On Friday, October 4, the Icelandic-German online dictionary LEXÍA was formally launched during the 40th anniversary celebration of the Department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Vienna.

This ongoing project, initiated in early 2018, is a collaboration between the Árni Magnússon Institute and the University of Vienna. The event featured speeches from Stephan Müller, Dean of the Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies; Roger Reidinger, Director of Scandinavian Studies; and Helga Hauksdóttir, Iceland’s Ambassador to Austria.

Following this, Halldóra Jónsdóttir delivered a presentation on the Icelandic-Scandinavian dictionary project ISLEX, which serves as the foundation for LEXÍA. Branislav Bédi then discussed the significance of dictionaries for language learning. Eleonore Guðmundsson, project manager and chief editor of the German section, also spoke, outlining the background and initial stages of the dictionary’s creation. She introduced her collaborators, translators Hartmut Mittelstädt, a former Icelandic instructor at the University of Greifswald, and Ágúst Lúðvíksson, a programmer based in Karlsruhe. Additionally, she expressed her gratitude to the project’s special advisor, Robert Nedoma, a professor of Nordic studies at the University of Vienna.

The event ended on a cultural note with readings by Sybil Urbancic and Eleonore Guðmundsson of poetry by Urbancic’s mother, Melitta Urbancic, in its original language and in translation by Sölvi Björn Sigurðsson. Next was a musical piece by the student ensemble Das kleine Ø and, finally, Magnús Kiljan Guðmundsson sang a particularly lovely rendition of Draumalandið. As a special treat, Magnús brought up on stage an old friend from the Vienna Boys’ Choir to perform a duet for his mother Eleonore.

After the program, guests were invited to a reception hosted by the Icelandic ambassador.