Claus Pavels Riis

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Claus Pavels Riis (born February 19, 1826 in Bergen , † October 8, 1886 in Mandal ) was a Norwegian poet.

Youth and student days

His parents were the collegiate judiciary Boye Christopher Riis (1790-1851) and his wife Marianne Sophie Pavels (1804-1831). On March 17, 1856 he married Maria (“Maja”) Elisabeth Weinwich Hertzberg (April 1, 1824– November 4, 1881), daughter of the provost Niels Hertzberg (1759–1841) and his wife Anna Christine Egede Thomsen (1789–1860) .

Riis established his fame in his student years, not because he would have been an avid student, but because he put himself wholeheartedly into student life because of his good financial circumstances. He was the editor of the handwritten student paper Samfundsbladet (society paper ). He wrote student songs and student comedies and took an active part in the literary discussion of his time.

Riis grew up in Bergen and went to cathedral school there. In 1844 he passed the examen artium. Then he went to Christiania to study. But he broke off his studies after graduating. In 1845 he took part in the first student meeting in Copenhagen. There he met the Danish poet Jens Christian Hostrup . With him he learned the importance of student songs and student comedies for the community spirit among the students. The connection between the two was long.

The poet

In 1847 he became editor of Samfundsbladet . With that began his literary rise. Under the pseudonym Crispinus, he wrote student songs, wrote reviews of student comedies and presented Scandinavian student literature. In this newspaper he also published the comedy "Angrebet paa Parnas". It was a witty polemic against the old literary judges, especially Welhaven and Andreas Munch , and the play was a great success among students. Together with some polemical poems, he published the piece as a book under the name Litterær Polemik . The only one who had mercy from his critical attacks was Wergeland . His poetry is very time-bound. The most popular was his celebratory song “Op, mine Gutter!” (Up, my lads!). In 1849 he founded the "Literary Association" together with other members of the student debating club Det lærde Holland .

His greatest success was the comedy Til Sæters with the subtitle "Dramatisk Idyl med Sange". It premiered on January 20, 1850 in the Christiania Theater. The plot is thin, the characters are stereotyped, and Riis has been criticized for it. But the piece also had lively dialogues, punching skills and catchy vocal parts. The play showed enthusiasm for Norwegian nature and peasant culture and thus met the taste of the intellectual audience, which was influenced by national romanticism. With 200 performances within 10 years, it was one of the most played pieces of the 19th century in Norway. It also came to Copenhagen and Stockholm and was even staged in the National Theater in 1981. His next piece Julegjæsten (Christmas guests) was panned and canceled after two performances.

The farmer

When neither his poetry nor his studies were successful, Riis went to the agricultural school Jønsberg in Stange as a private student in 1852 . In 1855 he bought the Nymark farm in Tysnes , where he grew fruit. From 1860 to 1864 he was the official gardener at Søndre Bergenhus Amt . His job was to travel around the county and educate people about agricultural practices. He also wrote a book about agriculture and also edited the autobiography and diaries of his grandfather, Bishop Claus Pavels . Now and then he also wrote plays. His play "En Juleaften" (A Christmas Eve) was premiered in 1862 in the Christiania Theater and was well received. His last piece Han har det strengt (He has it tough) was performed in Christiania, Trondheim and Copenhagen. It contains the most enduring contribution of his poetry, the song "Anne Knutsdotter", which is still sung today in many variations.

After the death of his wife, Riis moved back to Christiania in 1881. In 1886 he went on a lecture tour with his grandfather's diaries. On the way home from Bergen he fell ill and died.

Works (selection)

  • Litterær polemics af Crispinus . 1848
  • Viser and verse from Crispinus . 1849
  • Til Sæters. Dramatisk Idyl med Sange . 1850
  • Samfundsarbeider af Crispinus . 1851
  • Julegjæsten or Lykken større end forest. Lystspil i 3 acts . 1852
  • Smaaskrifter for Almuen i Bergens Stift . I. Veiledning i Havedyrkning . Bergen 1861
  • Claus Pavels's biography and Dagbøger . (Editor) Bergen 1864
  • Biskop Claus Pavels's autobiography . 1865
  • Han is tough. Vaudeville . 1865
  • Claus Pavels's Dagbogs-Optegnelser 1815-1816 . 1867

Remarks

  1. ↑ "Stift" is the name for a diocese. The jurisdiction boundaries of the higher courts were identical to the diocese boundaries, which is why the higher courts were called "Stiftsobergerichte". Justiziarius was the name for a judge.
  2. ↑ The "Examen artium" was the regular entrance examination for university, which required knowledge of Latin and Greek. So it corresponded to the Abitur, but was accepted by the university.
  3. ↑ The "Annenexamen" was an Examen philosophicum, an intermediate examination, the passing of which was a prerequisite for further studies for a state examination.

literature

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personal data
SURNAME Riis, Claus Pavels
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Norwegian poet
DATE OF BIRTH February 19, 1826
PLACE OF BIRTH Bergen , Sweden-Norway
DATE OF DEATH October 8, 1886
Place of death Mandal , Sweden-Norway