Unique exhibition in the underpasses at Hörðuvelli

Unique exhibition in the underpasses at Hörðuvelli

Nearly seventy people had gathered in the underpass at Hörðuvellir on Friday afternoon when the Hafnarfjörður Folk Museum opened its exhibition, 'Köldu ljósin'. The exhibition is here to stay and is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week, and will remain so indefinitely.

„The exhibition is dedicated to the work of Jóhannes Reykdal, who was truly one of those who left his mark on Icelandic history and the history of Hafnarfjörður with his creative thinking and drive,“ said Mayor Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir at the opening, as a statue of Jóhannes stands by the Stream – just above the exhibition.

Known for his entrepreneurial work

She spoke of how Jónas Reykdal was best known for being a pioneer in electrification in Iceland, but was also known in Hafnarfjörður for many other things and for having paved the way in so many ways. He was born in 1874, and 150 years had passed since his birth.

„A father of 12 children, owner of a carpentry workshop and later an electricity supply company in Hafnarfjörður, and after selling his businesses he began farming at Setberg above Hafnarfjörður in 1911, where he applied various innovations to the farm work,“ said Rósa.

„At Setberg, he of course erected his own electricity generator, bought a tractor to which various hay-making implements could be attached, and then he put a milking machine to use on his farm, one of the first men in the country to do so.“

An incredible story of execution

In 1920, Johannes built a new carpentry workshop on his estate, and six years later an icehouse was also erected there to serve the town's fishing industry. „It is therefore safe to say that the history of Jóhannes and the town are closely intertwined. In addition to the numerous houses he built in the town, his sawmill and, later, the electricity company left their mark on the town,“ said Rósa. She then traced his story further:

• Jóhannes was one of the founders of the Hafnarfjörður Waterworks Society, an alternate on the list for the town's first municipal council elections in 1908, the town's first fire chief and the first chairman of the board of the Free Church Society in Hafnarfjörður, to name but a few.

• The exhibition 'Turn on the Lights' tells the story of the milestone when the first public electricity supply in Iceland was commissioned in Hafnarfjörður in 1904, lighting up the first houses. 120 years have passed since then. It is believed that the first electrification in December 1904 reached four lampposts and that electricity was supplied to 16 houses. In the exhibition space, Jóhannes's sawmill has been recreated and, in an interactive and symbolic way, the first houses to receive electricity in Hafnarfjörður in 1904 will be lit up. The background is that Jóhannes imported a generator from Norway that same year to electrify his sawmill and subsequently had skilled men install electricity in several houses as well.

• Jóhannes Jóhannesson Reykdal built this station at Hörðuvellir. He built the power station single-handedly and ran it until 1909, when the town of Hafnarfjörður bought it.
• The 'Cold Lights' exhibition will be accessible 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and it's a clever and fun idea that visitors activate the display themselves by pulling a cord to switch it on. Pedestrian and cycle traffic through these historic streets is high, and I am convinced that the exhibition will delight passers-by and further cement the story of the remarkable pioneer.

An ambitious exhibition

Rósa said it was safe to say that the dream of an exhibition in this historic location has finally become a reality. „The exhibition is ambitious and a fantastic addition to the exhibition halls and venues of the Hafnarfjörður Museum of Local History, which until today were seven, now eight with this new exhibition. The importance of these exhibitions by the Folk Museum is undeniable for the documentation of Hafnarfjörður's history and in the journey of passing on history in a visible and engaging way from one generation to the next. “My best thanks to all those who have helped with the making and installation," she said.

„I encourage you to come here as often as possible and bring guests with you. I also encourage you to visit the Christmas Village during Advent, Hellisgerði, and take a moment to enjoy all that the Christmas town has to offer,“ she said, encouraging those present to enjoy the Advent season in Hafnarfjörður.