Beloved Icelander 'Nonni' returns in spirit to Cologne

Approximately 50 visitors attended the Jun 18 opening of the photo panel exhibit in honour of the Icelandic story teller and author of 12 adventure books Jón – “Nonni” – Svensson (1857-1944) which was shown at DOMFORUM (www.domforum.de), a Catholic information center near the famous landmark of Cologne, the impressive gothic Cathedral – called “Kölner Dom” in German (www.koelner-dom.de). The exhibit continued until June 30.

On June 18, at 4 pm, the director of DOMFORUM, Rainer Tüschenbönner, welcomed the audience – mainly senior citizens many of whom had read the “Nonni books” in their youth. The exhibit is of course also aimed at younger people who have so far not heard of this great Icelander of whom remind quite a few “memorials” in Cologne (Nonniweg, Nonnibrunnen, Nonni-Club, and last, but not least, his grave on Melaten-Friedhof, www.melatenfriedhof.de).

Further speakers were Elfi Scho-Antwerpes, Mayoress of the City of Cologne, and Professor Gert Kreutzer, president of the German-Icelandic Society of Cologne (www.islandgesellschaft.de) as the co-organizer. Nonni’s motherland Iceland was represented by Ms. Hulda Sif Hermannsdóttir from the City of Akureyri (www.visitakureyri.is) and “Nonni-House” (www.nonni.is) in North Iceland where Jón “Nonni” Svensson lived with his parents and siblings until 1870 when he left Iceland for good – as a boy of only 12. The president of the Icelandic Association of Authors Ms. Kristín Steinsdóttir gave an interesting talk (in fluent German) about Icelandic children’s literature and its connection with “Nonni”.

The background of this “Nonni” exhibit were the so-called “International Children’s Books Weeks” in Cologne. This year they were dedicated to Iceland because Iceland (www.sagenhaftes-island.de) is the guest of honor at Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2011. These “children’s books’ weeks” take place every year in summer in Cologne and are meant to attract children’s interest to read books in their leisure-time. They are sponsored and organized by several local institutions and libraries. This year, six modern Icelandic authors of children’s books had been invited to visit Cologne schools, libraries, theaters, etc. and get into personal contact with students and their teachers, reading and discussing their own books, drawing the children’s interest to Iceland and its unique nature.

Friedrika Priemer is Spero correspondent for German cultural affairs.