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

1860

Jules Jürgensen fils

3rd - 11th July

In Munich once again. Here he sees the opera Tannhäuser. Comments on this in the diary on 8th: "the superb music filled me".

11 July

Continues to Switzerland (via Lindau and Richterschwyl to Brunnen).

1860: Jules Jürgensen fils


14th - 28th July

In Brunnen.

28 July

From Brunnen via Luzern and Biel to Le Locle, where he stays until 13th August with the watchmaker Jules Jürgensen (son of the Danish watchmaker Urban Jürgensen). At this time Jules Jürgensen is still living in the same house which his uncle, J. Fr. Houriet and his family, had lived in, and where HCA had been a guest for the first time in 1833.
The oldest son of Jürgensen, Jules, a watchmaker like his father, translates some of HCA's fairy-tales into French and during his stay there, HCA helps with the translation:

"The few French translations of my work which had been made at that time were not considered very good, and my young friend therefore wanted to try doing a better job. And indeed work on a French translation was commenced during my stay at Locle. To my surprise I saw and learned how rich in expressions of feelings and moods the Danish language is, compared to the French; the latter has often only a single word where we have a whole spectre. I would call the French language plastic in nature, it resembles the art of sculpture, where everything is defined, clear and rounded, while our mother-tongue has a richness of colour, a diversity of expression, to depict the various moods. I was pleased with the richness of my mother-tongue; how soft and sonorous it is, when spoken how it ought to be!" (In the continuation of Mit Livs Eventyr (The Fairy Tale of My Life).

13 August

By stagecoach to Yverdon and from there by train from Neufchatel to Lausanne and by wagon from here to Ouchy. Continues on 17th by steamship to Vevay and Montreux (arriving 18th). Lodges a little below Montreux in Vernex. Outings on foot in the surrounding area. Returns to Lausanne on 25th and carries on to Geneva on 26th.

25 August

The death of Johan Ludvig Heiberg.

26th August - 15th September

In Geneva. At this time, HCA vacillates between feeling elated and depressed and is sometimes afflicted with anxiety and thoughts of suicide. Fears becoming insane. The mood does however lighten, so the last week of the stay in Geneva turns out well ("Basically I am perfectly well, the pleasure is disturbed only by myself", the diary, 7th). During the stay here he receives the first texts translated by Jules Jürgensen fils and socialises with Henri Blanvallet, who wishes to translate Kun en Spillemand (Only a Fiddler) and De to Baronesser (The Two Baronesses) into French.

28 August

Meets M.A. Goldschmidt, who is on his way from London to Florence.

1 September

Is introduced to Hungarian literature when he meets K.M. Kertbeny, translator of Petöfi. Has mixed feelings about Kertbeny. His suspicions are later confirmed.

5 September 1860

People wish to pay tribute to HCA, as they have read in Das Märchen meines Lebens ohne Dichtung (The True Story of My Life) that today is the anniversary of his arrival in Copenhagen. He does note in the almanac, however, that the anniversary is in fact the 6th.

16th - 21st September

Is in Basel, where he socialises especially with the painter G.A. Amberger and his family. Is sought out here by Charlotte Kestner junior, daughter of the Lotte Kestner on whom Werther's Lotte is based.

22 September

Amberger travels with HCA to Karlsruhe and is the guest of HCA here. Both continue on 24th to Stuttgart, where they stay with a publisher-bookseller by the name of Hoffmann.

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