Hannes Hafstein

Hannes Hafstein

Hannes Hafstein, sculpture by the sculptor Einar Jónsson in Reykjavík

Burial site in the Hólavallagarður cemetery in Reykjavík

Hannes Þórður Pétursson Hafstein (born December 4, 1861 on the Möðruvellir farm in Hörgárdalur ; †  December 13, 1922 in Reykjavík ) was an Icelandic politician and poet. He was the first Prime Minister of Iceland .

Life

Hannes Hafstein's parents were Pétur Havstein (* February 17, 1812; † June 24, 1875) and Kristjana Gunnarsdóttir Havstein (* September 20, 1836; † February 24, 1927). He graduated from high school ( Lærði Skólinn , forerunner of Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík ) in 1880 and studied law at the University of Copenhagen , which he finished in 1886.

Civil service career

After his training in Copenhagen, which he completed in 1886 at the age of 25, Hannes Hafstein first worked in various government offices, not least in the Westfjords .

As a high-ranking official ( Sýslumaður ) in Ísafjörður , he got into a forerunner of the cod war in 1899 . A British trawler had been caught illegally fishing in Dýrafjörður . Hannes Hafstein let himself be rowed out in an open boat with 6 people, but the British sunk the boat without further ado. Some people were killed in the process, only he and two others were able to save themselves.

Political and professional career

Hannes Hafstein was a member of the Icelandic parliament Althing from 1900 to 1901, 1903 and 1905 and again from 1916 to 1922 .

In 1904 he became the first Icelandic Prime Minister and the first Icelander to represent Iceland in the Danish Cabinet as Icelandic Minister in the Deuntzer government and - unlike his predecessor in this office, Peter Adler Alberti , was responsible to the Althing.

He was also the first Minister for Iceland to have his official seat in Iceland itself and not in Copenhagen . The fact that he chose Reykjavík as his official residence contributed a lot to the growth of the then still very small city (approx. 3,500 inhabitants).

He held his office as premier from February 1, 1904 to March 31, 1909; Björn Jónsson followed him . After his first term, he became Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Iceland.

In 1912 he was elected President of the Althing and became Prime Minister for the second time on July 25, 1912, succeeding Kristján Jónsson . On July 21, 1914 Sigurður Eggerz replaced him in this office, and Hannes Hafstein was again chairman of the board of the Bank of Iceland.

He was a member and party leader of the Heimastjórnarflokkurinn (self-governing party) and a member of the Sambandsflokkurinn (about "Union Party").

Last years of life

In 1917, his health condition forced him to withdraw from his public duties. He had lost his beloved wife Ragnheiður Thordersen four years earlier and died himself in 1922.

Hannes Hafstein as a writer

Like many Icelandic politicians since Snorri Sturluson , Hannes Hafstein also emerged as a writer, in his case above all as a poet . As a teenager he began to write poetry and published it for the first time in the magazine Verðandi, which he published himself .

Some of his poems are still very popular today and can be found in numerous school books. Alongside others in Iceland, he represents the literary trend of realism , comparable to Theodor Storm . Translated into German was z. B. his poem.

Storm
I love you, oh storm, that rushes across the land
And a happy rustling awakens in the grove,
the rotten branches you bend or kink,
but blooming trees only strengthen and refresh you. (...)

Another of his poems about a ride has become a popular folk song: Ég berst á fáki fráum (the song's actual title is Sprettur ).

As an editor, he was still active alongside the demanding political work. He edited the works of the Icelandic poets Jónas Hallgrímsson and Bólu-Hjálmar and also wrote the foreword to each of the volumes.

Web links

Commons : Hannes Hafstein  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Wikisource: Hannes Hafstein  - Sources and full texts (Icelandic)

• Biography of Hannes Hafstein at althingi.is (Icelandic)
• Literature by and about Hannes Hafstein in the catalog of the German National Library

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Jón R. Hjálmarsson: Með þjóðskáldum við þjóðveginn. Reykjavík 2004.
2. ↑ Árni D. Júlíusson, u. a .: Íslandssaga í máli and myndum. Reykjavík, Mál og Menning, 2005.
3. ↑ S. Aðalsteinsdóttir, u. a. (Ed.): Icelandic poetry. Berlin 2011, ISBN 978-3-458-35754-4 , p. 58.
4. ↑ Ég berst á fáki fráum - Sprettur , sung by the male choir "Karlakorin Heimur".

Note: Icelanders are referred to by their first name or first and last name, but not just their surname. Further information can be found under Icelandic personal name .