Vestmannaeyjar
63.430861111111 - 20.286255555556Koordinaten: 63 ° 26 ' N, 20 ° 17' W
The Vestmannaeyjar (English Westman Islands ) are an archipelago of volcanic origin 10 to 30 kilometers south coast of Iceland, which consist of 14 islands, 30 islets and 30 rocks.
The area, which is located in the Icelandic region Suðurland, the community Vestmannaeyjabær forms, with 4086 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2009).
- 5.1 colonization
- 5.2 Trade in the Westman Islands in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period
- 5.3 The Turks attack
- 5.4 out of life and with the sea
- 5.5 volcanic eruption series 1973
- 8.1 Football
- 8.2 Handball
- 8.3 Golf
Name
The Settlement book tells of the two friendly clan leaders Ingólfur Arnarson and Hjörleifur Hróðmarsson that belonged according to this source the first settlers of Iceland. Accordingly, Hjörleifur initially settled on the Mýrdalssandur near the island mountain Hjörleifshöfði to. But he was killed shortly thereafter by two of his Irish slaves. This took a boat and fled to the west along the coast and there to islands because they saw lying in the sea. Ingólfur persecuted the slaves and found them on the largest of the islands, today's island of Heimaey, while they were eating. Some he killed on the spot, others were able to escape to the surrounding cliffs.
Now designated the Norwegian settlers, the people of the British Isles as Vestmenn (German Westerners ) are called the islands since Vestmannaeyjar.
Geography: The island chain of Vestmannaeyjar
It is a volcanic island chain in the south of Iceland with its own volcano system that extends south of Eyjafjallajökull in south-west into the Atlantic.
The largely submarine volcanic system has a length of about 38 km in width 30 km - which also corresponds approximately to the length and breadth of the island chain ..
The island chain comprises 15 to 18 depending on the author islands and about 30 islets
Heimaey [ hɛi̯maɛi̯ ] provides with an area of 14.5 km ² by far the largest and the only permanently inhabited island dar. On it is the same city.
In Surtsey is the second largest island with an area of 1.41 km ² ( 2004), which in 1963 formed during a volcanic eruption and about 15 km southwest of Heimaey lies.
Smaller islands are Elliðaey with an area of 0.45 km ², Bjarnarey with an area of 0.32 km ², Alsey with an area of 0.25 km ², Suðurey with an area of 0.20 km ², and Brandur Hellisey with an area of each 0.1 km ², Súlnasker with an area of 0.03 km ², Geldungur with an area of 0.02 km ², Geirfuglasker with an area of 0.02 km ².
The islands Hani ( dt.Hahn ), Haena ( dt.Henne ) and Hrauney and the skerry Grasleysa be called Smáeyjar (small islands).
Surtsey is the southernmost and Elliðaey the northernmost island. Upstream In the Northwest are the shallows to Þrídrangar where the waterway passes by Heimaey.
The volcanic system of Vestmannaeyjar
The Westman Islands are part of an independent, named after them volcanic system.
Description
The volcanic system associated with them and mainly submarine covers about an area of about 30x40 km in the Atlantic off the southern Icelandic coast with islands and submarine volcanic manifestations such as craters and lava fields submarine, for example, at Stóra - Hraun form known shallows.
The volcanic system forms the southern end of the eastern volcanic zone of Iceland ( in the English language scientific literature: ECC - Eastern Volcanic Zone ).
Eruption history
The oldest rocks are approximately 70000-100000 years old, from which the age of the volcanic system can develop. It is therefore one of the youngest in Iceland.
Only about 10 glacial outburst series in this system are known. They are different well documented for obvious reasons.
The tuff cone grove owes its origin explosive eruptions with pyroclastic flows in the north- west of Heimaey about 8,000 years ago. About 7,500 years ago, then the cliffs Norðurklettar also arose in the north- west of Heimaey. The islands Alsey, Brandur, Suðurey and Hellisey formed about 6,000 years ago in eruptions similar to those of Surtsey.
Years ago, about 4,600 of the ash crater Stórhöfði built on Heimaey. It could also submarine eruptions detected, belonging to the same series of eruptions. The cinder cones of Sæfell on Heimaey formed, however, in a very explosive eruption about 4,300 years ago, were produced at the turn and pyroclastic flows. Again, an effusive phase followed and submarine eruptions. Years ago, about 4,000 took place on Helgafell on Heimaey eruption with an explosive as well as effusive phases instead, origin of lava flows and ash layers.
Probably also found in 1637 a submarine eruption south-west of Heimaey place and held about 70 days. The submarine eruption was probably explosive.
Also, eyewitness reports can be found via a submarine volcanic eruption 3.8 nautical miles southeast of Geirfuglasker while 3.6 nautical miles south of Súlnasker in 1896, which were published in the journal isafold 3 in October of the same year.
The last outbreak series in this system found 1963-67 in the development of Surtsey and 1973 esp. on Heimaey ( the outbreak of Eldfell ) instead. In both cases, it was found also submarine eruptions at other sites in the same volcanic system within the outbreak series.
Overall, it is striking that the majority of detectable activities focused on Heimaey and therefore presumed to the magma chamber of the system and thus forming a central volcano under this island.
Climate and Weather
The archipelago has a maritime climate. The coldest months (January, February ) have a mean temperature of 1.5 ° C, July and August reached 10.5 ° C. The annual variation around the mean annual temperature of 5.5 ° C is thus low. Similarly, the difference between the absolute extremes of the observed temperature of -14 ° C and 19 ° C is low.
The islands are rich in precipitation, fall 1600 mm per year on average. On average there are 240 days per year to precipitation of 0.1 mm. Storms are frequent.
Especially in the winter, these storms can with wind speeds of over 150 km / h very violent romp. This is measured at the weather station Stórhöfði. In addition, here you can find the highest waves in the coastal area of Iceland. So in January 1990 waves were observed up to a height of 23.3 meters southeast of Surtsey ( cf. monster wave ).
History
Colonization
In contrast, reported the acquisition of land by the clan leader Hérólfur Bárðarson book, which would have established only after the official land by Ingólfur Arnarson the first court in the Westman Islands. This would have been in Herjólfsdalur.
In the sagas, such as the Brennu - Njal saga, trips are repeatedly mentioned to the islands to pursue fishing, but also the seal hunt, the capture of birds or the egg collecting.
Trade in the Westman Islands in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period
During the Middle Ages, you will always find evidence of more or less lively trade relations especially on the back to the 14th century in Iceland trade quite influential Englishmen in the 15th century, the Hanseatic League.
However, the trade was received already about 50 years earlier than on the mainland by the King of Denmark in the Westman Islands, the procured there by him devoted Käufleute a monopoly.
The Turks attack
In 1627 a fleet of Algerian corsairs reached the islands and used it as a temporary base. On July 16, 1627 the houses of the local inhabitants were set on fire and killed many inhabitants. The approximately 300 here and in other places of the south coast, such as in Berufjörður, captured Icelanders were then offered for sale and sold in North African slave markets. Only a small proportion of the enslaved could - after the Danish government or others had applied ransom for them or they themselves had ransomed himself - to return home after years. Under these freedmen, there was also Guðríður Símonardóttir, the future wife of the very popular in Iceland Psalmist Hallgrímur Pétursson.
Since these parts of North Africa belonged at the time to the Turkish empire, and said it is called in the context in Iceland is still the Turk invasion ( Isl Tyrkjaránið, literally actually robberies by the Turks).
Of life and with the sea
In the Middle Ages and up to the beginning of the 20th century drove with rowing boats out to the surrounding islands often particularly rich fishing grounds. Before the Turks attack the islands were also precisely why a particular attraction for poorer people from the nearby districts who found work and bread there.
However, the Turkish invasion had a significant negative impact on the population structure on the islands, which affected up to the 19th century. In the first Icelandic census in 1703 it represented a total of 318 inhabitants firmly on the islands. The 18th century proved as the Icelanders generally as well as for the inhabitants of the Westman Islands, not least because of outbreaks of Lakikrater and their consequences to be particularly hard. This explains that in 1800 only 173 inhabitants were found on the islands.
This development was reversed in the 19th century, the islands prospered, not least because of fishing and the population had grown to 499 in 1860.
Towards the end of the century, however, again followed by a difficult period, as the schools of fish were swept low over the years, and finally another 20 man drowned at the same time during a storm in winter 1869.
Positive developments were also detected but in those years. After struggling for general education and founded in 1862 an island library with at least 600 volumes. Simultaneously, the first insurance company to vessels on Iceland was formed.
Around 1890, the financial situation of the islanders again improved by the inclusion of trawling. The number of inhabitants increased to 607.
Sailing ships had the residents of Vestmannaeyjar not, and at the beginning of the 20th century you could use on the islands also still no trawlers. The reason for this was to look at the lack of a suitable port, the residents of the Westman Islands only received despite years of efforts in the mid- 20th century.
This, however, meant an enormous economic boom for the area. Fishing and fish processing brought money and other inhabitants, so that the island group - nowadays only Heimaey - in January 2011 could have a population of 4,142.
Since the sea around the islands, especially in the winter can be very stormy, we had to complain also a considerable number of lives over the centuries around the islands. When embarking and disembarking from ships lying in the roads, and when fishing with rowing boats, many people fell overboard. Many ships sank but also around the islands ..
Volcanic eruption series 1973
(See main article Eldfell )
A particularly important event in the history of the islands provided the eruptions of volcanic columns when Eldfell is on Heimaey in 1973, which made the evacuation of all residents needed and look of the island changed fundamentally.
Most of the population - about 5,000 - had already left the islands before this volcanic eruption. He had done immense damage, but cost only one human life. After you had brought the lava flows using seawater in time to stop, the safety of the harbor during storms from East and Southeast by a 40 m high Lavawall was considerably improved.
Traffic
The accessibility of the islands was long, to the middle of the 20th century, relatively difficult. You only improved as at this time ( since 1942 ) finally a port was built on Heimaey. Previously, you had bigger ships - if they ever passed - lying at anchor and the passengers first, rowing disembarked from the beginning of the 20th century in motor boats in what could prove useful in rough seas to be quite difficult.
The ferry ride Herjólfur (III ) lasted from Þorlákshöfn ( until summer 2010) about three hours.
The area opposite the islands to the mainland has long been regarded as unsuitable for ports. There was not until the year 2010, a harbor, which was called Landeyjahöfn, completed. Since July 20, 2010, Herjólfur ferry commutes in a half-hour ride about 5 times a day between the islands and the harbor, which is located near the Seljalandsfoss in southern Iceland. Until August 12, 2010 he had been promoted already 40,000 passengers across the Sound. However, one also has to fight again and again, especially after winter storms with sand accumulations in the harbor.
They had also considered the Sound, which is only about 15 km wide to tunnel under, but this idea dropped again due to the special geological conditions ( submarines volcanic system, highly water-permeable rock strata, earthquake hazard).
The Vestmannaeyjar can also be reached by air from the domestic airport in Reykjavik or Bakki from.
Attractions
- Skansinn with the Norwegian stave church ( Stafkirkjan ) (2000 ) and Landlyst (1847 )
- Landakirkja: one of the oldest church buildings Islands ( 1778)
- Pompeii of the North: the excavations in the district of spilled Eldfell 1973
- Cemetery of houses: Memorial
- Stórhöfði: southernmost tip of Heimaey, breeding ground of puffins, windiest place in Europe
- Gaujulundur: Garden surrounded by lava fields
Sports
Sports Club of the islanders is the ÍBV ( Íþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja ), the common has different sub-divisions for the various sports such as in Iceland.
Football
The football club ÍB Vestmannaeyja was three times the Icelandic football champions (1979, 1997, 1998 ) and won four times the National Cup (1968, 1972, 1981, 1998). In a total of 36 international matches ( European Champions Cup, Cup Winners' Cup and UI / Intertoto Cup), the balance sheet is as follows: 4 wins, 7 draws and 25 defeats.
2006 it rose as from Table from the first league ( Landsbankadeild ) and played until 2008 in the second class. The targeted promotion back to the 1st League succeeded the well-off club for season 2009.
Handball
In handball ÍBV has already produced outstanding players who were members of the Icelandic team in international competitions such as the World Handball Championship.
Golf
A well-known golf course is located in the north of Heimaey in Herjólfsdalur, where every summer the famous summer festival held on the 2nd weekend in August.
Personalities
- Juliana Sveinsdóttir (1889 - 1966), Icelandic painter
- Ásgeir Sigurvinsson ( b. 1955 ), Icelandic football player
- Sigurdur Ari Stefánsson ( b. 1982 ), Icelandic handball player in the national team
- Margrét Lára Vidarsdottir (* 1986), Icelandic football player
Twinning
- Gata ( place ), Faroe Islands