Reykjavík College marks 180 years in its historic schoolhouse

Reykjavík College is marking 180 years since classes first began in its schoolhouse on Lækjargata, mbl.is reports. The school’s rector, Sólveig Hannesdóttir, said the institution is above all a community made up of staff, former and current students, and others connected to its work.

Events this week have included a gathering where former students of different ages shared memories of their time at the school, and a talk by history teachers about the building’s past and use. Visitors also toured the building, known as Gamli skóli, or the Old School.

The three-storey building was erected in 1846 and stands in the Kvosin district. Its ceremonial hall hosted meetings of Alþingi, Iceland’s parliament, from 1845 to 1879, before the parliament moved to its own building in 1881. A plaque commemorating those meetings was installed last year.

Hannesdóttir became rector in 2022, after 14 years working at the school as a biology teacher. She graduated from the college in 1992 and said its academic demands gave students a strong foundation for further study and life.

The school’s roots can be traced further back to Skálholt School, founded in 1056 by Bishop Ísleifur Gissurarson, where the country’s chieftains sent their sons, Hannesdóttir said.