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Stjórnarráð (Governments House) - Ministry Offices - The Greater Reykjavik Area Iceland

Lækjargata, 101 Reykjavík
WebSite: The Governments Web Page

Region: The Greater Reykjavik Area

About: (Description)
Stjórnarráðshúsið, Government House, on Lækjargata opposite Lækjartorg, was originally built as a prison. Construction began in 1761 and was completed in 1771. When Governor E.C.L. Moltke came to Iceland in 1819 he obtained permission to move into the building and had it extensively renovated. After that it was the home and workplace of the Governor while that post existed. From 1873- 1904 it was the residence of the Governor-General, after which it housed the government when a Home Rule Minister was appointed in Reykjavík. It now houses the offices of the Prime Minister. It was on the steps of this building that Iceland was declared a sovereign state on December 1st 1918. On the lawn are two statues by Einar Jónsson: one, put up in 1931, of Hannes Hafstein, the first Icelander to be Home Rule Minister, and the other, from 1915, of King Christian IX of Denmark giving Icelanders their constitution.

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