Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies

The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies ("Stofnun Árna Magnússonar í íslenskum fræðum") is an institute of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Iceland which conducts research in Icelandic and related academic studies, in particular the Icelandic language and Icelandic literature, to disseminate knowledge in those areas, and to protect and develop the collections that it possesses or those placed in its care. It is named after Árni Magnússon, a 17th-18th century collector of medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

The Árni Magnússon Institute ( _is. Stofnun Árna Magnússonar) was an academic institute located in Reykjavík, Iceland. The institute had the task of preserving and studying medieval Icelandic manuscripts containing Landnáma, Heimskringla and the Icelandic sagas. On September 1, 2006, this institute was merged with the Icelandic Language Institute, the University of Iceland Institute of Lexicography, the Sigurður Nordal Institute, and the Place-Name Institute of Iceland to create the current Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. It is a university institution with its own board and financing. The Minister of Education, Science and Culture appoints a five-member board for four-year terms. Three members are appointed according to nomination by the University Senate and two without nomination, with one of those two acting as chairman. The Minister appoints a director for five-year terms on the recommendation of the board.

Dr. Vésteinn Ólason was appointed director of the Institute of Icelandic Studies on September 12, 2006. Vésteinn was the director of the Árni Magnússon Institute from May 1, 1999 until September 1, 2006, after which it was merged with four other institutes to create the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

History

When Iceland received home rule from the Danish government in 1904, the Icelandic parliament (Alþingi) wanted the Danes to give back the considerable body of manuscripts collected by the 17th-18th century scholar Árni Magnússon. In 1927, some of them were returned and the institute was set up under the name "Handritastofnun Íslands" (English: "Icelandic Manuscript Institute"). In 1972, after most of the manuscripts had been returned to Iceland, the laws concerning the institute were changed. It was named "Stofnun Árna Magnússonar á Íslandi", but is generally referred to as "Árnastofnun". It was an independent institute but had close ties and was administratively associated with the University of Iceland. On September 1, 2006, it was merged with four other institutes in Iceland to create a larger institute of Icelandic studies, the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

Location

The institute is located in the Árnagarður building on the campus of the University of Iceland by Suðurgata in Reykjavík.

Manuscripts

The institute contains a number of historically and culturally important manuscripts, amongst them
*AM 113 fol (Íslendingabók)
*AM 371 4to (the Landnámabók)
*AM 738 4to
*GKS 1005 fol (the Flateyjarbók)
*GKS 2365 4to (Codex Regius of the Poetic Edda)
*GKS 2367 4to (Snorra-Edda)
*Icelandic Manuscript, SÁM 66

External links

* [http://www.arnastofnun.is/ Árni Magnússon Institute’s Official Website]
** is icon [http://www.am.hi.is/WebView/VefHandritalisti.aspx Online manuscript facsimiles]
* [http://www.arnastofnun.is/Apps/WebObjects/HI.woa/wa/dp?id=1016556 Árni Magnússon Institute]
* [http://arnamagnaeansk.ku.dk/ The Arnemagnæan Insitute in Copenhagen]
** en icon [http://english.arnamagnaeansk.ku.dk/ The Arnemagnæan Insitute in Copenhagen]