Djúpavík

Djúpavík (Eng. deep bay ) is the name of a place and the bay in the rural community Árnes in Strandir on the east coast of the Westfjords ( Westfjords ) in Iceland.

Geography

Djúpavík situated by the fjord Reykjarfjörður. South of the town is a mountain range with the waterfall Djúpuvíkurfoss.

History

Herring factory

In 1917 we registered in Djúpavík with Guðjón Jónsson and his wife Kristín Guðmundsdóttir and her daughters, the first inhabitants. In the same year Elías Stefánsson built a salt herring station whose head Guðjón wurde.Im During the construction of the station were houses, shops and a boat dock built. Óskar Halldórsson, too, had simultaneously established there a herring processing.

However, many workers were laid off in 1919 Due to the losses in the herring after the First World War and the economic crisis in 1920.

From 1934 Djúpavík was back in an economic boom phase. So they founded in Reykjavík, the corporation Djúpavík AG to using foreign capital - in Iceland there were no investors - to build a herring factory in Djúpavík. The Solborg Bank in Stockholm finally granted a loan of 4,000 Swedish crowns, so that on July 7, 1935, the operation could start.

The Djúpavík Ltd.. Iceland was able to record the follow- up to 1944, many successful years. The approximately 90 m long herring factory was in its time in terms of size and technology, the largest and most modern of its kind in Europe. The factory workers lived in tents, and especially in the cold season on a 30 man -making applied steam ship, the M / S Suðurland, which was bought in 1919 in Denmark and also can still be visited today.

Director of the factory was from 1936 Óskar Ottesen, which the engineer of the factory, Guðmundur Guðjónsson followed. Guðmundur was also a member of the region. Together with his wife Ragnheiður he had an adopted daughter, María Guðmundsdóttir, which was chosen as 19 -year-old Miss Iceland in 1961.

As a result of the construction of the factory, which employed only about 60 people (around 200 more workers were employed as salters ), numerous other companies settled in the region Árnes, such as the factory canteen. In the fall, outside the fishing season, the factory building was converted into a slaughterhouse.

In 1936 a union was established in the region Árnes who successfully fought by a one-day strike a wage increase.

After 1944, the catch was significantly lower until he almost completely dried up in 1950. Compensatory measures, such as the capture of other fish species, but were able to delay the end of the factory in 1954 only. Also, the plan to open a freezing hall in the village, was discarded due to the lack of fishing. In 1968, the Djúpavík AG was liquidated.

Modern Times

There was a continuous decline in residents in the village, 1982, the place was deserted.

Finally Ásbjörn Þorgilsson came to Djúpavík and renovated together with his wife Eva Sigurbjörnsdóttir a house that had formerly served as guest workers. It was converted into a hotel and opened in the summer of 1985.

2003, a small exhibition about the history of the site was opened in the herring factory.

Traffic

Djúpavík is located on Route 643, which leads to the next bigger town Drangsnes south. To the northeast the road that leads to Gjögur where is the nearest airport, and on to Norðurfjörður and bathroom Krossnes. In Djúpavík there was also a gas station, which is, however, no longer operated. The next stations are found in Hólmavík Drangsnes and Norðurfjörður.

Others

The Nobel Halldór Laxness Djúpavík chose as the site of his 1979 published novel Guðsgjafaþulan (Eng. The litany of the gifts of God ).

On 27 July 2006, a concert of the Icelandic band Sigur Rós was held in the old factory, which was held together with other concerts of the band in the film Heima. The film was listed in September 2007 as part of the Icelandic film festival in Reykjavik.

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