Andreas Munch

Andreas Munch (* October 19, 1811 in Christiania, † June 27, 1884 in Vedbæk (now Søllerød ) in Denmark) was a Norwegian writer.

Family and Youth

His parents were the resident chaplain and later Bishop Johan Storm Munch (1778-1832) and his wife Else Petronelle Hofgaard ( 1790-1879 ). In his first marriage he married on 24 May 1844 in Christiania Charlotte Amalie Juul (27 September 1824-20. April 1850 ), daughter of the merchant Jacob Juul Bentzen and his wife Inger Margrethe Finck Hagen. His second wife he married on October 10, 1865 in Borbjerg (Denmark) Anna Marie Amalie Raben (1 December 1832-24 February. , 1905 ), daughter of Svend Nordberg and Erikke Lund. Growing up she was but in the household of the chamberlain Greger Christian ravens. Andreas Munch was the cousin of the historian Peter Andreas Munch and brother of the pastor Johan Storm Munch ( 1827-1908 ). The cousin of his father was the painter Edvard Munch.

His family was one of the major officials families in the country. At first he lived in Sande ( Vestfold ) in Vestfold, then the family moved to Christiania, until his father Christian bishop in sand was where Munch spent his youth. In 1830 he laid the exam from artium, began some studies not finish, only theology, then law. From 1832 to 1845 he worked as a copyist in the Department of Finance. 1841 to 1846 he was editor of the newspaper The Constitutionelle, the organ of intelligent particles, without being themselves. To the conflicts in the student body between the brightest and the Parti Norskhetsparti Soon his melancholy came into existence.

The poet

His first publication was 1836, the poetry collection ephemeral, and with his historical drama Kong Sverre Ungdom ( The youth king Sverre ), he won a year later in the competition for the opening performance for the inauguration of the new building for the Christiania Theater. But the piece fell into the shadow of the arguments about Henrik Arnold Wergeland Campbellerne.

He was financially independent through his marriage to Charlotte Amalie Juul in 1844. He performed together with his wife and two sons on a study trip to France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany. This trip has left its mark in its major collections of poetry. It was a heavy blow for him as 1850 his wife and one of his sons died. This event led to a religious depression, which was reflected in the poetry collection Sorg og consolation. With this collection of poems, he described himself as " aesthetic Lutherans ".

The years 1850 to the 60's the culmination of his poetic success. In 1858 he received a government travel grant, 1860, he received the first poet Gage of the country. In 1866 he received the title of professor without Lecture duty and was appointed by the Norwegian-Swedish king to the unofficial poet laureate. He was also known outside of Scandinavia through its German and English translations.

1850 Munch also received the status of an amanuensis at the University of Christiania. During this time he dealt with the literary trend of the times, the historical drama. He wrote two Christian tragedies, Salomon de Caus and the Fünfakter Lord William Russell, the national historic act play En Aften på Giske and the tragedy in five acts Hertug Skule. This tragedy appeared, unfortunately, in 1864, when Henrik Ibsen experienced his breakthrough with a drama on the same subject Kongsemnerne. The comparison was made ​​to the detriment of Munch, and from that time was Munch as a playwright in the shadow of Ibsen and Bjørnson Bjørnstjerne.

Time in Denmark

On his journey Scholarships 1858-1859 a further blow hit him. In Nice, his second son died. He spent the following years in restless travels. On one of these trips he met the Danish Amalie Raben and married her in 1856. Apart from a few visits to Norway, he spent the rest of his life in the upper-class circles in Denmark, in the winter in Copenhagen, in the summer at the Villa of the couple in Nysted on Lolland. A vivid impression of this life comes in a collection of letters expressed, published by the daughter of the couple, Anna Munch 1954.

Munch continued his poetic production. He fought in vain against the realism in literature and in the policy towards the democracy movement of the left.

Importance

Munch's seal is in the transition phase between romanticism and realism. In the 1850s he was hailed as Norway's most important poets. But a few years later he found himself in the shadow of Ibsen and Bjørnson.

From Munch's works a few poems have survived in the Norwegian song tradition to this day. This applies to the poems about the painting by Hans Gude and Adolph Tidemand and Brudeferden i Hardanger ( Bridal Voyage in Hardanger ) with a melody of Halfdan Kjerulf. His student song he Helligt Studentens Kald ( Holy is the student life ) survived long, especially in the Enrolment celebrations at the University of Oslo.

Honors

Munch was from 1858 a member of the Kongelige Norske Videnskabers Selskab and from 1862, the Scientific Society in Christiania (now the Norwegian Academy of Science ) and Kungliga Vetenskaps -och Vitterhetssamhället i Göteborg. It was in 1855 Knight of the Order of St. Olav and in 1880 its commander, First Class. He was commander of the Dannebrog and Knight of the Swedish Order of the North Star.

Works

Spectacles

• Kong Sverre Ungdom, ( The youth king Sverre ) Christiania 1837
• Donna Clara. Christiania 1840
• Salomon de Caus. Christiania 1854
• En Aften paa Giske, ( An Evening at Giske ) Christiania 1855
• Lord William Russell. Christiania 1857
• Hertug Skule. ( Duke Skuli ) Copenhagen 1864
• Moder Søn. ( Mother and son) Copenhagen 1871
• Fjeldsøen, ( The lake ) Copenhagen 1875

Poems and prose ( a selection)

• Ephemeral. ( Volatile ) Christiania 1836
• Sanger indene. Et Buried. ( The singer, a poem ) Christiania 1837
• The Eensomme. En Sjælehistorie. ( The lonely man, a soul history ) Christiania 1846
• Defendants by gamle og nye. ( Poems, old and new ) Christiania 1848
• Billed fra Nord og Syd. (Pictures of north and south) Christiania 1849
• En Brudeferd i Hardanger. ( Brautfahrt in Hardanger ) Christiania 1849
• Nye defendant. ( New poems) Christiania 1850
• Sorg og consolation. Nogle defendant ( care and comfort. Several poems ) Christiania 1852
• Defendant og Fortællinger with older and nyere. ( Poems and stories, old and new ) Christiania 1855
• Kongedatterens Brudefart, et Buried i tolv Romanzer. ( The bridal procession of the king's daughter, a poem in 12 Romances ) Christiania 1861. It is about the Brautfahrt Kristin Håkonsdatters to Spain.
• Nyeste defendant. ( Latest poems) Christiania 1861
• Pigen fra Norge, historisk - romantisk fortælling. ( A girl from Norway. A historical- romantic story ) Christiania 1861
• Jesus Billede. Digtkrands efter en romersk legend. (The picture of Jesus. A poem ring after a Roman legend ) Christiania 1865
• Travel Minder. ( Travel memories ) Christiania 1865
• Eftersommer. Ny Buried Amling. ( Nachsommer. A new collection of poems ) Copenhagen 1867
• Udvalgte defendant. ( Selected Poems ) Copenhagen 1873
• Barndoms -og Ungdomsminder. (Childhood and youth memories ) Christiania 1874
• Pave og reformer. Historisk Digtning. ( Pope and reformer. A historic seal) Copenhagen 1880

Other Works (selection)

• Norwegian peasant life. One cycle in 10 images. From Adolph Tidemand. With allegorical title in color printing, designed BC Scheurenstraße. After the original cartoons to the for the Royal Villa "Oscar Hall " in Christiania, executed paintings, lithograhiert v. JB special country. With German text by Wolfgang Müller and Norwegian text by A. Munch. - Dusseldorf: Schulte, 1852, 2nd ed Digitized edition of the University and State Library Dusseldorf

Comments

The article is based on the article on Munch in Norsk biografisk leksikon.