Henrik Ibsen(1828-1906)
- Writer
Henrik Ibsen was born on March 20th in Stockmannsgerden in Skien. His
mother was Marichen and his father was Knud, a merchant. On 1835 his
father gave up his business and the family moved to Venstop, a farm in
Gjerpen. In 1843 he confirmed in Gjerpen church and left home in order
to apprentice to Jens Aarup Reinmann, chemist. Three years later his
first son was born by Else Sophie Jesdatter. On 1849 he wrote Catiline
which was published a year later. On September 26, 1850 the first Ibsen
staging in history took place; the one-act The Burial Mound was
performed at Cristiania Theater. Two years later he started directing
productions at Det norske Theater in Bergen. From 1853 to 1877 he wrote
the plays St. John's night, Lady Inger, The feast at Solhoug, Olaf
Liliekrans, The Vikings at Helgeland, Love's comedy, The pretenders,
Brand, Peer Gynt, The League of Youth, Emperor and Galilean and Pillars
of Society and the poems Life on the Upland, Terje Vigen and Balloon
letter to a Swedish lady. Meanwhile he married Suzannah Thoresen in
1858 and his second son Sigurg was born a year later. In 1878 he moved
to Rome where he lived for seven years. There he started writing the
circle of his 11 last plays that made him classic; A Doll's House
(1879), Ghosts (1881), An Enemy of the people (1882), The Wild Duck
(1884), Rosmersholm (1886), The Lady from the Sea (1888), Hedda Gabler
(1890), The Master Builder (1892), Little Ejolf (1894) John Gabriel
Borkman (1896) and his last one When We Dead Awaken (1898). The same
year large-scale celebrations took place in Christiania, Copenhagen and
Stockholm for his 70th birthday. Two years later he had his first
stroke. On May 23rd 1906 he died.
