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This is a testimony taken from my mother. She is my grandfather's daughter-in-law.
The most important:
My mother says she met Mr. Baldur Gudlaugsson in a Hotel in Copenahgen (Hotel Angleterre). She says he made the appointment. She says this was in august of 1982. She says she experienced this meeting as a message or a threat not to do anything is this case.
She says she experienced this meeting as a message or a thread not to do anything in this case.
This I think is the main reason the family was reluctant to go with me when I started this case again (my father had fought for his rights till he died), and I think this fear still governs my family, they do not think this can be put right and that these powers will eventually make their revenge.
Even though my mother is in her late eighties I have no reason to doubt any of this, she has talked about all of it before, expect this meeting with Mr. Gudlaugsson at the Hotel in Copenhagen, in my opinion she kept that to herself because of fear. In 1982 she was a recent widow, my father dyed in the fall of 1981.
Anybody who reads Mr. Gudlaugsson's report has to see her testimony adds up, even though Mr. Gudlaugsson tries to misrepresent my mother when he talks about my mother seeing the stamps on the drawings and thereby accepting the City's ownership.
My mother repeatedly talked about this experience through the years and her helpless anger over that Mr. Frank Ponzi had damaged these works of arts by stamping the seal of Reykjavik directly on them, That´s how she always talked about that incident. It just show how Mr. Gudlaugsson grasps at straws in trying to prove the City's ownership, when he was supposedly representing my mother. In my opinion Mr. Gudlaugsson should loose his license as an attorney for this report he made in 1982 and his actions at that time. This testamony is translated by me not a legal translator.
Ingimundur Kjaraval January 6. 2005.
This is a report told by Mrs. Gudrun Kjarval (here after Gudrun) concerning things taken out of the late painter's Mr. Johannes Kjarval's (here after Kjarval) studio at Sigtun 7, Reykjavik and put into storage by the City of Reykjavik. The report is written down Mr. Kristinn Bjarnason at his office Lagmuli 7, Reykjavik, 2003, Monday the 22. of September 1 pm.
Also present, Hrafnhildur Tove Kjarval the daughter of Gudrun and late Mr. Sveinn Kjarval (here after Sveinn).
Gudrun says her husband Sveinn had been ill in 1968 and for several years before that. She says her husband got seriously ill in the middle of 1966 and kept battling that illness after that.
Gudrun says her husband Sveinn went to Denmark in the fall of 1968 to stay with his sister Mrs. Aase Lokken Kjarval, to try to get better, and stayed there till middle of December 1968.
Gudrun says, at that time while Sveinn was in Denmark, she worked at the State Tourist Bureau (Badstofan, a tourist shop under the State Tourist Bureau). She got news her father-in-laws belongings at his studio where being moved. She says she does not remember who told her.
Gudrun says all the time while her husband was in Denmark was spent working and that she used her lunch hour to pay bills and take care of financial matters. She says the families' financial situation was extremely poor at that time, mostly because of her husband's illness.
She says she had to fight very hard to save the families finances, that struggle from one day to the next. Gudrun says she contacted Mr. Olafur Thordarson, a nephew of Kjarval, and had quite a bit of contact with him when she learned of these happenings at Kjarval's studio at Sigtun 7. Reykjavik.
Gudrun says she later heard the reason the studio was to be emptied Sigtun 7, being that Mr. Leifur Breidfjord needed the studio for his art. His family owned the house.
Gudrun says that when she learned Kjarval´s belongings where being moved to the City Archives she called the then Mayor Mr. Geir Hallgrimsson. He told her the things where being put there for safekeeping. Gudrun says she does not remember exactly when she made this phone call, but that it was when her husband was in Denmark, most likely right after she heard Kjarval´s belongings were being moved.
Gudrun sys she did not go to Kjarval´s studio this fall or the City Archives, nor did she investigate this further.
Gudrun says she and her husband moved from Iceland to Denmark in February 1970.
Gudrun sys it likely was in the summer of 1973, she went with Mr. Alfred Gudmundsson to Frank Ponzi´s studio where work was being done on Kjarval´s work.
She says Frank Ponzi was not present at the studio, but she saw a stamp on some of the works with the name of Kjarval and the City of Reykjavik. Gudrun thinks Sveinn was not with her.
Gudrun says she did not realize until later when she was back at her daughter's place where she stayed what was happening, she got angry these works were being damaged with these stamps.
Gudrun says she did not come for Kjarval´s funeral the spring in 1972, but she remember Sveinn and his sister Aase went.
Gudrun does not remember if she came to (Iceland) or discussed the estate with Sveinn in 1972 and 1973.
Gudrun says Sveinn was never at piece about what happened when these things were taken out the studio in 1968. She knows he hired some lawyers to work on it.
Gudrun says this always lay very heavily on Sveinn until his death.
Gudrun says she remembers that Mr. Gudmundur Axelsson art dealer was in contact with the family because of sales of artworks.
She says she does not remember specially what dealings she had with Mr. Gudmundur Axelsson about getting the attorney Mr. Baldur Guðlaugsson to look at the legal rights of inheritors of Sveinn Kjarval and Johannes Kjarval concerning the things taken out the studio in Sigtun.
Gudrun says she remember meeting Mr. Baldur Guðlaugsson in Copenhagen at the Hotel Anglaterre. He had announced him self and she had met him at the Restaurant at the Hotel Anglaterre. She says this was in august of 1982. Gudrun says she experienced this meeting as directions or a threat not to do any thing in this case.
Gudrun says she has no documents neither from Mr. Guðmundur Axelsson nor Mr. Baldur Gudlaugsson on Mr. Baldur´s investigation.
Gudrun says she did nothing from that time until things started to happen a couple of years ago.
Gudrun says she always considered these things were taken from Kjarval in Sigtun for safekeeping, that was the information she got from Mr. Geir Hallgrimsson then Mayor of Reykjavik.
Gudrun says that in her mind nothing was done these years because the family considered it self overpowered and for financial reason the family couldn´t in anyway pursue this.
Gudrun says she does not remember anything else that would me material in this case.
Read over and confirmed
Signature
Guðrún Kjarval
Printed .
Guðrún Kjarval.
Present during testamony and signing.
Signature.
Hrafnhildur Tove Kjarval
Printed.
Hrafnhildur Tove Kjarval
Signature.
Kristinn Bjarnason.
Printed.
Kristinn Bjarnason hrl.
Printed.