Axel Kristjánsson

Axel Kristjánsson was known as an excellent athlete and was one of the Icelandic glíma wrestlers competing in the exhibition event of this sport at the 1912 Olympic Games, where he placed third. Born in rural Northern Iceland, he moved to Akureyri in 1907 to attend secondary school. Two years later, he went to Reykjavík, where he attended the Icelandic School of Commerce.

After graduating with honours, Kristjánsson joined his father’s trading business in Sauðárkrókur, where he worked until 1920. Subsequently, he worked as a manager in various stores in Akureyri, Iceland’s northern capital. In 1926 he finally founded his own retail business, which he ran successfully until his untimely death. In addition to his own business, Kristjánsson was a representative of various insurance companies and the Shell oil company. In 1937, he was appointed Consul of Norway. In Akureyri, he held several honorary positions including member of the Akureyri City Council and deputy mayor, chairman of the Akureyri Business Association and member of the Akureyri Sports Council. He was also a keen horse rider throughout his life.

In 1917, Kristjánsson married Hólmfríður Jónsdóttir and together they had three children. On 14 April 1942, he was seriously injured when an aircraft of Flugfélag Íslands, the predecessor of Icelandair, crashed shortly after take-off from Reykjavík airport. Two days later, he died from his injuries in a military hospital in Reykjavík.