Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen was born in Denmark in 1805. His father was a shoemaker and his parents very poor, but this did not prevent father and son from building up a fantasy world rich in strange figures and sceneries at the toy theatre in the shoemaker's small sitting-room. His father also read fairy-tales and comedies aloud.

Already as a child he was regarded as odd. He was different. 11 years old he lost his father and 3 years later he decided to try his luck in Copenhagen possessed by the thought of one day becoming famous.

Incredibly difficult years followed. His attempt to attain his desires within the theatre world failed and his first literary works were not well received.

Even though his authorship covered a wide field it was his fantastic ability as observer and narrator and his inimitable fantasy that should bring him the fame he so much aspired to.

In 1835 his first fairy-tales were published. They were told in a way and contained so deep perspectives that not only children but also grown ups were moved.

The Fir Tree

The poetry and contents went across all frontiers and at his death in 1885 they had given him the fame he had hardly dared to hope for. Today the fairy-tales have been translated into more than 100 languages.

Hans Christian Andersen : The Life of a Storyteller

The Fairy Tale of my Life