Preserving the Most Precious Heirloom - Icelandic Language Publishing in Manitoba
A colourful mural painted on the side of a building depicts scenes from Icelandic-Canadian history. On the left is a red brick factory marked Gimli Fish, beside a river and small figure in a white cap. At the centre stands the Icelandic newspaper building Lögberg-Heimskringla with a vintage car in front. To the right, a large image of the literary magazine Freyja shows its decorative title page, while a motorcyclist and man in old-fashioned clothing appear at the far right.

Preserving the Most Precious Heirloom - Icelandic Language Publishing in Manitoba

University of Manitoba - Háskólinn í Manitoba 2025

Between the 1870s and the First World War, thousands of Icelanders settled in Manitoba, building strong communities through Icelandic-language publishing. Newspapers, books and magazines helped them adapt, connect and preserve their heritage. This digital exhibition explores how publishing sustained culture and safeguarded what poet Dr. S.E. Björnsson called “the most precious heirloom” — the Icelandic language.

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Að varðveita dýrmætasta arfleifðina – Útgáfa á íslenskri tungu í Manitoba

Á milli áttunda áratugar 19. aldar og fyrri heimsstyrjaldar settust þúsundir Íslendinga að í Manitoba. Þeir byggðu upp öflug samfélög með útgáfu á íslensku. Dagblöð, bækur og tímarit hjálpuðu þeim að aðlagast, tengjast og varðveita arfleifð sína. Þessi stafræna sýning fjallar um hvernig útgáfustarf hélt menningunni á lífi og varðveitti það sem skáldið Dr. S.E. Björnsson kallaði „dýrmætasta erfðagripinn“

Visit the website in Icelandic


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