Austurvöllur(The East Field). 레이캬비크(Reykjavík). 아이슬란드(Iceland)

Austurvöllur(The East Field).

레이캬비크(Reykjavík). 아이슬란드(Iceland)

1820

 

Austurvöllur(The East Filed)

In olden times, when Reykjavik 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 Reykjavik: from Aðalstræti to Lækjargata, and from Hafnarstræti to the Lake.

When Reykjavik Cathedral was built in 1790-96, 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.

1932

In 1806 he stated that it had once been a fine, useful fiield, 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 taken. The field was marshy and uneven, and unsuitable for building.

As the village of Reykjavik grew, it gradually encroached on the field. In the 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 Reykjavik: a self-portrait by Icelandic-Danish 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 tured, and paths were made. The sculpture was ceremonially unveiled on 19 November 1875, the artist's birthday. It was Reykjavik'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 19th-century independece movement, by sculptor Einar Jónsson.

In the early 20th century an artificial skating rink was often created in winter on the square, which was popular with the townspeople.

Many entertainments and social events have taken place on the square over the years, and the people of Reykjavik have traditionally gathered here, in front of Parliament House, whether to celebrate or to protest. one of the first such protest meetings took place in 1905, when plans to lay an undersea telephone cable to Iceland sparked a mass protest.

On 30 March 1949 a protest against Iceland joining NATO led to violence; police used truncheons and teargas on the crowds. Every year people gather on Austurvöllur to celebrate National Day on 17 June, when a wreath is laid before the statue of Jón Sigurðsson; and in December crowds come to see the lights lit on a Christmas tree, a gift from the people of Oslo.

After the Icelandic economy collapsed in the autumn of 2008, Austurvöllur was again the scene of protests. People gathered, listened to speeches, and hammered on pots and pans to express their rage, in what has become known as the Kitchenware Revolution.

Austurvöllur in its present form was designed by Hafliði Jónsson, former chief of the Reykjavik Parks Department; in 1999 the plan was simplified and renewed, to designs by landscape architect Þórólfur Jónsson .

1801

1905

1912

1915

1919

1924

1983

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