Jóhann was born on the 9th of february 1913, the third of nine
brothers and sisters. Jóhann Svarfdælingur, as he was always
called was best known for his tallness. He was the tallest Icelander ever
known and for a while he was claimed to be the tallest man in the world.
His height was 2,34m and weighed by then 163kg. He used shoes
number 84. Jóhann had to look for a job in foreign countries
because he had trouble in getting a suitable job at home. In the year of
1935,one year after the big earthquake
in Dalvík, 22 years old, he
went to Denmark and was working in Scandinavia, and exhibited himself to
the public in a circus for a living. He travelled all over the world and
exhibited, for example, in the world show in París in 1937. When
the second world war began in 1939, Jóhann was blockaded in Copenhagen
and stayed there to the en of the war. In 1945 he return to Iceland and
travelled around the country with a film show. Then he took up his previous
job and moved to USA 1948 and lived there until 1982 when he returned to
Iceland. Jóhann came back to Dalvík
and moved to Dalbær the old folks home,and
lived there till the day he died. Jóhann Svarfdælingur died
the 26th of November 1984 and was buried in the graveyard in Dalvík.
In the museum in Dalvik there are many things from Johann, and much
more like special room for Kristján Eldjárn
former president of Iceland. |