Jonathan Petersen

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Monument in Nuuk

Andreas Jonathan Kristoffer Petersen (born May 7, 1881 in Paamiut ; † August 22, 1961 in Nuuk ) was a Greenlandic composer , songwriter , poet , writer , linguist , organist , regional councilor and university professor . Petersen composed both of Greenland's national anthems and is considered a national leading figure.

Life

Jonathan Petersen was born in Paamiut in 1881 to Lucia Christence Lydia Sabine Egede (1848–1934) and the catechist Lars Apollus David Anders Petersen (1845–1921), a student of Samuel Kleinschmidt . Hence Jonathan's interest in Greenlandic . His older brother was the Provincial Councilor Pavia Petersen (1876–?).

After attending the teachers' college Grønlands Seminarium (Greenlandic: Ilinniarfissuaq ) in Nuuk from 1897 to 1903, he became a teacher there in 1904. From 1910 to 1911 he received training as an organist in Denmark from Johan Henrik Nebelong and Holger Prehn , which he completed with distinction. He carried out this activity until 1946 in the Nuuk church Annaassisitta Oqaluffia and influenced numerous students. There is a memorial ( → map ) in his honor right in front of the church . Petersen also wrote a Greenlandic songbook while he was a lecturer. He translated little stories and published a textbook on Greenlandic orthography . He also wrote articles for Greenland newspapers on a regular basis, expressing himself emotionally about the language. In 1951 Petersen published the Ordbogeeraq , a Greenlandic dictionary that is slightly different from that of Kleinschmidt. Petersen's lyrical works are often written in a typically Danish style, but contain texts specially written for Greenlanders. He is often seen as a bridging figure between Danish and Greenlandic song poetry.

Petersen's most important work, however, is undisputedly the composition of the Greenlandic national anthems Nunarput utoqqarsuanngoravit (official national anthem) and Nuna asiilasooq (anthem of the Kalaallit ). While the text of the first comes from Henning Jakob Henrik Lund , Jonathan Petersen both composed and texted the second.

Petersen was a member of Grønlands Landsråds , the forerunner of Inatsisartut , in 1926 when he represented Kristoffer Lynge for a meeting.

In 1948 he was awarded the Danish Silver Medal of Merit ( Fortjenstmedaljen ) and in 1952 he was the first Greenlander to be awarded the Ingenio et arti .

Petersen died in Nuuk in 1961 at the age of 80. Nobody published Greenlandic songs before or after him.

family

Petersen married Marie Helene Ketura Lynge (1882–1911), daughter of the typesetter Søren Lynge , on June 12, 1904 in Nuuk . The following children are from the marriage:

  • Pavia Tønnes Jørgen Petersen (born December 23, 1904 in Nuuk)
  • Charlotte Ane Karoline Louise Petersen (born July 18, 1907 in Nuuk)
  • Aron Lars Niels Stephen Petersen (born October 29, 1909 in Nuuk)

His second wife was on November 3, 1912 in Nuuk Boletta Sofie Edel Heilmann (1896–?), Daughter of Jakob Søren Apollo Heilmann and Henriette Karen Petronella Berthelsen. The following children were born from this marriage:

  • Helena Ane Guldborg Petersen (born July 9, 1914 in Nuuk)
  • Marie Cecilie Cantilene Petersen (born January 9, 1916 in Nuuk)
  • Karla Margrete Susanne Petersen (born December 28, 1917 in Nuuk)
  • Thala Haldora Petersen (born January 2, 1920 in Nuuk)
  • Augusta Agnes Petersen (born October 15, 1921 in Nuuk)
  • Karla Bibiane Agnes Petersen (born April 18, 1924 in Nuuk)
  • Else Judithe Safine Petersen (born April 17, 1926 in Nuuk)
  • Debora Marta Rachel Petersen (born April 11, 1928 in Nuuk)
  • Sofie Birgitte Henriette Petersen (born December 15, 1929 in Nuuk)
  • Anders Christian Knud Heilmann Petersen (born September 12, 1931 in Nuuk)

Literary works (selection)

List of works to be found in the National Library of Greenland .

Note: Titles have been adapted to today's Greenlandic orthography.

  • 1914: metric
  • 1921: Kalaallisut allanneq
  • 1944: Ukiut tuusintillit
  • 1951: Ordbogeeraq
  • 1956: Jonathan Petersen
  • 1957: Inuunerup sarfaani

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e biography in Dansk Biografisk Leksikon
  2. ↑ a b c Obituary by Aage Bugge in the Tidsskriftet Grønland
  3. ^ Culture in Greenland ( Memento from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) at gh.gl
  4. ↑ Axel Kjær Sørensen: Denmark-Greenland in the Twentieth Century (= Meddelelser om Grønland . Man and Society. 34). Danish Polar Center, Copenhagen 2006, ISBN 87-90369-89-0 , ( digital copy (PDF; 3.35 MB) ).
  5. ^ List of the winners of the Ingenio et Arti
  6. ↑ Church records Nuuk 1902-1915 (married p. 134)
personal data
SURNAME Petersen, Jonathan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Petersen, Andreas Jonathan Kristoffer (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greenlandic composer, songwriter, poet, writer, linguist, organist, politician, university professor and regional councilor
DATE OF BIRTH May 7, 1881
PLACE OF BIRTH Paamiut
DATE OF DEATH August 22, 1961
Place of death Nuuk