Eldjárn, Kristján

Eldjárn, Kristján krĭstyounˈ ĕldyournˈ [key], 1916–82, Icelandic statesman and archaeologist. Educated at the universities of Copenhagen and Iceland, he was an assistant at the National Museum of Iceland (1945–47) and then its curator (1947–68). A prolific scholar, he belonged to numerous archaeological and literary societies. He was elected president of Iceland in 1968 and reelected in 1972 and in 1976.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Scandinavian History: Biographies