Bjarni Guðnason

Bjarni Guðnason (3 September 1928 – 27 October 2023) was an Icelandic professor, historian, politician and footballer.

Personal life Bjarni was born in Reykjavík on 3 September 1928 to Guðni Jónsson, a professor, and Jónína Margrét Pálsdóttir. He obtained a diploma from Reykjavik College in 1948 and later studied English in London. He married Anna Guðrún Tryggvadóttir in 1955 and the couple had four children. Bjarni died at the Landspítali hospital on 27 October 2023, at the age of 95.

Academic career Bjarni obtained a master's degree in Icelandic literature from the University of Iceland in 1956 and subsequently spent six years as a visiting lecturer at Uppsala University in Sweden. He went on to earn a doctorate from the University of Iceland, graduating in 1963, after which he served as a professor in Icelandic literary history until his retirement in 1998. During this time, he twice served as the president of the university's philosophy department and was the chairman of the Association of University Teachers from 1969 to 1970. Bjarni spent his domestic career with Víkingur Reykjavík. He also represented the Iceland national handball team on several occasions.