Guðbrandur Þorláksson

Who was Guðbrandur Þorláksson?

Guðbrandur Þorláksson was an Icelandic mathematician, cartographer and clergyman.

He studied at the cathedral school in Hólar and then at the University of Copenhagen. He and was successively rector of the school at Skálholt and minister at historic Breiðabólstaður in Vesturhóp. The first laws of Iceland had been written at Breiðabólstaður. The bar association of Iceland has erected a memorial by the site.

Guðbrandur Þorláksson was Bishop of Hólar from 1571 until his death on July 20, 1627. During his time as bishop, Guðbrandur edited and published at least 80 books, including the Bible in Icelandic and the Icelandic Lawbook or legal code. He is also noted for having drawn the first good map of Iceland, published in Abraham Ortelius´ Theatrum orbis terrarum in 1590. He had at least one child, a daughter named Steinunn, born in 1571 to Guðrún Gísladóttir.

Guðbrandur Þorláksson is pictured on the now obsolete Icelandic 50 króna banknote.