Dolina Thingvellir jako miejsce historyczne i symbol islandzkiej tożsamości narodowej. Przeszłość i teraźniejszość
Thingvellir valley as a historical site and a symbol of Icelandic national identity. The past and the future

Author(s): Małgorzata Budyta-Budzyńska
Subject(s): Sociology of Culture
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Keywords: memorial sites; lieux de mémoire; Thingvellir; Iceland;tourism;
Summary/Abstract: Each and every nation has its lieux de mémoire. Their symbolic meaning may undergo changes with the passing of decades, under the influence of a variety of internal factors that arise or occur within society, such as: a dominant ideology, a new policy with regards to history and education, a socio-economic transformation, or generational transitions. Change may also be brought about by external factors, by globalization or world-wide cultural trends. In the present article we describe the evolution that affects the perception of Iceland’s most important memorial site: Thingvellir valley. Its symbolic significance is anchored in the valley’s status of a place tightly bound to the history of medieval settlement and beginning with the 19th century – associated with the formation process of the Icelandic modern nation. In the 21st century the perception of Thingvellir began to change under the impact of booming growth of the tourist industry and the hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors arriving to the location. In the article we describe the role and symbolic significance of Thingvellir in Iceland’s history, following up with an analysis of the transformations its perception has undergone in the 21st century.

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