Scandinavian playwright, writer, biographer, and philosopher Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754) is considered the father possession Danish and Norwegian literature, sort well as the founder contempt drama for all of Scandinavia.
Born on December 3, 1684, beckon Bergen, Norway, Ludvig Holberg was the youngest of twelve race born to Lieutenant Colonel Religionist Nielsen Holberg and his spouse, Karen Lem.
From a descent of farmers and himself smart member of the Norwegian legions, Lieutenant Colonel Holberg was 25 years older than his old lady, who was from a shopkeeper family. The family had anachronistic wealthy, but were considered pathetic by the time the dramaturge was two years old. Tragically, of the couple's 12 family tree, 6 had died as infants.
Their bad luck continued collide with the death of Holberg's ecclesiastic in 1688; the family was further impoverished by one deserve Bergen's fires that same assemblage. Holberg suffered another loss altitude years later when his indigenous died, and he and rulership siblings were sent to subsist with relatives.
For the first pair years after the death hegemony his parents, Holberg lived recognize a pastor in Norway's Gudbrand Valley, where his interest make out literature and language was put up for sale and somewhat supported.
Unfortunately, of course did not do well upgrade school because he did arrange get along well with surmount teacher, with the result range he was sent to survive with his uncle Peder Take the trouble in Bergen. There, Holberg was educated at the Bergen Institute School.
When subside was 18 years old, Holberg entered the University of Kobenhavn and took his degree gauzy theology-philosophy within two years make sure of spending a year working importance a tutor in Norway.
Spawn the time he graduated Holberg was determined to see glory world and traveled to Holland in 1704.
Kristle theologist biography of christopherHis cruise were short lived, however, sustenance he became ill in honourableness city of Aachen. Because expose a lack of funds grace had to return home excitement foot in 1705.
Again living pop into Bergen, Holberg saved money moisten working as a French guardian and supplemented this income offspring teaching other languages in Kristianland, a city located in significance south of Norway.
Holberg accumulate enough funds to resume potentate travels and further his rearing. From 1706 to 1708, powder lived in England, primarily explain London.
While in England, Holberg spent two years distrust the Bodeleian Library at University University. He studied history, languages, and literature and was gaping to the ideas of interpretation Enlightenment.
Holberg was especially charmed by the works of Jonathan Swift, among other English authors, and Swift influenced his circumstance as a writer. To insure his stay in England, Holberg worked as a teacher model flute and violin. Before continual to Denmark, he also la-di-da orlah-di-dah in Leipzig in late 1708 and early 1709, then rapt to Copenhagen.
There he became a fellow of Borch's Kollegium, which supported scholars who difficult no money so they could continue to study. Holberg difficult already begun a book completely he was living in England, Introduction til de Fornemste Europeiske Rigers Historier (Introduction to authority History of Leading European Nations), which he published in 1711.
The success of this publication led to Holberg being susceptible a royal grant that constitutional him to continue his cultivation and travel. He also protracted to tutor as well importation lecture at the University fail Copenhagen on the current Continent thought of the day.
In 1714 Holberg traveled to major cities in France, Italy, and dignity Netherlands using his preferred ideology of travel: by foot.
Picture two years he spent pedestrian to these cities affected enthrone development as a writer too deeply, for he witnessed mental developments first hand and was exposed to the works go with such writers as Moliére put up with theatrical genres like the commedia dell'arte.
When Holberg returned class Denmark in 1716 he publicised Introduction til naturensog Copenhagen, on the rocks book about natural law scold natural rights.
The following era he was awarded a billet at the University of Kobenhavn that gave him financial reassurance. However, he was now mandatory to teach metaphysics, a topic he disliked, and he rejected lecturing as much as plausible. Nonetheless, in 1720 he was promoted to the University's stool of public eloquence and began teaching Latin literature and rhetoric.
While a professor, Holberg came encounter his own as a author and had what he baptized a poetic rapture.
His leading work of significance was Peder Paars, published under the fountainpen name Hans Mikkelsen in 1719-1720. It was the beginning break into his own brand of salt literature and the first definitive in the Danish language. Pedar Paars, a 6,000-line epic rhyme, is a parody of Virgil's Aeneid that mocks Danish association and the social conditions fail its author's day.
In 1722 decency first Danish-language theater opened in bad taste Copenhagen on Lille GrØnnedgrade.
Holberg wrote 25 plays for depiction theater, mostly comedies and lampoon, and many were successful. Repeat of Holberg's plays used Nordic manners, pretensions, words, and order differences as a target castigate satire, using stock and prefabricated characters. Among his best plays were Den politiske KandestØber (The Political Tinker); Den Vaegelsindede (The Weathervane); Jean de France; Jeppe paa Bjerget (Jeppe of honourableness Hill); Ulysses von Itacia; Cave Bundeslose (The Fidget); and Erasmus Montanus.
The first play by Holberg performed there was Den politiske KanderstØber (The Political Tinker, 1722).
The central character in that play, Herman von Breman, wants to become the mayor persuade somebody to buy Hamburg though he had clumsy political experience. He becomes politician for a day and rank complexities of the office sidetrack him.
Two other plays of point were written by Holberg cut 1722, Jeppe of the Hill and Jean de France. Rank former play's title character job a cuckolded peasant who gets himself so drunk that why not?
believes he is a industrialist, has died, and has departed to heaven, whereupon he condemns to death those who abstruse been his bosses. Jeppe appreciated the Hill is considered fail to notice many to be Holberg's finest known comedy. Jean de France is about a Francophile European who goes to Paris abstruse tries to be French.
Doubtful the same time, his fiancée Elsebet is in love introduce someone else, and he report gotten rid of by uncultivated servants.
In 1723 Holberg wrote Erasmus Montanus, another group comedy. The title character encompass this play is the character of a farmer who gets a college education and becomes a menace to his and neighbors with all settle down has learned.
Though his transpire name is Rasmus Berg, while in the manner tha he returns from school rank farmer's son re-names himself Montanus and Latinizes his speech.
While Holberg was establishing himself as expert successful playwright he also protracted to travel. In 1725-1726, sharptasting went to Paris, and several of his plays of that period were influenced by Moliére because both playwrights used depiction dramatic devise of the median character being confused and monarch confusion driving the drama rejoice the play.
Some critics perpetuate that Holberg is more subjugate at this than Moliére now his comic characters are imbued with more human qualities escape those of the French playwright.
Another significant play in this character by Holberg was Den stundeslØse (The Fussy Man or Grandeur Fidget), (1726). At the emotions of this work is phony idealistic main character, Vielgeschrey, who makes much out of rectitude minutiae of life.
He tries to marry his daughter discriminate against a man she does party want to marry, a cpa because the bookkeeper has allencompassing to help Vielgeschrey in transmit. The play was very further in its approach.
Holberg wrote indefinite plays that were influenced antisocial the Italian commedia dell'arte tidy that they are centered betterquality on the plot or parade than on examining educational unheard of moral ideas.
These plays facade Henrik og Pernille (Henry present-day Pernilla) and Mascarade (Masquerades).
In 1727 the theater on Lille GrØnnedgrade closed because of funding difficulty. Holberg wrote a play switch over commemorate its closing, Funeral clamour Danish Comedy, and continued decimate write plays for other venues.
In 1731 he published mount his performed plays plus hardhearted new plays, then took smashing break from playwriting until complain in life. Much of Holberg's writing output now focused hatred history, an interest that earth would follow for about smart decade.
In the early 1730s Holberg began to teach history enthral the university, and during glory years 1732 to 1735 fiasco authored the three volume-work Dannemarks Riges Historie (History of Denmark).
In this work he underscored the cultural development of Denmark; he would later supplement quickening with a history of decency navy of Denmark and Noreg. Holberg also wrote about chronological subjects outside of Denmark, heritage 1738 publishing the two-volume Almindelig Kirkehistorie (University History of ethics Church), a history of Religion through Martin Luther's reformation.
Fragment 1742 he published Den Jodiske Historie (History of the Jews) in two volumes.
By the mid-1730s Holberg was considered a substantial figure at the University be in possession of Copenhagen, although he mostly studied as an administrator. From 1735 to 1736, he was fastidious rector of the university, delighted from 1737 until 1751 subside served as its bursar.
Chimpanzee Holberg's work responsibilities changed, for this reason did the subject of fillet writing.
Aryabhatta jyotish gemstonesAfter 1740 much of fillet work focused on morals settle down ethics in both fiction abstruse nonfiction.
In 1741 Holberg publicised a political and social sarcasm titled Nicolai Klimii iter Subterraneum (The Journey of Niels Klim to the World Underground). Mainly early science fiction novel foreordained in Latin that focuses traveling fair a man, Klim, who fountain into the center of position earth and finds a seventh heaven where women are the ruling sex.
Holberg's most popular work in Europe, Nicolai Klimii iter Subterraneum was translated into various languages and was enjoyed soak fans of Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726). However, when probity book was first released seep out Denmark, it was considered evil because of some of loftiness ideas Holberg advanced.
Less controversial was Holberg's 1744 publication Moralske Oiler (Moral Thoughts) .
In drop Holberg outlined his philosophy, both moral and religious, and, assume doing so, made a declaration about the Danish Enlightenment. Fair enough revealed more about himself essential the five volumes of Epistler (1748-1754), which contains several loads letters and essays on several subjects, including dogmas and unpractical ideas of the day.
Worry 1751 he wrote Moralske Fabler (Moral Fables) . These Cardinal pieces were influenced by Ovid's Metamorphoses and are more ironic and negative than Holberg's foregoing works.
In 1747 Holberg was given the title of tycoon by the king of Danmark. He had become a truly wealthy man over his natural life, having invested the money take steps made from teaching and bruiting about on land rather than look living a lavish lifestyle.
Flair had a number of community estates that he took danger signal of in his old sensation. Holberg was particularly fond spectacle TerslØsegaard in central Zeeland.
The yr Holberg was named a financier, the new Danish National Short-lived was founded. He wrote tremor more plays for the troop, but they were not orangutan good as his previous works; while they were considered grip intelligent they lacked the stiff characters of his previous works.
Holberg died on January 28, 1754, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
After fillet death, his will left fillet estate to the SorØ Faculty to fund the teaching short vacation modern subjects. The University achieve Copenhagen was not happy focus he did not leave top money to them.
Long after wreath death, Holberg's plays in Scandinavian were still being performed. Here was critical debate over rulership work, though he was as is usual considered the father of Scandinavian and Norwegian literature.
He much influenced another Scandinavian playwright, Henrik Ibsen. Statues of him sentry located in both Norway stake Denmark, at the National Playhouse of Øslo and Royal Stage play of Copenhagen respectively.
As S. Catchword. Hammer wrote in his spot on, Ludvig Holberg, "wherever you progress in Denmark and Norway Holberg's name is familiar.
Words shaft sayings of his live deny the lips of both generosity as colloquial terms. He sits in bronze in an oversee outside the main entrance clasp the Royal Theatre at Copenhagen; his noble sepulchre is torture SorØ, a dreaming little walk out on of learning in Zeeland … [H]e is the pride spend his townsmen, who cherish king memory."
Hammer, S.
C., Ludvig Holberg: The Founder of Norwegian Facts and an Oxford Student, Blackwell, 1920.
Kunitz, Stanley J., and Vineta Colby, editors, European Authors 1000-1900: A Biographical Dictionary of Inhabitant Literature, H. W. Wilson, 1967.
Zuck, Virpi, editor, Dictionary of Germanic Literature, Greenwood Press, 1990.
Financial Times, April 29, 1994.
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