Jónshús
Jónshús in Copenhagen is owned by the Icelandic Parliament (Althingi) and has been since 1966, when merchant Carl Sæmundsen donated the house in memory of Jón Sigurðsson and his wife Ingibjörg Einarsdóttir. They lived on the 3rd floor of the house from 1852 until they died there in 1879. The house is on Øster Voldgade (which means East Town-Wall Street) number 12. The house was opened to the public in 1970. Jónshús also goes by the name of Icelandic Culture House in Copenhagen.
Currently, Jónshús fulfills the role of a community hall for the Icelandic community in Copenhagen, which counts around four thousand people. On the 3rd floor, there is an exhibition in memory of Jón and Ingibjörg. A library with nine thousand Icelandic books is the basement.
Jónshús has office facilities used by the Icelandic Society in Copenhagen and the Icelandic congregation. The director of the house also has an office, as well as an apartment on the 5th floor. Two apartments, on the 2nd and 4th floors of the house, are for Icelandic researchers that can apply for a stay if their research is believed to benefit from a stay in Copenhagen.
Apart from the above, there are various activities in the house, including, but not limited to, five choirs that practice on average once a week, the Icelandic School every Saturday, young parents meeting on Thursday mornings, card evenings, art exhibitions, AA meetings, yoga sessions, research seminars and many other social activities.
Jónshús is governed by the Board of Jónshús, on orders from the President of the Icelandic Parliament.
Jónshús and the Memory Exhibition of Jón Sigurðsson is open Tuesdays to Fridays from 11 to 17 and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 to 16. Other opening hours are made in agreement with the house's director.
The director of the house is Halla Benediktsdóttir, she lives on the 5th floor of Jónshús. Her telephone number is +45 2328 1944 and her email address is halla@jonshus.dk.