Morgunblaðið Article 

 

This article was brought in the Icelandic newspaper Morgunblaðið on November 23rd 2001.

Below is the translation into English.

 

 

TRANSLATION FROM Morgunblaðið Newspaper, FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2001.

translated by Thorunn Kjerúlf Ivey (TCK-pg-69) and her daughter Eleanor Kjerulf Ivey

STRONG STOCK FROM NOBLE FAMILIES

The Kjerulf Family, which has established roots all over the world, will come together at a family reunion in Iceland summer 2002. Sveinn Guðjónsson found out about the origin of the family and spoke with two Icelandic Kjerulfs descendants about the reunion and the family relationships.  

Kjærulff is the Danish name of a great family which is scattered over many countries, and a branch of that tree can also be found here in Iceland where the spelling of the family name has, however, been changed to Kjerúlf to correspond with Icelandic pronunciation of the Danish æ. We are talking about a strong stock, and Kjærúlfs all over the world are proud of their origin; therefore, they meet regularly at international family reunions, and the next one will be here in this country the summer of 2002.  

The Kjærúlf family reunions are called "Kiermeet" in English, but their instigator is Cap Kierulff who lives in California. That is where the first reunion was held in 1986; since then the Kjærúlfs have met every four years in those countries where Kjærúlfs are found. In 1990 the reunion was held in Denmark, 1994 in the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea, 1998 in Norway & Denmark, 2002 in Iceland, and in 2006 the plan is to hold it in the Philippine Islands where Kjærúlfs can also be found.  

 

The forefather was a German general.

The story says that the Kjærúlf family is descended from a German general from Schleswig-Holstein named Anders Ulff. He entered the picture at the beginning of the 15th century when he proceeded with a great army north towards Jutland and conquered a region south of Limafjord called "Kjaer herred", a short distance from Aalborg. Eric of Pomerania, who at the time bore the title of king under the Kalmar Union, did not feel equal to attacking the German general; but in order to be able to collect taxes from the region, he knighted Anders Ulff. It is therefore no lie when one maintains that the Kjærúlfs descend from nobility, but they also have their coat of arms in accordance with old custom of nobility. The coat of arms shows a charging wolf, and the Kjærúlfs carried it on their weapons, uniforms and insignia. When we reach the 17th and 18th centuries the Kjærúlfs no longer carried a noble title, and most of the ones

who are mentioned in annals were preachers, soldiers, lawyers or farmers.

That branch of the Kjærúlf family which took root in Iceland comes from Norholm in Denmark and started with Jörgen Kjærulff who for the most of his life was doctor at Brekka in Fljótsdale, but he entered this world September 27th 1793 in Copenhagen and died December 11th 1831 at Brekka. Jörgen married Arnbjörg Bjarnadaughter the fall of 1819, but she was born August 8th 1781 at Illugaplace in Laxárdale, died March 27th 1873 at Skriðuklaustur.  

According to Sölvi Kjerúlf Eiríksson, who has taken interest in the family history, two of the four children of Jörgen and Arnbjörg had offspring here in this country, but they were Andrés Kjerúlf at Melum and Jóhanna Kjerúlf at Skriðuklaustur. "From them is descended the Icelandic Kjerúlf family but the family name is not the only sign of relationship," Sölvi said. It is both that the name disappeared with a female line according to old custom and also it obviously happened that descendants in the male line were not interested in using the name. It would certainly be a worthy task to put together the genealogy of Jörgen and Arnbjörg, but that is probably a big job because the Kjerúlfs are extremely prolific. 

Sölvi also said that in 1918 the book "Kjærulfske Studier" was published in Aalborg wherein the family is discussed and wherein among other things it appears that the Kjerúlfs are scattered all over the world: On the Polish plains, in Spanish monasteries, in the United States of America and other places. And, as strange as it may seem, they can also be found in the Philippines; but mostly though in the Nordic countries. The Kjerúlf name is spelled 17 different ways in the book, and that can be traced to the fact that the Danish æ does not exist in all languages, and also it has been adjusted according to the pronunciation in each country, as is the case in this country. Sölvi said that it is now known exactly when Kjærulff changed to Kjerúlf as it was handled by the Icelandic tongue. "In the book it is also said that if it is possible to talk about a common characteristic of the Kjerúlfs, it is foremost that we tend to accept where we are each time and that we want to be taken seriously. Some say that we are tough and extremely stubborn and I tend to agree that that could be right," Sölvi said.

 

Like old fairy tales

The foremother, Arnbjörg Bjarnadaughter, was daughter of Kristín Guðlaugsdaughter, maid at Illugaplace, but she declared Bjarni Jónsson, farmer at Skálárhnjúki, father of the child. Arnbjörg became a fosterchild of a Danish couple at Höfðatown at Skagastönd and stayed there up to confirmation age.

Then she went to work for another Danish couple at Höfðatown, then for Jakob N. Hafstein at Hofsós and from there she went to the Hemmert-couple at Akureyri. Arnbjörg, thus, mastered Danish while she was growing up, which was to come in handy. Arnbjörg married Sigurður Jakobsson, but he drowned in Grímseyjar-Channel 1818. They had then had a son named Kristján Frímann. At the time Seheel and Frisak were surveying Eastern Iceland. They had been at Akureyri, and Arnbjörg became their housekeeper the summer of 1819, and no doubt the fact that she spoke Danish so well played a part. This same year Dr. Jörgen Kjærulff was appointed doctor for Iceland´s eastern quarter. He first settled at Eskifjörður and in the summer he visited Vopnafjörður and met the surveyors, his countrymen, and then got to know their housekeeper. Arnbjörg had a contract with them until the fall, but on the other hand Dr. Kjærulff was not married and needed a housekeeper. Arnbjörg went to him in the fall and they were married October 26th 1820. The next spring they moved to the doctor’s residence at Brekka in Fljótsdale, lived there 11 years and had four children: Andrés Hermann Kjerúlf 1821, Dórothea Lovísa Kjerúlf 1822, Jóhanna Sigríður Kjerúlf 1826 and Kristján Jörgen Kjerúlf 1832. Dr. Kjærulff died in the latter part of 1831 and Arnbjörg was then a widow the second time, with three children and the fourth on the way, but Kristján Frímann from the first marriage had reached maturity.

In the compilation of Droplaug J. Kjerúlf from Vallholt about the life of her foremother, which has been used here as a source, it is said for instance: “Arnbjörg Bjarnadaughter Kjerúlf was successful, had a dignified appearance and outstanding personality, quite impressive. Her story resembles the old fairy tales. At birth the maiden does not get her rightful place in her father’s house and is therefore taken into foster by unrelated people. A succession of events and varied experiences carry her forward to maturity and respect. And the neglected maiden becomes the foremother of a great familyline in a distant region.”

Turning point in relations in the family

Sölvi Kjerúlf Eiríksson, who lives in Reykjavík, was responsible with others for a Kjerúlf family reunion that was held in Iceland 1992. At that time there were no real connections between Icelandic Kjerúlfs and their relations abroad. "In continuation of this reunion, my son, Sigurður, got very interested in learning the history of the family and family relationships, and with computer technology he got in touch with Cap Kierulff in California, who headed the first international family reunion called "Kiermeet". A webpage has been designed on the "net" where one can find various facts about the family, but the address is "kiermeet.com". “Relations between Icelandic Kjerúlfs and our relatives abroad have developed in the last few years and it will be fun to meet these people next summer," Sölvi said.  

 

Vilborg Kjerúlf at Neskaupsstaður, who is one of the links to the foreign Kjerúlfs in connection with the planned reunion here in this country, agreed. As far as she knows no Icelandic Kjerúlf has attended the KierMeet reunions up to now and, therefore, the meet here in this country next summer will be a turning point as far as connections between Icelandic Kjerúlfs and foreign ones are concerned. "The Iceland trip for these people is in the planning stages, but they will arrive in this country at the beginning of July and the plans call for sightseeing trips to the Southwest and South of Iceland and one day will be spent at Egilsstaðir and the Kjerúlf areas at Hérað will be visited. Finally there will be a banquet at Valaskjálf in the evening. Following that we will continue south, and the last evening there will be a farewell banquet at Naust restaurant. I think that most of the relatives here at home are very excited about meeting these people and I am sure that it is mutual," Vilborg said.  

 

For fun it may be mentioned that Vilborg is daughter of Jón Guðmundsson Kjerúlf, farmer at Hafursá and later Price Control Official at Reyðarfjörður. He was son of Guðmundur Andrésson Kjerúlf, farmer at Hafursá, and his father, Andrés, farmer at Melum in Fljótsdale, was son of Dr. Jörgen Kjærulff and Arnbjörg Bjarnadaughter.

Sölvi comes from the same branch, his great-great-grandfather was also Andrés farmer at Melum, but Sölvi´s great-grandfather was Eiríkur Kjerúlf, farmer at Ormarsplace in Fellum, who lived there with his brother Dr. Þorvarður (Kjerulf). Sölvi’s grandfather was Jörgen Kjerúlf at Húsum in Fljótsdale and Sölvi´s father was Eiríkur Kjerúlf, formerly farmer at Húsum,  but he moved to Reykjavík during the war years.   (WWII?)  

 

Captions under pictures in the Original Icelandic Article:

A few of the participants in Norway 1998. Below is the coat of arms of Andreas Christian Kjerulff which hangs in Fredericksborg Castle in Hilleroed, Denmark.

 

The farm “Fogedgaard” in Jutland where the forefather Anders Ulff settled shortly after 1400.

 

Kiermeet 1998. From left: Fin Kierulff, Hans Kierulff-Hansen, Mogens Kjærulff, Ray Kjærulff and Cap Kierulff, but he is the instigator of the Kiermeet family reunions.

 

With the help of computer technology Sigurður Kjerúlf Sölvason got in contact with Cap Kierulff in  California, but he is the instigator of international  family reunions of the Kjerulfs. Here is Sigurður with his father, Sölvi Kjerúlf Eiríksson, studying the webpage for the family on the internet.

 

INSET: FAMOUS KJERULFS

Halfdan Kjerulf (1815-1868), Norwegian composer. In annals and encyclopedias he is considered one of influential people on Norwegian national culture in the 19th century. A statue of him has been erected at a square in Oslo which bears his name, “Halfdan Kjerulfs Plass”.

 

Otto Richard Kierulff (1825-1897), Prime Minister of Norway 1871-1884. He lived in Stockholm during the period when Norway and Sweden were under one government. His picture appears on a coin from that time.

 

Theodor Kjerulf (1825-1888), Norwegian geologist. “Kjerulf-Glacier” on the island of South Georgia at the South Pole was named for him. His picture was printed on a Norwegian stamp in 1974 in honour of his scientific research on behalf of geology.

 

Helge Kjærulff-Schmidt (1906-1982), Danish actor and entertainer. He was very popular in Denmark as a comedy actor, but he also played classical roles at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen.

 

In addition, two nationally known Danish songwriters may be mentioned. Willy Kierulff (1900-1944) and Axel Kjerulf (1884-1964), but these two wrote popular songs and music of lighter nature which were popular in Denmark.

 

For fun it may also be mentioned that Skipper Klement (1484-1536) grandson of the forefather Anders Ulff (his daughter’s son) was a legendary person in Jutland as a rebel and leader of the people’s army in their uprising against the Crown. There is a statue of him in Aalborg, Jutland, not far from “Fogedgaard”

where the forefather, Anders, settled shortly after 1400.