Svavar Gestsson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Svavar Gestsson
Icelandic Minister of Commerce
In office September 1, 1978 – October 15, 1979
Preceded by	Ólafur Jóhannesson
Succeeded by	Kjartan Jóhannsson
Icelandic Minister of Social Affairs
In office 8 February 1980 – April 28, 1983
Preceded by	Magnús Helgi Magnússon
Succeeded by	Alexander Stefánsson
Icelandic Minister of Education
In office 28 September 1988 – 30 April 1991
Preceded by	Birgir Ísleifur Gunnarsson
Succeeded by	Ólafur Garðar Einarsson
Ambassador of Iceland to Sweden of  Iceland to  Sweden
In office 30 August 2001 – 30 November 2005
Preceded by	Hörður H. Bjarnason
Succeeded by	Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson
Ambassador of Iceland to Denmark of  Iceland to  Denmark
In office 22 November 2005 – 15 February 2012
Preceded by	Þorsteinn Pálsson
Succeeded by	Sturla Sigurjónsson
Personal details
Born	(1944-06-26)26 June 1944 Guðnabakki, Stafholtstungur, Iceland
Died	18 January 2021(2021-01-18) (aged 76)
Spouse	Jónína Benediktsdóttir ​ ​ (m. 1964, divorced)​ Guðrún Ágústsdóttir ​ (m. 1993)​
Children	3
Parents	Gestur Zóphónías Sveinsson (* 3 October 1920, died 29 December 1980) Farmer (father) Guðrún Valdimarsdóttir (* 28 March 1924) (mother)
Alma mater	1964: Graduated MR. in 1964 enrolled in law at the University. from 1967 to 1968 studied in Berlin.

Svavar Gestsson (born June 26, 1944 – died January 18, 2021) was an important politician from Iceland. He served in the Icelandic government as a minister. He was also a member of Parliament for many years. Later in his career, he became an ambassador for Iceland in other countries.

Early Life and Education

Svavar Gestsson was born on June 26, 1944. His birthplace was Guðnabakki, in the Stafholtstungur area of Iceland. His father, Gestur Zóphónías Sveinsson, was a farmer. His mother was Guðrún Valdimarsdóttir.

Svavar was a good student. In 1964, he graduated from Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík (MR). After that, he started studying law at the university. From 1967 to 1968, he continued his studies in Berlin.

Political Career

Svavar Gestsson had a long and active career in politics. He was a member of the Althing, which is Iceland's Parliament. He served in Parliament from 1978 to 1999.

He also held several important positions as a government minister:

• Minister of Commerce: From September 1, 1978, to October 15, 1979.
• Minister of Social Affairs: From February 8, 1980, to April 28, 1983. In this role, he helped with social programs.
• Minister of Education: From September 28, 1988, to April 30, 1991. During this time, he worked on education and culture.

Svavar was also the editor-in-chief of a daily newspaper called Þjóðviljinn from 1971 to 1978. He was also the chairman of The Peoples’ Alliance political party from 1980 to 1987.

Diplomatic Career

After his time in Parliament and as a minister, Svavar Gestsson became an ambassador. An ambassador represents their country in another country.

He served as Iceland's ambassador in several places:

• Ambassador to Sweden: From August 30, 2001, to November 30, 2005. While in Sweden, he also represented Iceland in other countries. These included Belgrade, Sofia, Tirana, and Dhaka.
• Ambassador to Denmark: From November 22, 2005, to February 15, 2010. During this time, he also served as ambassador to Turkey, Israel, Romania, and Tunisia.

Svavar Gestsson passed away on January 18, 2021, at the age of 76.