( 1980, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2010).
Notable people
- Jóhanna Guðrún JónsdóttirJóhanna Guðrún JónsdóttirJóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir , widely known outside of Iceland as Yohanna, is an Icelandic singer who was chosen to represent her nation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, Russia, with the song "Is It True?", earning 2nd place.- Background and career:Jóhanna was raised in Hafnarfjörður,...
(Yohanna) was born in Copenhagen but raised in Hafnarfjörður, she was chosen to represent Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, Russia with the song "Is It True?", earning her 2nd place. - Current home to Magnús Ver MagnússonMagnús Ver MagnússonMagnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....
. - IndieIndie (music)In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
band JakobínarínaJakobínarínaJakobínarína were an Icelandic six-piece indie-punk band, signed to record label Regal Recordings, through Parlophone Records. All members of the band are aged between 17 and 21 years old and originate from the town of Hafnarfjörður...
are from here - Hometown of actor Stefán Karl StefánssonStefán Karl StefánssonStefán Karl Stefánsson is an Icelandic film and stage actor who is best known for playing the character Robbie Rotten on the television show LazyTown....
, most known for his role as Robbie Rotten on the hit children's TV series, LazyTownLazyTownLazyTown is a children's television program that was produced in Iceland with a cast and crew from Iceland, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was created by Magnús Scheving, a gymnastics champion and CEO of LazyTown Entertainment, who also stars in the show...
. - Hafnarfjörður is the home town of the famous Icelandic pop singer Björgvin HalldórssonBjörgvin HalldórssonBjörgvin Helgi Halldórsson is an Icelandic pop singer from Hafnarfjörður...
as well as the Abstract artists, Guðmundur Karl and Patrick Karl. - Emil HallfreðssonEmil HallfreðssonEmil Hallfreðsson is an Icelandic footballer currently playing for Serie B side Hellas Verona.-Early career:Primarily a left sided midfielder, Hallfreðsson was brought to Tottenham Hotspur by then Sporting Director Frank Arnesen in December 2004, having spent his formative years at FH...
, footballer - Ragnar Sólberg RafnssonZolbergRagnar ZSolberg is an Icelandic singer, guitarist and songwriter from the Icelandic hard rock band Sign where he went by the name Zolberg.-Biography:...
, musician - Rebekka GuðleifsdóttirRebekka GuðleifsdóttirRebekka Guðleifsdóttir is a photographer from Iceland who was named the "Web's Top Photographer" by the Wall Street Journal on July 29, 2006. -Biography:...
, photographer, artist - Sesselja SigmundsdóttirSesselja SigmundsdottirSesselja Sigmundsdóttir was a noted Icelandic pioneer in the fields of pedagogy and the care for the mentally disabled and founder of the Sólheimar community....
(born Hafnarfjörður 5th, July 1902) - Aron PálmarssonAron PálmarssonAron Pálmarsson is an Icelandic handball player, currently playing for THW Kiel in the Toyota-Handball-Bundesliga. He also plays for the Icelandic national handball team and played a big part for the team as they earned a bronze medal in 2010 European handball championship in Austria.He gained...
, handballer in THW KielTHW KielTHW Kiel is a team handball club from Kiel, Germany. Currently, THW Kiel competes in the German First League of Handball and is German record champion with 16 titles.... - Logi GeirssonLogi GeirssonLogi Eldon Geirsson is an Retired Icelandic handballer he retired of constant injery.He was born in Reykjavík.Raised in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland...
, handballer in FH HafnarfjörðurFimleikafélag HafnarfjarðarFimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar, commonly referred to as FH, is Icelandic football club based in Hafnarfjörður.- Overview :The team are perhaps best known outside Iceland for beating Scottish side Dunfermline in the qualifying rounds of the 2004/05 UEFA Cup 4–3 on aggregate...
In popular culture
In the 1986 novel Red Storm RisingRed Storm Rising
Red Storm Rising is a 1986 techno-thriller novel by Tom Clancy and Larry Bond about a Third World War in Europe between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces, set around the mid-1980s...
by Tom Clancy
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
, the Soviet Union gains a dramatic strategic advantage at the beginning of the war by seizing Iceland with a Guards Airborne division
76th Airborne Division (Russia)
The 76th Guards Air Assault Division is a division of the Russian Airborne Troops based in Pskov.-History:The 76th Air Assault Division was originally established in 1939 as the 157th Rifle Division. On 1 March 1943 it became the 76th Guards Rifle Division...
transported secretly by converted freighters. When the US Marine Corps retake Iceland, they initially land at Hafnarfjörður before advancing on Keflavik
Keflavík
Keflavík is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. In 2009 its population was of 8,169.In 1995 it merged with Njarðvík and Hafnir to form a municipality called Reykjanesbær with a population of 13,971 .- History :...
.