Gunnar Heiberg

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Gunnar Heiberg
Heiberg, c. 1928
Heiberg, c. 1928
Born(1857-11-18)18 November 1857
Christiania, Norway
Died22 February 1929(1929-02-22) (aged 71)
Oslo, Norway
Resting placeVestre gravlund
Period1884–1929
Spouse
Didrikke Heiberg
​
​
(m. 1885; div. 1896)​
Birgit Friis Stoltz Blehr
​
​
(m. 1911)​

Gunnar Edvard Rode Heiberg (18 November 1857 – 22 February 1929) was a Norwegian poet, playwright, journalist and theatre critic.

Personal life

He was born in Christiania a son of judge Edvard Omsen Heiberg (1829–1884) and his wife Minna (Vilhelmine) Rode (8 June 1836 – 1917).[1] He was a brother of Jacob, Anton and Inge Heiberg, as well as an uncle of Hans Heiberg, first cousin of Eivind Heiberg, Gustav Adolf Lammers Heiberg[2] Helge Rode and Kristofer Hansteen,[1] a first cousin once removed of Bernt, Axel and Edvard Heiberg[2] and a second cousin of Jean Heiberg.[1]

He was married to actress Didrikke Tollefsen (1863–1915), whom he met in Bergen, between 1 April 1885 and 1896. On 15 April 1911 he married Birgit Friis Stoltz Blehr (1880–1933). Through his second wife's sister he was a brother-in-law of Sigurd Bødtker.[1]

Career

Heiberg finished his secondary education in 1874, and enrolled in law studies. Having befriended Gerhard Gran, he came under the influence of Charles Darwin, Georg Brandes and Johan Sverdrup. He became a cultural radical, and made his debut as a poet in 1878. In the autumn that year he spent time in Rome, together with Henrik Ibsen and Jens Peter Jacobsen. His first play Tante Ulrikke was written from 1877, finally printed in 1884, but not staged until 1901. His first play to reach the stage was Kong Midas, premiéring in Copenhagen's Royal Danish Theatre in 1890.[1]

From 1880 to 1882 he worked as a journalist in

theatre critic. From 1884 to 1888, he was the artistic director of the theatre Den Nationale Scene in Bergen. He resigned when the theatre director and board refused to stage Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson's play Kongen.[1]
His best-known plays are Balkonen (The Balcony, 1894) and Kjærlighedens Tragedie (The Tragedy of Love, 1904).

Anti-Swedish sentiments

Heiberg was hostile to

Oscar II, King in the personal union between Sweden and Norway. In 1896 he wrote the book Hs. Majestæt, originally published as a series of articles in Verdens Gang. The book was highly critical towards Oscar II, stemming from a news story that the King, when processioning in Støren, had personally knocked the hat off a farmer's head. When the book was printed, the publishing company Olaf Norlis Forlag did not dare to put its name on the cover page. Not long after, the publishing house was threatened with legal steps. Nearly all of the 1,100 copies were annihilated in self-censorship.[3]

In 1905 Heiberg stood forward as an agitator for the

Norwegian monarchy plebiscite, 1905.[7] Collected speeches about all these topics were published in 1923 under the title 1905. In 1912 Heiberg attacked Christian Michelsen,[1] a republican who worked to dissolve the union but advocated monarchy,[8] in the play Jeg vil værge mit land.[1]
(I will/want to defend my country)

From 1923 he received a writer's grant from the state. He died in November 1929 in Oslo, and is buried at Vestre gravlund.[1]

References and notes

References
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Nettum, Rolf Nyboe. "Gunnar Heiberg". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  2. ^
    Store norske leksikon
     (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 15 May 2009.
  3. ^ Myre, Odd (5 December 1986). "Gunnar Heibergs "Hs. Majestæt"". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 5.
  4. ISBN 82-516-2077-5
    .
  5. ^ Norland 2004: 238
  6. ^ Norland 2004: 230–231
  7. Store norske leksikon
    (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  8. ^ Thowsen, Atle. "Chr. Michelsen". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
Notes
  1. ^ Norwegian: En hederlig krig er adskillig mindre lummer og pestbringende enn en uhederlig fred. Norland 2004: 230

External links

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