Johan Fjeldsted Dahl

Johan Fjeldsted Dahl, Johan Anthon Abraham Fjeldsted Dahl ( born January 1, 1807 in Copenhagen, † March 16, 1877 in Østre Aker (now Oslo) ) was a Norwegian bookseller and publisher.

Family

His parents were a shoemaker, John Dahl and his wife Anne Kirstine Willumsen. He was with the German singer and singing teacher Emma Charlotte Amalie Freyse (6 April 1819-13. December 1896 ), daughter of pastry chef David Martin Gerhard Freyse and his wife Magdalena Catharine Röden married.

The beginnings

Dahl grew up in Copenhagen at the Chamberlain J. de Hoppe, who gave him access to the leading cultural circles of Copenhagen. He became acquainted with the most important Danish authors, among others, Adam Oehlenschläger. He was hired in 1822 with the book trade Sansoni. The director of the book trade Jacob Deichmann gave him 1829 Jørgen W. Cappelen, who wanted to open a book trade in Christiania. In November 1829 Dahl traveled to Norway. His literary interests, his affable nature and his experience in the book trade established a good relationship with the customer, and the business prospered. The collaboration lasted almost three years.

The independence

In the fall of 1832, Dahl became self-employed. Some of the customers Cappelens followed him. His business grew. First he took books on consignment, then he started with his own expenses. It focused on scientific literature and textbooks. In addition, he ran a lending library and a bookshop.

In the same year the Norwegian Students' Union split in a dispute between Wergeland and Welhaven. His book trade became the meeting place of intellectuals Christiania. He felt the conservative circles connected, stood near the " Intelligenspartiet " and was good friends with Welhaven. Wergeland, an opponent Welhavens, often publicly attacked him, and accused him of " Danomanie " And " Københavneri ", ie a submissive attitude to the Danish culture. Wergelands farce Papagøyen was a direct attack on the satirical prodänische attitude in general and Dahl in particular. Dahl was not only Welhavens but until the release of Papgøyen also Wergelands books out, but also by other authors. So with him Camilla Collett Amtmandens Døttre appeared ( The Daughters of the bailiff ), and he also took care of the next generation of writers such as Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson and Henrik Ibsen. But his focus remained on the field of scientific literature.

A large part of the 30s and 40s of the 19th century he was the most important bookseller in Norway. In 1836 he bought a plot of land in Christiania and set up a custom printing. He now gave up the newspapers Vidar and the Constitutionelle. He was one of the founders of the Reading Society " Athenaeum " and " Christiania Kunstforening ". 1836 called for the police having regard to new laws that you would be presented to the previous censorship a copy of Peter Andreas Munch's ephemeral. He refused. The Supreme Court agreed with him and the censorship was abolished. Dahl was extremely generously. But that also led to the decline of his business, which he sold in 1875. Since it had played its role.

Importance

Johan Fjeldsted Dahl's book trade in Christiania had great importance for the Norwegian literature. In the first half of the 19th century, the book trade was the meeting place for the literary and artistic elite of Christiania, in particular for Welhaven and his circle. He was also a pioneer in the Norwegian publishing.