Mæðragarðurinn

About Mæðragarðurinn

Mæðragarðurinn (Mothers’ Park) is located on Lækjargata, opposite Vonarstræti next to the old primary school building. That building now belongs to Kvennaskólinn í Reykjavík. The garden's name refers to the statue Móðurást (Mother’s Love) by Nína Sæmundsson. Reykjavík City bought the statue in 1928, and it adorns the garden.

Basic information

Age: 1925.

Transportation:

• Parking by Bókhlöðustígur, Fríkirkjuvegur, Laufásvegur, and Lækjargata. Parking fees apply on weekdays 10am to 6pm and Saturdays 10am to 4pm.
• Public bus routes: 1-3-6-11-12-13-14. Stops: Lækjartorg – MR - Fríkirkjuvegur.

You can find: Gardening - Benches - Artwork - Restrooms.

History

• Construction of a public park on an uncultivated plot north of the Primary School on Lækjargata began in 1925. The area was formerly a water source for the Skálholtskot croft.
• In 1928, the Reykjavík Friends of the Arts Society bought the statue Móðurást (Mother's Love) by Nína Sæmundsson. The statue had been on display in Paris a few years earlier.
• No records of the park's design and cultivation history have been preserved. For many years, it was a popular play area for children and well-visited by the public.
• The park was redesigned in 1961.
• The kiosk at Lækjartorg stood in Mæðragarðurinn from 1989 to 2011.

References

• Bragi Bergsson. 2012. Public parks in Iceland. Master's thesis. University of Iceland, School of Humanities.
• Guðjón Friðriksson. 1991-1994. Reykjavík's history. The town awakens. 1870-1940.