Hafnarfjordur

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City of Hafnarfjörður
(Hafnarfjarðarkaupstaður)
COA Hafnarfjörður.png
Basic data
State : IcelandIceland Iceland
Region: Höfuðborgarsvæðið
Constituency : Suðvesturkjördæmi
Sýsla : circular
Population: 29,799 (January 1, 2019)
Surface: 143 km²
Population density: 208.38 inhabitants / km²
Post Code: 220, 221, 222
politics
Community number 1400
Mayor: Haraldur Líndal Haraldsson
Contact
Address of the municipal administration: Ráðhúsi Hafnarfjarðar
Strandgötu 6
220 Hafnarfirði
Website: www.hafnarfjordur.is
map
Location of town Hafnarfjörður

Coordinates: 64 ° 4 ′ 0 ″  N , 21 ° 57 ′ 0 ″  W.

Hafnarfjörður [ 'hapnarˌfjœrðʏr ] ( Eng . "Hafenfjord") ( Eng. "Hannenfjord") is an Icelandic town in the Höfuðborgarsvæðið region in southwest Iceland.

On January 1, 2019, the city in the southern area of ​​the metropolitan area around the capital Reykjavík had 29,799 inhabitants.

geography

Hafnarfjörður seen from the harbor

The municipality of Hafnarfjörðurs consists of two non-contiguous areas. The area with the town of Hafnarfjörður itself borders on Sveitarfélagið Vogar to the west, Garðabær to the north and east and Grindavíkurbær to the south . In the southeast of this area is the mountain Helgafell .

The area around Krýsuvík further south is located south-south-west of Lake Kleifarvatn , it is enclosed by the municipality of Grindavíkurbær .

The town of Hafnarfjörður is located on the coast of the fjord of the same name . Smaller lakes in the municipality are the Ástjörn and the Hvaleyrarvatn .

history

Thanks to its favorable location, the city has a long history of settlement. It is already mentioned in the Landnámabók . In the Middle Ages it was the bone of contention between the English and merchants of the German Hanseatic League . The Danes also recognized and used the favorable location and port for import and export. From the end of the 19th century , fishing was the most important branch of industry.

On June 1, 1908, the city was granted city rights. At that time the city had 1,400 inhabitants.

Culture and sights

The old lighthouse is the symbol of Hafnarfjörður
Hafnarfjarðarkirkja and the music school

In the city center, you will notice the many lava hills that have been carefully built around. Hafnarfjörður is also considered to be a center of elven belief , which according to survey results, many Icelanders follow. They are convinced that these lava hills are inhabited by elves whose dwellings need to be protected. Erla Stefánsdóttir has designed a city map of Hafnarfjörður, in which the presumed dwellings of elves, trolls, dwarfs and other hidden people (Huldufólk) are drawn.

In the city center is the Víðistaðatún park , which houses a sculpture park with works by Icelandic and international artists. The bright semicircular Víðistaðakirkja can also be found in the park . The somewhat inconspicuous landmark of the city, the lighthouse ( isl. Viti ), was built around 1900 and is now in the middle of a residential area. The lighthouse can only be viewed from Vitastígur and Hverfisgata streets , as the landowner strictly refuses to enter his garden.

Opposite the Straumsvík aluminum works you can see a lava field: the “Kapellenlava”, Kapelluhraun . A small figure of Saint Barbara was found here, which is now on display in the National Museum.

In summer there is a Viking festival with numerous activities every year in the city center and especially around the (replicated) stave church .

Sports

The city also has a football club FH Hafnarfjörður and the club Haukar Hafnarfjörður . The Kaplakriki is a multi-purpose facility for sporting events.

art

The internationally renowned artist Ólafur Elíasson spent his childhood in Hafnarfjörður .

Economy and Infrastructure

Hafnarfjörður has a larger fishing port and some industrial facilities .

At the same time, Hafnarfjörður is a modern industrial town which, not least because of the aluminum plant in Straumsvík outside its gates, generates around 15–20% of the country's export earnings . Next to the road between Reykjavík and the airport, the Reykjanesbraut , west of Hafnarfjörður lies an industrial complex with striking red and white towers. Because of the low prices for electrical energy, there has been an aluminum factory here in Straumsvík since 1969 (→ melt flow electrolysis ). All raw materials are imported. A second plant of this type is operated in Reyðarfjörður in the East Fjords of Iceland.

traffic

The city is connected to the Hringvegur , Iceland's most important artery, via road 41 . To the west of the city is Keflavík Airport .

Personalities

sons and daughters of the town

The spatial artist Ólafur Elíasson (* 1967) spent his childhood here.

Music bands

Town twinning

In Iceland there is a twinning with Akureyri .

Hafnarfjörður is a member of the New Hanseatic League .

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. City partnerships ( Memento of the original dated February 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the Hafnarfjörður Municipality website (Icelandic); Accessed August 3, 2014. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.hafnarfjordur.is