Klaus F. Zimmermann, GLO President & Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Population Economics (CiteScore) currently visits Reykjavík for a public lecture on June 12 on The Economics of Fertility Decline in the National Museum. The PRICE Lecture on Declining Fertility is on invitation of University of Iceland & the Pension Research Institute Iceland (PRICE). University of Iceland researcher Vilmundur Torfason will complement his presentation with research findings on Iceland. (LINK) During his visit, Zimmermann will meet with GLO Fellows Gylfi Zoega and Ender Demir, and in particular with Dadi Kristofersson, Iceland’s Minister of Finance and Economics.
Zimmermann has already met with Skúli Magnússon, the “father of modern Reykjavík” (see picture). Skúli played a key role in developing Reykjavík in the 18th century. As Iceland’s first treasurer, he established industries that helped transform the settlement into a growing city. Ingólfur Arnarson is considered the first settler of Reykjavík. He arrived in Iceland around 874 AD, making him the city’s founding father. The name Reykjavík (“smoky bay”) relates to the steam rising from the area’s geothermal activity, which he likely saw upon arrival.
