Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was born on the 2nd of April 1805 in Odense, Denmark. He grew up in a small house with his mother Anne Marie Andersdatter and half sister Karen. His father Hans worked as a cobbler and died in 1816 when the boy was only eleven years old. The family lived in poverty while neighbors mocked their humble status. Despite these hardships, his father read him stories from Arabian Nights to spark imagination. After his father's death, his mother remarried in 1818 but financial struggles continued. At age fourteen he moved to Copenhagen seeking work as an actor. He joined the Royal Danish Theatre because of his high soprano voice. When his voice changed during puberty, colleagues suggested writing instead. This advice led him to begin composing poetry and plays.
C. A. Reitzel published the first installment of Fairy Tales Told for Children on the 8th of May 1835 in Copenhagen. That booklet contained sixty-one unbound pages including The Tinderbox and Little Claus and Big Claus. Critics dismissed the chatty style as inappropriate for children's literature. They believed fairy tales should teach moral lessons rather than entertain young readers. Andersen temporarily stopped publishing fairy tales after receiving harsh reviews in 1836. He returned to novel writing before releasing the third booklet on the 7th of April 1837. This final volume included The Little Mermaid and The Emperor's New Clothes which established his international reputation. The complete collection sold for seventy-two shillings with a preface written by Andersen himself. Later editions added illustrations by Vilhelm Pedersen who became his primary artist. By 1845 he had started a second series while critics still resisted his unique approach.
Andersen received a small travel grant from King Frederick VI in 1833 that enabled his first European journey. He wrote Agnete and the Merman near Le Locle in Switzerland during this trip. In October 1834 he arrived in Rome where Italian landscapes inspired The Bay of Fables. His travels produced several long travelogues including Shadow Pictures of a Journey to the Harz published in 1831. A Poet's Bazaar appeared later alongside In Spain and A Visit to Portugal released in 1866. These works combined documentary accounts with philosophical passages about authorship and immortality. Some travel books even contained embedded fairy tales like those found in In Sweden published in 1851. That particular volume received wide acclaim across Europe despite Danish resistance to his pretensions. Between 1845 and 1864 he lived at Nyhavn 67 in Copenhagen while continuing to write extensively.
Edvard Collin received letters from Andersen describing feelings that bordered on obsession. One letter stated I languish for you as for a pretty Calabrian wench. Collin could not reciprocate these emotions causing significant suffering for the writer. Andersen also pursued Karl Alexander hereditary duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach who invited him to stay at his castle. They walked arm in arm through courtyards before falling asleep together with melancholy happiness. Later relationships included Riborg Voigt whose unrequited love remained evident decades after their youth. A small pouch containing her long letter was found on Andersen's chest when he died. He proposed to Jenny Lind but she saw him only as a brother writing farewell blessings instead of romance. His diaries reveal periods labeled as erotic times involving Danish dancer Edvard Scharff between 1861 and 1862. Some biographers argue these were physical liaisons while others dispute claims about sexual encounters based on moral beliefs of the era.
Andersen fell from his bed in early 1872 injuring himself severely enough that he never fully recovered. Soon afterward symptoms of liver cancer appeared affecting his health significantly. He died on the 4th of August 1875 at age seventy inside Rolighed country house near Copenhagen. His friends banker Moritz G. Melchior and his wife cared for him until the end. Before dying he consulted a composer about funeral music requesting beats matching little steps since children would walk after him. His body was interred in Assistens Kirkegård within Collin family plot in Nørrebro district of Copenhagen. In 1914 headstone moved to Frederiksbergs ældre kirkegaard where younger relatives were buried. For some time graves remained unmarked before second stones marked his final resting place without mentioning Collins. At death he received annual stipend from Danish government recognizing him as national treasure.
The Hans Christian Andersen Museum opened in Odense housing collections dedicated to his life and works. Solvang California hosts another museum displaying models of childhood home and Princess and the Pea exhibits. The Library of Congress holds extensive materials bequeathed by actor Jean Hersholt including first editions and correspondence with Asger Hamerik. Film adaptations range from La petite marchande d'allumettes released in 1928 to Frozen produced in 2013 inspired by Snow Queen. Disney created animated versions of Little Mermaid while Soviet studios adapted Wild Swans and other tales. Theme parks emerged globally including Shanghai's US$32 million facility opening in Yangpu district during 2017. Monuments stand in Rosenborg Castle Gardens Chicago Lincoln Park New York Central Park Sydney Observatory Hill and Málaga Plaza de la Marina. International Children's Book Day celebrates his birthday on the 2nd of April annually since 1967. Awards named after him honor authors contributing lasting value to children's literature worldwide today.
Common questions
When and where was Hans Christian Andersen born?
Hans Christian Andersen was born on the 2nd of April 1805 in Odense, Denmark. He grew up in a small house with his mother Anne Marie Andersdatter and half sister Karen.
What fairy tales did Hans Christian Andersen publish first?
C. A. Reitzel published the first installment of Fairy Tales Told for Children on the 8th of May 1835 in Copenhagen. That booklet contained sixty-one unbound pages including The Tinderbox and Little Claus and Big Claus.
Who were the romantic interests of Hans Christian Andersen?
Edvard Collin received letters from Hans Christian Andersen describing feelings that bordered on obsession while Karl Alexander hereditary duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach invited him to stay at his castle. Later relationships included Riborg Voigt whose unrequited love remained evident decades after their youth.
How did Charles Dickens respond to meeting Hans Christian Andersen?
Charles Dickens met Hans Christian Andersen during a party hosted by Countess Blessington in June 1847 but later silence occurred when Andersen visited England again in 1857. Critics suggest Dickens modeled Uriah Heep from David Copperfield using Hans Christian Andersen's mannerisms as inspiration.
When and where did Hans Christian Andersen die?
Hans Christian Andersen died on the 4th of August 1875 at age seventy inside Rolighed country house near Copenhagen. His body was interred in Assistens Kirkegård within Collin family plot in Nørrebro district of Copenhagen before moving to Frederiksbergs ældre kirkegaard in 1914.