Icelandic Digital Magazine LIVE+ICELANDIC+Spring+2017 | Page 5

THE SWEDISH
FREEZING PLANT
From producing fish to weight lifting
to central banking
The Swedish Freezing Plant was the first freezing facility in Iceland specifically
built for that purpose. It was placed downtown Reykjavík and when it was
finished in 1930 it was the largest building in the country. For almost 40
years its main role was to produce fish products for international markets.
This was truly a very innovative business at the time and the history of this
remarkable establishment is closely intertwined with Icelandic Group since
the founding in 1942.
In 1968, the last shipment of frozen Icelandic goodies left the doors of the
Swedish Freezing Plant and the factory closed down. The house served other
niches of the society in the following years, most notably as main headquarters
and practice facilities of the Icelandic Powerlifting Federation from 1974–
1976. In 1981, the building was finally torn down to make room for the very
much debated Central Bank of Iceland.
Seafood, strong men and controversial financial business. The jokers might
say those three things could come close to define what it is to be Icelandic.
But as we all know that is very far from the truth.