Breiðholt
district in Reykjavík, Iceland
Breiðholt (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈpreiðˌhɔl̥t]) is a southeastern district of Reykjavík, Iceland. It includes three neighbourhoods: Neðra-Breiðholt ([ˈnɛðra-ˌpreiðˌhɔl̥t], Bakkar; [ˈpahkar̥], Mjódd; [ˈmjoutː], and Stekkir; [ˈstɛhcɪr̥]), Efra-Breiðholt ([ˈɛvra-ˌpreiðˌhɔl̥t], Hólar; [ˈhouːlar̥], Berg; [ˈpɛrk], and Fell; [ˈfɛtl̥]) and Seljahverfi ([ˈsɛljaˌkʰvɛrvɪ], Sel; [ˈsɛːl̥]). It is one of the largest districts in Reykjavík, with a population of around 20,000.
The neighborhood has the highest amount of foreign-born residents of any in Reykjavík.
History
Breiðholt was originally a farm, first mentioned in the 10th century, in recent times a small village. From the end of World War II to 1960, the population of Reykjavík grew from 46,578 to 72,270. Inadequate housing had been a significant problem, forcing many families to live in the cold, frail barracks that the British and American armies had left behind. In 1965, Breiðholt was mostly an outer boundary to the inhabited areas of Reykjavík.
During the 1960s, Reykjavík underwent an unprecedented boom period, and in 1962 work began implementing zoning plans for all of Reykjavík, lasting until 1983, and Italian architect Aldo Rossi was influential in the development. Due to population pressure in the 1960s, development plans were published for Breiðholt in 1966 in the hills east of the city, with the idea of building single-family houses and low-priced apartment buildings mixed together.
The public source identifies “Breiðholt” as district in Reykjavík, Iceland. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Breiðholt, district and Reykjavík.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Breiðholt”, the useful work is to connect “district in Reykjavík, Iceland” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4960471. Authority coordinates are 64.108, -21.832. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1960, 1965, 1962 and 1983.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Breiðholt”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Breiðholt primary sources, Breiðholt archive and Breiðholt research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Breiðholt” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.