Höfði was built by the French consul Jean-Paul Brillouin in 1909. The national poet Einar Benediktsson later bought the house and named it Höfði. The city of Reykjavík acquired the house in 1967.

Höfði, the meeting place of leaders

It’s been 35 years since Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, and leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, met at a famous meeting in Höfði to end the Cold War. The meeting marked the end of the Soviet Union. Five years later, in August 1991, the Foreign Ministers of the three Baltic States met in Höfði. At this meeting, Icelanders recognized the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the first nation to do so.

Reykjavík 23/10/2021 09:22 – A7R IV: FE 1.2 / 50 GM
Photo and text: Páll Stefánsson