Writer Hans Christian Andersen biography. Last attempt to get married

Biography of Hans Christian Andersen: where did the adult storyteller live? April 2 will mark the 213th anniversary of the writer’s birth. What's hidden between the lines children's writer, read in today's article dedicated to the Danish prose writer.

Where did Hans Christian Andersen live?

“Every person’s life is a fairy tale,

written by God"

G. H. Andersen

The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, repeatedly reinterpreted by animators and directors, accompanied adults from the cradle to adulthood. Popular "The Little Mermaid" perished in the sea foam, "The Little Match Girl", whose history makes your blood run cold, "The Girl Who Stepped on Bread" "Red Shoes" and others were dedicated not to children, but to adults who had not lost faith in fairy tales. By rereading the lines of familiar stories, you can find more and more answers to complex life questions.

“Once upon a time there was a troll, furious and despising...”

Not a troll, of course, but its creator - Hans Christian Andersen born and lived in the city of Odense, Danish-Norwegian Union from April 2, 1805 . The father was a shoemaker, and the mother was a laundress. As if they had stepped off the literary stage, the parents gave the boy inexhaustible motives for fairy tales. Hans was a nervous child with poor physical characteristics, so he came home from school beaten. Author of "The Benefits of Magic" Alain Brook conducted research forTheNewYorkTimes about the writer's childhood. It turned out that beatings and physical abuse were normal not only for schoolchildren, but also for teachers who used force as one of the methods of “teaching.”

“There are no fairy tales better than those created by life itself”

G. H. Andersen

Magic surrounded Hans from a young age. Despite his poor origins, there were rumors in the town that Hans belonged to noble family. In his autobiography, Christian more than once mentioned his friendship with King Federik VII, and then Prince Frits. The author tried to revive the fruit of his fantasies by staging performances at home, from which he received ridicule from his peers.

Hans Andersen: fears, women and fairy tales

Years of bullying and ethereal fantasies turned Hans Christian Andersen into a nervous young man. According to biographers and extracts from the author’s autobiography, it is possible to form a portrait of the storyteller: thin, tall, stooped, with an anxious gaze. It seemed like he was afraid of everything in the world: dogs, robbery, poisoning, burning in fire, falling out of a window. The last two fears prompted the writer to carry a rope with him everywhere, being equipped in case of an unexpected incident. Once the children sent the author a box of chocolates as a gift, but Hans was so afraid of poisoning that he sent the gift to his nieces.

Hans Christian was nearly 40 years old when he first fell in love. In 1840 he met Jenny Lind in Copenhagen. Although inner world Hans Andersen was busy with fairy tales and there was no talk of any novels; the girl stole the heart of the nervous writer and soon, in 1843 he will write in my diary, as if surprised and delighted at the same time, “I love!”

While developing other aspects of his professional direction, he was interested in creating comedies and plays, and wrote poetry, in particular for Jenny Lind, who soon married another man, not sharing the writer’s passionate love. He tried himself as a novelist, but was remembered among the people as the good old storyteller Hans.

“I was made a writer of my father’s song and the speech of the mad” - wrote G. Andersen. We don’t know whether the speech is in the head or from the environment, but in gloomy pictures fairy tales with a bit of hope and immense expanses of purity, the storyteller managed to convey a piece of himself.

Hans Christian Andersen, quotes and aphorisms:

“Life is like a beautiful melody, only the songs are mixed up”;
“When you move away from the mountains, only then do you see them in their true form. It’s the same with friends.”
“To live, you need sun, freedom and a small flower.”

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A short biography of Andersen would be incomplete without a description of him early years. The boy was born on April 2 (April 15), 1805. He lived in a rather poor family. His father worked as a shoemaker, and his mother as a laundress.

Young Hans was a rather vulnerable child. IN educational institutions At that time, physical punishment was often used, so the fear of studying did not leave Andersen. In this regard, his mother sent him to a charity school, where the teachers were more loyal. The head of this educational institution was Fedder Carstens.

Already in adolescence Hans moved to Copenhagen. The young man did not hide from his parents that he was going to big city for glory. Some time later, he ended up at the Royal Theater. There he played supporting roles. Those around him, paying tribute to the guy’s zeal, allowed him to study at school for free. Subsequently, Andersen recalled this time as one of the most terrible in his biography. The reason for this was the strict rector of the school. Hans completed his studies only in 1827.

The beginning of a literary journey

His work had a huge influence on the biography of Hans Christian Andersen. His first work was published in 1829. This incredible story entitled "A Walking Journey from the Holmen Canal to the Eastern End of Amager." This story was a success and brought Hans considerable popularity.

Until the mid-1830s, Andersen practically did not write. It was during these years that he received an allowance that allowed him to travel for the first time. At this time, the writer seemed to have a second wind. In 1835, “Fairy Tales” appeared, which brought the author’s fame to new level. In the future, it is the work for children that becomes business card Andersen.

Creativity flourishes

In the 1840s, Hans Christian was completely absorbed in writing The Picture Book Without Pictures. This work only confirms the writer's talent. At the same time, “Fairy Tales” are also gaining more and more popularity. He returns to them more than once. He began working on the second volume in 1838. He began the third in 1845. During this period of his life, Andersen had already become a popular author.

Towards the end of the 1840s and beyond, he sought self-development and tried himself as a novelist. Summary his works arouse curiosity among readers. However, for the general public, Hans Christian Andersen will forever remain a storyteller. To this day, his works inspire a considerable number of people. A individual works studied in 5th grade. Nowadays, one cannot fail to note the accessibility of Andersen’s works. Now his works can be simply downloaded.

Recent years

In 1871, the writer attended the premiere of a ballet based on his works. Despite the failure, Andersen helped ensure that his friend, choreographer Augustin Bournonville, was awarded the prize. My latest story he wrote on Christmas Day 1872.

That same year, the writer fell out of bed at night and was injured. This injury became decisive in his fate. Hans held out for another 3 years, but was never able to recover from this incident. August 4 (August 17), 1875 - became the last day of life famous storyteller. Andersen was buried in Copenhagen.

Other biography options

The writer did not like being classified as a children's author. He assured that his stories were dedicated to both young and adult readers. Hans Christian even abandoned the original layout of his monument, where children were present.
Even in later years The author made many spelling mistakes.
The writer had a personal autograph

In the city of Odense on the island of Funen in Denmark, in the family of a shoemaker and a washerwoman.

In 1819, after the death of his father, the young man, dreaming of becoming an artist, went to Copenhagen, where he tried to find himself as a singer, actor or dancer. In 1819-1822, while working in the theater, he received several private lessons in Danish, German and Latin.

After three years of unsuccessful attempts to become a dramatic artist, Andersen decided to write plays. After reading his drama "The Sun of the Elves" advice from the management Royal Theater, noting the glimpses of talent of the young playwright, decided to ask the king to award the young man a scholarship to study at the gymnasium. The scholarship was received, Andersen’s personal trustee became a member of the theater management, advisor Jonas Colin, who took an active part in future fate young man.

In 1822-1826, Andersen studied at the gymnasium in Slagels, and then in Elsinore. Here, under the influence of a difficult relationship with the school principal, who humiliated the young man in every possible way, Andersen wrote the poem “The Dying Child,” which later, along with his other poems, was published in a literary and artistic magazine and brought him fame.

In response to Andersen’s persistent requests to Collin to pick him up from school, in 1827 he organized private education for his ward in Copenhagen.

In 1828, Andersen entered the University of Copenhagen and graduated with a Ph.D.

He combined his studies at the university with writing activity, and as a result, the first was published in 1829 romantic prose Andersen "Journey on foot from the Holmen Canal to the eastern cape of the island of Amager." In the same year, he wrote the vaudeville "Love on St. Nicholas's Tower", which was staged at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen and was a great success.

In 1831, having saved a small amount of royalties, Andersen set off on his first trip to Germany, where he met the writers Ludwig Tieck in Dresden and Adalbert von Chamisso in Berlin. The result of the trip was the essay-reflection “Shadow Pictures” (1831) and the collection of poems “Fantasies and Sketches”. Over the next two years, Andersen released four collections of poetry.

In 1833, he presented King Frederick with a cycle of poems about Denmark and received a monetary allowance for this, which he spent on traveling around Europe (1833-1834). In Paris, Andersen met Heinrich Heine, in Rome - with the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. After Rome he went to Florence, Naples, Venice, where he wrote an essay about Michelangelo and Raphael. He wrote the poem “Agnetta and the Sailor” and the fairy tale “The Ice Girl”.

Andersen lived outside Denmark for more than nine years. He visited many countries - Italy, Spain, France, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, England, Scotland, Bulgaria, Greece, Bohemia and Moravia, Slovenia, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, as well as America, Turkey, Morocco, Monaco and Malta, and He visited some countries many times.

In impressions from trips, acquaintances and conversations with famous poets, writers, composers of that time, he drew inspiration for his new works. While traveling, he met and talked with composers Franz Liszt and Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, writers Charles Dickens (with whom he was friends and even lived with him during a trip to England in 1857), Victor Hugo, Honore de Balzac and Alexandre Dumas and many other artists. Andersen dedicated his works “The Poet's Bazaar” (1842), “Across Sweden” (1851), “In Spain” (1863) and “Visit to Portugal” (1868) directly to travel.

In 1835, the writer’s novel “The Improviser” (1835) was published, which brought him European fame. Later, Hans Andersen wrote the novels “Just a Violinist” (1837), “Two Baronesses” (1849), “To Be or Not to Be” (1857), “Petka the Lucky Man” (1870).

Andersen's main contribution to Danish drama is romantic drama"Mulatto" (1840) is about the equality of all people, regardless of race. In the fairy-tale comedies "More expensive than pearls and gold" (1849), "Ole-Lukoje" (1850), "Mother Elder" (1851) and others, Andersen embodies popular ideals goodness and justice.

The crowning glory of Andersen's work are his fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales glorify maternal sacrifice ("The Story of a Mother"), the feat of love ("The Little Mermaid"), the power of art ("The Nightingale"), thorny path knowledge ("Bell"), celebration sincere feeling over the cold and evil mind (" Snow Queen"). Many fairy tales are autobiographical. In " The ugly duckling"Andersen describes own way to glory. TO the best fairy tales Andersen also include "The Steadfast" tin soldier"(1838), "The Little Match Girl" (1845), "Shadow" (1847), "Mother" (1848), etc.

In total, from 1835 to 1872, the writer published 24 collections of fairy tales and stories.

Among Andersen's works published in the second half of his life (1845-1875) are the poem "Ahasfer" (1848), the novels "The Two Baronesses" (1849), "To Be or Not to Be" (1853), etc. In 1846 he began write your own fictional autobiography"The Tale of My Life", which he graduated in 1875, last year of your life.

On August 4, 1875, Hans Christian Andersen died in Copenhagen. The day of the funeral of the poet-storyteller was declared a national day of mourning.

Since 1956, the International Children's Book Board (IBBY) has awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Gold Medal, the highest international award in contemporary children's literature. This medal is awarded to writers, and since 1966, artists, for their contribution to children's literature.

Since 1967, on the initiative and decision of the International Children's Book Council, April 2, Andersen's birthday, has been celebrated as International Children's Book Day.

In connection with the 200th anniversary of the writer's birth, UNESCO declared the Year of Hans Christian Andersen.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Hans Christian Andersen was born on April 2, 1805 in the city of Odense on the island of Funen (in some sources the island of Fionia is called), in the family of a shoemaker and a washerwoman. Andersen heard his first fairy tales from his father, who read him stories from One Thousand and One Nights; Along with fairy tales, my father loved to sing songs and make toys. From his mother, who dreamed that Hans Christian would become a tailor, he learned to cut and sew. As a child, the future storyteller often had to communicate with patients in the hospital for the mentally ill, where his maternal grandmother worked. The boy listened to their stories with enthusiasm and later wrote that he “was made the writer of his father’s songs and the speeches of the mad.” Since childhood future writer showed a penchant for daydreaming and writing, and often staged impromptu home performances.

In 1816, Andersen's father died, and the boy had to work for food. He was apprenticed first to a weaver, then to a tailor. Andersen later worked in a cigarette factory.

In 1819, having earned some money and bought his first boots, Hans Christian Andersen went to Copenhagen. For the first three years in Copenhagen, Andersen connected his life with the theater: he attempted to become an actor, wrote tragedies and dramas. In 1822, the play “The Sun of the Elves” was published. The drama turned out to be an immature, weak work, but it attracted the attention of the theater management, with whom the aspiring author was collaborating at that time. The board of directors secured a scholarship for Andersen and the right to study freely at the gymnasium. A seventeen-year-old boy ends up in the second grade of a Latin school and, despite the ridicule of his comrades, finishes it.

In 1826-1827, Andersen’s first poems (“Evening”, “The Dying Child”) were published, receiving positive feedback critics. In 1829 his story was published in fantastic style"Journey on foot from the Holmen canal to the eastern end of Amager." In 1835, Andersen's "Fairy Tales" brought fame. In 1839 and 1845, the second and third books of fairy tales were written, respectively.

In the second half of the 1840s and in the following years, Andersen continued to publish novels and plays, trying in vain to become famous as a playwright and novelist. At the same time, he despised his fairy tales, which brought him well-deserved fame. Nevertheless, he continued to write more and more new ones. The Last Tale written by Andersen on Christmas Day 1872.

In 1872, the writer received serious injuries as a result of a fall, for which he was treated for three years. In 1875, on August 4, Hans Christian Andersen died. He was buried in Copenhagen at the Assistance Cemetery.

Andersen got angry when he was called a children's storyteller and said that he writes fairy tales for both children and adults. For the same reason, he ordered that all children's figures be removed from his monument, where originally the storyteller was supposed to be surrounded by children.
Andersen had the autograph of A. S. Pushkin.
G. H. Andersen's fairy tale “The King's New Clothes” was placed in the first primer by L. N. Tolstoy.
Andersen has a fairy tale about Isaac Newton.
In the fairy tale “Two Brothers” H.H. Andersen wrote about famous brothers Hans Christian and Anders Oersted.
The title of the fairy tale “Ole-Lukoje” is translated as “Ole-Close Your Eyes.”
Andersen paid very little attention to his appearance. He constantly walked the streets of Copenhagen in an old hat and a worn raincoat. One day a dandy stopped him on the street and asked:
“Tell me, is this pathetic thing on your head called a hat?”
To which there was an immediate response:
“Is that pathetic thing under your fancy hat called a head?”

Be like children

Biography

WONDERFUL DESTINY

wonderful fairy tale

Thus begins the autobiography of the world famous Danish writer, the great storyteller Hans Christian Andersen.

As a fourteen-year-old boy, Andersen came from the provinces to the city, not knowing one person and having neither money nor the opportunity to earn food for themselves. And he managed not only to survive, but also to become famous person. Moreover, during his lifetime he was able to see his own monument, which the Danish people erected for him. Who could boast of such favor of fate?

"UGLY DUCKLING"

Andersen's appearance and behavior often caused laughter. He was extremely awkward: very tall, thin and long arms, almost reaching to the knees, an incredibly large nose, behind which were hidden small, slanted eyes set close to each other, a fiery red head of unkempt hair. At the same time, despite the grenadier’s height, he is thin female voice, unnaturally theatrical movements, and the same theatrically pretentious speech. This strange, if not comical, appearance was one of the reasons for his morbid suspiciousness. Remember how in the fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling” the duck taught the ducklings to keep their paws together? Once upon a time, Andersen’s mother taught him to keep his feet with his toes outward, not inward - “only fools and losers walk like that.” It seems that the mother's advice was of little help to her son. He, " ugly duckling", only towards the end of his life was he able to turn into a beautiful swan.

What kind of offensive nicknames did he hear! And “stork”, and “lamppost”, and “orangutan”... Moreover, this was said openly, to your face, with mockery! Andersen's fellow countrymen showed him extreme injustice: they simply did not understand him and interfered with him whenever they could and in whatever way they could. And they recognized him only because he was recognized by strangers - the peoples of other countries. Having come to their senses and being surprised, the Danes made amends to him by erecting a bronze monument to the writer in the center of the capital...

Hans Christian Andersen (Danish: Hans Christian Andersen)

NAIVE GIANT

If Andersen's appearance and behavior caused laughter, then the man himself, hiding behind this appearance, made an even greater impression. A certain radiation emanated from his naive and fiery soul, from which it was impossible to hide. No one could resist his sincerely kind, pleading eyes; it was impossible to push him away. Here's just one example:

As a child, Hans Christian went with his mother to the fields where the poor gathered ears of corn. One day they met a manager there, famous for his bad temper. They saw him approaching with a huge whip; Everyone started running, but the baby couldn’t keep up with the others, and the manager grabbed him. He had already raised the whip, but the boy looked him straight in the face and said: “How dare you beat me, because God can see!” The manager immediately softened, stroked the boy's cheek, asked his name, and gave him a coin. When the boy showed the money to his mother, she said, turning to others: “ Amazing child my Hans! Everyone loves him, and even this scoundrel gave him money!”

Hans Christian Andersen (Danish: Hans Christian Andersen)

HE ALWAYS WANTED TO EAT

Andersen was the son of a shoemaker and a washerwoman. And his family almost always lacked food. At the end of his life, Andersen admitted that he was constantly hungry, and he dreamed of one day eating his fill. Probably the memory of his hungry youth forced him to be extremely frugal. Having received money from friends or his patrons, he immediately put it in the chest. In order not to spend money on food, he asked to visit first one, then another - this one for breakfast, this one for lunch... But he was not at all a miser. Having become relatively free in his spending, he helped the poor, including many of those who wrote to him asking for help. And up to hundreds of such letters came to him from all over the world a day.

Andersen, like no other writer, was robbed by publishers without paying him royalties. If they did pay, it was absolutely meager amounts. However, despite this, he managed to accumulate a considerable fortune, which after his death was bequeathed to his friends.

His extreme sensitivity and vulnerability big soul forced Andersen, who was unable to courageously fight obstacles, to turn to tears. He cried at least as often as a little girl capricious girl- several times a day, and at times even more often. Women more than once had to console and reassure him when he left the table in tears, offended by one or another innocent joke.

Some biographers explain the writer’s tearfulness with the following episode from his life. In his youth, a still unknown young man who had recently arrived in the capital, he rented a room for little money in the house of a certain Madame Torgesen. He asked the hostess if she would undertake to feed him. The owner agreed, but demanded 20 riksdalers per month for this. Andersen did not have that kind of money. The little money that friends and acquaintances gave him - and he always knew how to make money everywhere - went to meager food and tickets to the theater, without which he could not imagine his life then. Maybe the hostess will take 16 instead of 20? No, she was relentless. She said that she was going to the city, and let him answer when she returned. 20 riksdaler, no more, no less. She left, leaving him in tears. There was a portrait of her late husband hanging on the wall, and Andersen thought that the portrait looked at him very friendly, and then, in his childish simplicity, he asked the deceased to soften his wife’s heart; he moistened the portrait's eyes with his own tears so that he would understand him better. This amazing use of medieval magic had its effect, and the hostess, upon returning, reduced the price to 16 riksdalers, which Andersen offered.

“THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW I’M LEAVING, AND IN GENERAL, I’LL DIE SOON...”

In his youth, Andersen worked in a factory. The rude and greasy jokes of the workers shocked the vulnerable and impressionable young man, causing him to blush like a girl and lower his eyes. One day, while singing - Andersen naturally had a beautiful soprano - the workers crept up behind him and pulled off his pants: they wanted to make sure whether he was a boy or a girl?

As an adult, Andersen never matured in character: he remained the same naive and extremely sensitive child. Any, even the slightest praise or compliment addressed to him could lead him into delight and awe, and he, forgetting about everything and everyone, began to recite his own poems or read his new manuscript, which he always carried in his pocket so that he could read from it at any time. possibilities. But if suddenly there were those who refused to enjoy the fruit of his creative genius, then this plunged Andersen into such depression that he sat in grief all day long, locked himself in his room or room, and cried incessantly.

Hans Christian Andersen (Danish: Hans Christian Andersen)

He was difficult to please. Even his friends, knowing his nature well, sometimes lost all patience with him. Andersen was unable to understand that friends may have other responsibilities than to be his friends, always ready to serve him. Any little thing could lead him to despair and pessimism: for example, an insufficiently friendly look or, in his opinion, a too cold tone of a letter, not like “a friend writes to a friend”...

Every day he went to visit someone - to complain about something. And if, God forbid, he accidentally found no one at home, he would become terribly angry and write, for example, such tragic notes: “Fru Colleen! It hurts me that you are avoiding me; Now I’m leaving, the day after tomorrow I’m leaving, and in general, I’ll die soon! With respect, G.K.”

One can only sympathize with his friends, because they had to learn patience while communicating with Andersen. And how could one behave with a person who in public strives to talk only about himself, who always complains that he is sick, or cries if someone contradicts him...

Hans Christian Andersen (Danish: Hans Christian Andersen)

"IT JUST LOOKS LIKE I'M DEAD"

Any trifle: a scratch on a finger, a bruise on his knee, a fish bone that he thought he had swallowed, a small cold - everything inspired him with hypochondriacal fear. Even hearing about the illnesses of others, he was afraid of getting sick himself. He was so afraid of dying from fire that he always took a long rope with him on any trip, hoping to escape with its help in case of fire. He was also very afraid that he would be buried alive, and therefore asked his friends that in any case one of his arteries would be cut before he was placed in the coffin. When he was sick, he often left a note on the table and bed. It said: “It just seems like I’m dead.”

Andersen suffered from a special form of neurasthenia, manifested in constant fatigue and ailments - nausea, headaches, attacks of dizziness and many others. Almost every date in his diary records that he feels sick. He constantly needed to be distracted from the feeling of fatigue, to go on visits to think about something else, to travel to forget his suffering. Hence his constant movement, long annual travels. After this, is it any wonder that Andersen did not have his own home.

He lived all his life in hotels and furnished rooms. When he finally had to buy his own furniture in 1866, he was beside himself: the damned things tied him to a certain place! The bed especially terrified him: it seemed to him that he would soon die and the bed would outlive him and become his deathbed. (She didn’t become one, but she actually outlived her owner and now stands in a museum in Odense.)

Hans Christian Andersen (Danish: Hans Christian Andersen)

IN THE FIGHT WITH LOVE

Andersen lived his entire life as a virgin. He was neither homosexual nor impotent, but, alas, to enjoy the fruit sensual love he never succeeded. Awareness of his own unfavorable appearance and the feeling that he was not like everyone else prevented him from believing in success with the opposite sex. More than once he was on the verge of falling into sin, but each time he retreated.

In Dresden, for example, a German writer tried to seduce him, who was always trying to kiss him and who was “old, fat and hot.” In Naples, temptations pursued him at every step, but he, “experiencing a passion that he had never known,” was forced to rush home to pour cold water on his head. In his diary he wrote: “There is a fever in my blood. I still maintain my innocence, but I'm on fire... I'm half sick. Happy is he who is married, and happy is he who is at least engaged.” He could hardly resist the sirens dangerous city, and upon leaving he calmly wrote: “Still, I left Naples innocent.”

His need for women was great, but his fear of them was even stronger. During his trips to Paris after 1860, Andersen sometimes visited brothels. There he enjoyed polite, pleasant conversations with half-naked prostitutes. But he was simply shocked and extremely indignant when Dumas, who dragged him to this establishment, hinted to him that in brothel he probably walks not only to talk...

Hans Christian Andersen (Danish: Hans Christian Andersen)

AH, MY DEAR ANDERSEN!..

The events of the last thirty years of his life made Andersen forget the impressions of previous grievances. He considered himself extraordinary happy man. “Everything is for the best in this best of all worlds!” - he liked to repeat, calming others, and... calming himself. Bright and joyful optimism can be found in all his works. Even him famous fairy tale « Ice maiden”, despite the sad ending, ends with the phrase: “Everything is for the better.”

In his last days he was cheerful, calm and full of gratitude for his fate, as well as for the love and care that his many friends showed him. It is said that a few days before his death, he tried to sing an old children's song that his mother once sang to him. He only slightly corrected the words in it, changing the name Augustine to Andersen:
- Oh, my dear Andersen,
Andersen, Andersen!
Ah, my dear Andersen,
Everything, everything will pass!..