Egy nemzeti hős megalkotása
Inventing a National Hero

The Commemoration of Jón Sigurðsson and the Making of National Unity in Iceland

Summary/Abstract: Jón Sigurðsson has been used as a model for the nationalist socialization of new and modern Icelanders for more than a century and a cult formed around him has been maintained up to the present through various manifestations of the images of him. He seems to have become an independent trademark, because those Icelanders, who have very limited knowledge of him, also embrace him as a unifying symbol. By focusing on a wide range of popular representations, this study analyzes how Sigurðsson’s public images have been utilized to shape an Icelandic national identity. It examines the process through which he emerged as a national icon, both in its textual and performative dimensions. Based on numerous and diverse sources, it elucidates how the collective memory of a singular figure played a formative role in the creation of a nation-state.

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