User:Embladc/Hólavallagarður

Hólavallagarður is a large graveyard in Vesturbær, Reykjavík.

Place description
Hólavallagarður is the largest Icelandic graveyard from the 19th century. The first person to be buried there was Guðrún Oddsdóttir, in 1838, and is therefore named the graveyard's watchwoman. A morgue was located there from the years 1838 to 1951, however, it was replaced by a new morgue in Fossvogskirkjugarður.

The headstones and crosses are diverse, as is to be expected after being in use for just under two centuries. Some of the headstones are very large and testify to the cultural history of Icelanders. The vegetation is also varied. Over two hundred kinds of plants and trees can be found in the graveyard, most commonly spruce, sycamore maple, birch, and sorbus. The more uncommon kinds include European larch, wych elm, grey alder, and ash.

According to the Secondary Plan of Reykjavík from 2003, the graveyard falls under the Protection of Neighborhoods. That is not considered to be a formal declaration of protection but a letter of intent on the behalf of the city government to protect it and carefully consider any changes. Besides two expansions in the 19th and 20th century, the graveyard has not been considerably changed.

The art historian Björn Th. Björnsson called Hólavallagarður "the biggest and oldest museum" in Reykjavík in his book Monuments in Hólavallagarður (Icelandic: Minningarmörk í Hólavallagarði), and Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir, the director of the national museum has voiced a similar opinion. The graveyard is a documentation of art and symbology, genealogy, architectural movements, horticulture, and craftsmanship. Low-reliefs of the deceased can be found on quite a few headstones, many of which were made by the sculptors Einar Jónsson, Albert Thorvaldsen and Ríkarður Jónsson.

Monuments commemorating French and Faroese sailors that perished by Icelandic beaches are located in the graveyard. In addition, on the Icelandic National Day (Icelandic: Þjóðhátíðardagurinn) it is traditional to put a wreath by Jón Sigurðson's grave.

Notable individuals buried in Hólavallagarður
Among some notable individuals who were buried in Hólavallagarður are:


 * Ásmundur Guðmundsson, bishop
 * Benedikt Gröndal, poet and scholar
 * Bjarni Jónsson, cathedral vicar
 * Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir, women's rights activist
 * Guðmundur Pétursson Thorsteinsson or Muggur
 * Hannes Hafstein, poet and minister
 * Indriði Einarsson, poet and scholar
 * Ingibjörg H. Bjarnason, first woman to be elected to parliament and headmistress of Reykjavik Women's Gymnasium.
 * Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval, painter
 * Jón Magnússon, prime minister
 * Jón Sigurðsson, president and leader of the Icelandic independence movement
 * Katrín Thoroddsen, doctor and member of the Icelandic legislative assembly
 * Páll Ólafsson, poet
 * Sveinbjörn Egilsson, poet and headmaster
 * Thor Jensen, entrepreneur
 * Torfhildur Hólm, writer
 * Þorbjörg Sveinsdóttir midwife and founder of Icelandic women's organization
 * Þorsteinn Erlingsson, poet
 * People who passed from the Spanish flu in the year 1918. There are at least two mass graves in the graveyard.