Jónas Jónsson (known also as Jónas frá Hriflu; May 1, 1885 – July 19, 1968) was an Icelandic educator and politician, and one of the most influential people in 20th-century Icelandic culture and politics. Initially an educator and writer of textbooks, he was chairman of the

Progressive Party Progressive Party may refer to: Active parties * Progressive Party, Brazil * Progressive Party (Chile) * Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus * Dominica Progressive Party * Progressive Party (Iceland) * Progressive Party (Sardinia), Italy ...

for ten years, and Minister of Justice from 1927 to 1932.

Biography

Jónas was born in Hrifla in

Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla Iceland was historically divided into 23 counties known as ''sýslur'' (), and 23 independent towns known as ''kaupstaðir'' (). Iceland is now split up between 24 sýslumenn (magistrates) that are the highest authority over the local police ( ...

. He studied at Möðruvalla School and wanted to attend the Reykjavík Latin School in 1905, but could not afford it—by the time his family had saved enough money he was rejected (by rector

Steingrímur Thorsteinsson Steingrímur Thorsteinsson (1831–1913) was an Icelandic poet and writer. He translated many works of literature into Icelandic, including ''Arabian Nights'' and the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 ...

) for being too old. Instead, he attended the

Askov Folk High School Askov is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 364 at the 2010 census. Minnesota State Highway 23 serves as a main route in the community, and Interstate 35 is nearby. History The village was originally within t ...

in Denmark, and then moved to England to attend

Ruskin College Ruskin College, originally known as Ruskin Hall, Oxford, is an independent educational institution in Oxford, England. It is not a college of Oxford University. It is named after the essayist, art and social critic John Ruskin (1819–1900) an ...

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, known as an institution for working-class students. On his return to Iceland, in 1909, he found himself in opposition to the class of newly wealthy Icelanders and became involved in politics. He was elected MP in 1922 for the

, a

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

and agrarian-centrist party, a seat he held until 1949. He became

attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

in 1927, and was

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...

from 1927 to 1932. He was chairman of the Progressive Party for ten years, from 1934 to 1944.

Legacy

Jónas was the author of the "immensely influential primer" ''Íslandssaga handa börnum'' ("History of Iceland for children", 2 vols., Reykjavík, 1915–1916). The primer molded the "historical perception of generations of Icelanders" until the 1970s, when it was no longer being used in education. The textbook reflects the nationalist account of Icelandic history (originally introduced by Jón Jónsson Aðils) wherein the Icelandic nation prospered as an independent nation during the medieval period but suffered degradation for centuries after it gave up its sovereignty to the Norwegian King by signing the

Old Covenant The Mosaic covenant (named after Moses), also known as the Sinaitic covenant (after the biblical Mount Sinai), refers to a covenant between God and the Israelites, including their proselytes, not limited to the ten commandments, nor the eve ...

(1262). According to his textbook, Icelanders had a special status since they hailed from descendants of those who fled the rule of

Harald Fairhair Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagre Modern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Nor ...

, an especially hardy stock of Norwegians; in combination with the harsh natural environment this produced the "unique Icelandic nation". According to historian Thorsteinn Helgason, Jónsson's textbook presents the Icelandic nation "as a homogenous and united flock, while foreigners, mainly the Danes, are depicted as evil. More or less fictional figures from mediaeval sagas, together with literary and political personalities of all eras, populate the scene. The book was written during a sensitive period when separation from Denmark was heavily debated, and it was clearly an argument for separation."

References

Sources

Jónas Jónsson frá Hriflu
official biography at

Alþingi The Alþingi (''general meeting'' in Icelandic, , anglicised as ' or ') is the supreme national parliament of Iceland. It is one of the oldest surviving parliaments in the world. The Althing was founded in 930 at ("thing fields" or "assembly ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jonsson, Jonas 1885 births 1968 deaths Progressive Party (Iceland) politicians