A Bronze Statue Stolen In Iceland

A bronze statue of Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir at Laugarbrekka, just west of Hellnar on the south side of Snæfellsnes, was stolen, Vísir reports.

Not in Iceland for a while but still want to read our new issue? Get it sent from the Grapevine Store, and you’ll get the previous issue sent with it! Our latest cover story is on the war in Ukraine, while First Lady Eliza Reid graces the cover of the issue previous–plus culture, news and travel and more!

The mayor of Snæfellsbær says he is shocked by the case. He is  a member of a group of amateurs who are working to keep Guðríður’s memory alive.

Guðríður was born in Laugarbrekka and was considered one of the most well-traveled women in the world, who lived around the year 1000.

The statue is a cast of the statue of Ásmundur Sveinsson of Guðríður and her son, Snorri Þorfinnsson. It is called “The first white mother in America”, as she is reputed to be the first European to give birth to a child in North America, ​​and was initially made for the World’s Fair in New York in 1940. The cast was placed on a stone pillar at Laugarbrekka in 2000 and it was Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, the then president, who unveiled the statue. Castings of the same statue can also be found in New York, Glaumbær in Skagafjörður and in the Pope’s private library in the Vatican.

The statue of Guðríður and Laugarbrekka was maintained by a group comprised of Kristinn Jónasson, Mayor of Snæfellsbær, Skúli Alexandersson, former Member of Althingi, Ragnhildur Sigurðardóttir, environmentalist and farmer, and Guðrún G. Bergmann, writer and managing director. The police have not commented on the case yet.