If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 495

 

 

 

 

 

Statue of Ludvig Holberg, Bergen, Norway, ca 1951

 

The postcard shared this week is one from Dick Thompson’s scrapbooks.  It has a photograph by Normann with the number 4704 at the lower left corner.  The title is "Bergen – Holbergstatuen."  This card was purchased when Dick visited Norway in 1951.

 

Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754) was born in Bergen, Norway when the country was under a dual monarchy between Denmark and Norway.  He was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian, playwright, and considered to be the founder of modern Danish and Norwegian literature.  Although his works concerning natural and common law were widely read by many Danish law students, he is best known for the comedies he wrote for the Lille Grønnegade Theatre in Copenhagen. 

 

Given that his father died when Holberg was very young, and that he was the youngest of six brothers, it seems remarkable that he was able to become well-educated and well-traveled.  He had to live a modest life in his youth and young adulthood, earning his living as a tutor and acting as a traveling companion for noblemen.  Because he lived conservatively most of his life, he was able to invest a large part of the profits from the sale of his books.  Some of his investments included real estate.  He liked traveling on foot and continued walking most of his life, stating that it kept him healthier by helping him control malaria he had caught while in the south.

 

When he was in his teens, he visited large cities in The Netherlands, and France, spent time in Rome, and a longer period of time in Oxford, England. He taught at the University of Copenhagen for many years, at the same time starting a successful career as an author.   Although he was never formally admitted to Oxford University, he spent time there using the libraries and participating in Latin discussions with English students.  His travels were the main inspiration for his later writings.  He believed in people’s inner divine right of reason and that education was to teach students to use their senses and intellect instead of just memorizing material from books. 

 

Holberg never married and was childless.  By the end of his life, he had a small fortune.  In his will he left a legacy to the Søro Academy.  Because of his generous donation the king agreed that the entire estate would be free from taxation.  Holberg also earned the title of Baron of Holberg. 

 

The statue on the card was created by the Swedish sculptor, John Börjeson (1835-1910) and is located in Bergen, Norway.

 

 

 A slightly different view of the statue, 2014

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludvig_Holberg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Börjeson