From the Hans Christian Andersen biography "The Life of Hans Christian Andersen. Day By Day", written by DPhil Johan de Mylius:

1851


19 May

Release of I Sverrig. Concurrent release in Germany and England. HCA receives a fee of 200 rdl. for the German edition. The Danish edition consists of 2,000 copies, of which 500 are sold in a month. HCA is not at all satisfied with this amount of sales.
This poetic travel book contains central programmatic chapters such as "En Prædiken i Naturen" (A Sermon in a Nature Setting) and "Poesiens Californien" (Poetic California), in which HCA expresses his faith in the alliance between poetry and science.

24 May

After numerous invitations, HCA finally goes to the small farmhouse Christinelund to visit Jonna and Henrik Stampe. Dines at Nysø Estate the day after, in spite of having stayed away from here since Thorvaldsen's death, due to disagreements with the baroness.

"I was obliged then to be with the old baroness, but she was quite mild, like a newly-struck silver coin"
(letter to Edvard Collin, 9th June).

Outing to Store Hestehave.

2 June 1851

Takes the steam-ship 'Zephyr' from Kallehave to Svendborg. Aboard, he meets Ole Bang and his family. Ole Bang bears the title "konferensråd" (a high Danish title, now obsolete). The Bang family are headed for Als to visit the son (who is the father of Herman Bang, a famed Danish novelist). Shortly after this meeting aboard the ship, Ole Bang sends HCA his latest poetry, Eva Homo , printed as a manuscript.
HCA arrives at Glorup Estate on the same day. Here he receives the German edition of I Sverrig (In Sweden). Is surprised (diary, 9th) to read in the satiric periodical 'Corsaren' from Friday 6th that it is high time the critics in Denmark discover "the sun-basked elements" of HCA's works,

"and not remain in the shadows and shoot arrows from there, sharpened with malice. Actually it is a shame that we let foreigners be more clear-sighted in this regard than we ourselves are".

HCA is in charge of the decoration of the tent for the party to be held 7th July in honour of the returning soldiers from the estate. During the preparations, the writer M.A. Goldschmidt turns up, which annoys HCA ("There was a kind of arrogance, of haughtiness over the little man, as always, almost impudence", the diary, 6th). For the celebrations, HCA organises a tent on the avenue as well as one on the small island out on the artificial lake. In a letter to Henriette Wulff dated 15th July he comments on this:

"I was the Bournonville of the party, in charge of the entire affair, thereby winning the admiration of everyone, from the cattleman and the milk-maids right up to the highest ranking..., and it was quite splendid [...] It was quite delightful to see the magical effect all this had on the farm folk: 'To think that we should live to see the likes of this!' said one, 'I never would have thought there was such luxury in the world' - 'The man who organised this must have a mighty fine head on his shoulders! - yes, I'd say the duke would be providing him with a nice tip for all this!' - 'This is the heaven of heaven!' said the old Gardener, as he entered the room. What more can I ask for? None of my books have won such admiration".

June-July and once again in September

Reads Steen Bille's book: Beretning om Korvetten "Galatheas" Reise omkring Jorden (The Story of The Corvette "Galatheas'" Journey Around the World) (released in 1849-51). HCA knew Bille personally, as he had met him on Föhr (in September 1844). In appreciation of the book, HCA does a paper-cutting for Steen Bille which depicts the corvette Galathea, anchored in the harbour of Constantinople - which HCA of course had seen for himself on the journey of 1841.

Search the timetable    ?