1600-1800 Absolutism

The king was the head of the Lutheran church. In 1602 monopoly trade with Denmark was imposed in Iceland. In 1662 the Icelanders recognised the absolute power of the monarch. Royal power in Iceland was in effect the power of officials, and most of Iceland’s officials were Icelanders. Thus the Icelanders were mostly governed by other Icelanders.

In the 18th century the royal government developed an interest in the welfare of the Icelanders. The crown invested in developing a woollens industry at Reykjavík which marks the beginning of urban development there. In due course all the major government bodies relocated to Reykjavík. Iceland was taking its first steps into the modern world. But there was little change in most aspects of life, and Iceland suffered virulent epidemics and famines.

The Key Object of this Time Period: Drinking Horn

17th- and 18th-Century Exhibits

Highlights of the Exhibition

• King and Officials - All the King’s Men
• Justice and Retribution - The Common People
• Lutheran Orthodoxy - Fear of God
• Learning and Sorcery - Birds of a Feather
• Enlightenment - Reason and Progress
• New Enterprises - Economic Innovation
• Monopoly Trading - Restrictions and Security
• The 1703 Census - Cross-Section of a Nation
• Deadly Century - Plague and Famine
• Reykjavík - A New Administrative Centre