Henrik Anker Bjerregaard

Henrik Anker Bjerregaard

Henrik Anker Bjerregaard , (born January 1, 1792 in Ringsaker , † April 7, 1842 in Christiania ) was a Norwegian poet and lawyer.

Life

The actress Henriette Hansen, Bjerregaard's wife

His parents were the regimental quartermaster and later district judge ( Sorenskriver ) Mads Bjerregaard (1761-1831) and his wife Alethe Ørtlein (1756-1846). His father was born in Denmark. In 1831 he married the actress Henriette Hansen (May 14, 1814-20 November 1892), daughter of the retailer Christopher Hansen and his wife Gunhild Jensdatter.

Bjerregaard first came to Vågå in 1800, where his father had become Sorenskriver in North Gudbrandsdal . Three years later he went to Christiania Cathedral School. There he was soon the best student. He passed the examen artium in Copenhagen and was supposed to study law. Instead, he dealt with aesthetics and wrote poetry. In 1811 his father took him back and employed him in his office. This is how he should prepare himself for his exam in practice. In 1812 he was back in Copenhagen, became politically active, joined patriotic circles and joined the “Nordmans forening”. In June 1814 he sailed towards Norway in an open boat, but was seized by a Swedish frigate and spent two months in prison in Gothenburg . After a further stay in prison in Halden , he took up his law studies in Christiania and in 1815 passed his state examination “cum laude”. It was the first state examination to be taken at the university. He became Advokatfullmektig (legal representative) In 1819 he was admitted to the Supreme Court as a lawyer. However, he gave up his office and became active in various fields, but without particular success. He was strongly anti-Swedish and worked to establish the celebration of May 17th in Christiania. The 20s were filled with poetic production. He led an unsteady life, was involved in theater life and had been a member of "Det dramatiske Selskab" since 1814. From 1828 he was in the management of "Christiania open theater" and was later also at the "Christiania open theater". In 1827 he was a co-founder of Christianias Aftenblad , which was mainly devoted to theater reviews. That year he was also the Supreme Court Secretary of Protocol. In 1830 he became a Stiftsoverettassessor in Christiania and in 1838, against the resistance of the king, he became a judge at the Supreme Court (Høyesterettsassessor), but less because of his legal management and more as recognition for his poetry.

Bjerregaard and his generation saw poetry as a contribution to nation building in Norway . It was about giving the new nation its own literature and cultural identity. In 1820 he won the prize of 100 speciestaler for the creation of a national anthem, which the "Selskabet for Norges Vel" (Society for Norway's Welfare) and the businessman Marcus Pløen had announced. Bjerregaard's Sønner af Norge to a melody by Christian Blom was the most sung fatherland song until the 1960s. Then it was replaced by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson's song Ja, vi elsker dette lands! He enjoyed a high reputation as a poet among his contemporaries. He published nature depicting and patriotic poems and various occasional poems in the newspapers. His plays were also well known. He was inspired by Ludvig Holberg . In 1825 his play Fjeldeventyret was premiered. It was the first play after 1814 and was the first to deal with the simple life of the people. It therefore became a "national spectacle". In addition, it was important that he allowed some characters to appear in a Norwegian that is close to the dialect of Gudbrandsdalen, thus promoting the separation from the Danish language.

Bjerregaard's grave in Oslo

In 1829 he wrote the historical drama Magnus Barfods Sønner ( Magus Barefoot 'Sons). The plot was set in the Viking Age, but an obvious commentary on the contemporary conditions. The subject is the problems that arise when the royal power ignores the legal freedoms of the people. It was directed against Karl Johan and even more against loyalty to the king and was a direct reaction to the military action at the celebration of May 17, 1829 (" Torvslaget " = battle on the market square). His harshest critic was Nicolai Wergeland . He accused him of a lack of originality and a superficial treatment of the national in his poetry. His son Henrik Wergeland held him in high regard , however, and he composed a memorial song for his funeral.

The 30s were marked by mishap. His marriage to the very young actress was viewed by many as a mesalliance . The only daughter died soon after giving birth. Bjerregaard was excluded from the social life of the capital. In 1839 he was threatened with indictment before the Reichsgericht for neglecting his official business. Ludvig Kristensen Daa proposed him as a member of the Storting, but this candidacy was thwarted by all means. He died of a brain disease in 1842.

literature

• Bernt Morten Moi: Henrik Anker Bjerregaard . In: Norsk biografisk leksikon

The article is essentially based on Norsk biografisk leksikon .

References and comments

1. ↑ Entrance exam for admission to studies
2. ↑ Lawyer in a law firm who can appear on behalf of the lawyer in court.
3. ↑ The record secretary is the clerk.
4. ^ Judge at the upper collegiate court in the monastery.
5. ↑ Bjerregaard, Henrik Anker . In: Christian Blangstrup (Ed.): Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon . 2nd Edition. tape 3 : Benzene Derivatives Brides . JH Schultz Forlag, Copenhagen 1915, p. 328 (Danish, runeberg.org ).
6. ↑ Bjerregaard, Henrik Anker . In: Bernhard Meijer (Ed.): Nordisk familjebok konversationslexikon och realencyklopedi . 2nd Edition. tape 3 : Bergsvalan – Branstad . Nordisk familjeboks förlag, Stockholm 1905, Sp. 542 (Swedish, runeberg.org ).
7. ↑ The Reichsgericht (Riksrett) was a special court that tried charges against members of parliament, members of the government and judges at the Supreme Court.