Knud Ibsen
Encyclopedia
Knud Ibsen was the father of playwright Henrik Ibsen
, and is widely considered the model for many central characters in his son's plays, including most famously Jon Gynt in Peer Gynt
and Old Ekdahl in The Wild Duck
, but also Daniel Hejre in The League of Youth
.
Once a rich merchant in Skien
with a lavish lifestyle, Knud Ibsen went bankrupt, an experience which made him an embittered and moody man, and which profoundly influenced his son's work. Knud Ibsen had, like the character Old Ekdahl, also been a lieutenant and a huntsman in his youth.
Knud Ibsen was the son of ship's captain Henrich Ibsen and Johanne Plesner; his paternal great-grandfather had immigrated from Denmark to Norway in 1726; the family's earliest known ancestor was Rasmus Ibsen (1632–1703) from Stege, Denmark
(cf. Rasmus Gynt in Peer Gynt). His father died at sea in 1797, and the following year, Johanne married Ole Paus, a ship-owner, and he grew up on the Paus family estate Rising. He was the elder half-brother of lawyer and member of parliament Christian Cornelius Paus
and ship-owner and banker Christopher Blom Paus. He married Marichen Cornelia Martine Altenburg, daughter of wealthy merchant Johan Andreas Altenburg and Hedvig Paus (the sister of his step-father); they had known each other since childhood.
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
, and is widely considered the model for many central characters in his son's plays, including most famously Jon Gynt in Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, loosely based on the fairy tale Per Gynt. It is the most widely performed Norwegian play. According to Klaus Van Den Berg, the "cinematic script blends poetry with social satire and realistic scenes with surreal ones"...
and Old Ekdahl in The Wild Duck
The Wild Duck
The Wild Duck is an 1884 play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.-Plot:The first act opens with a dinner party hosted by Håkon Werle, a wealthy merchant and industrialist. The gathering is attended by his son, Gregers Werle, who has just returned to his father's home following a self-imposed...
, but also Daniel Hejre in The League of Youth
The League of Youth
The League of Youth is a play by Henrik Ibsen finished in early May 1869. It was Ibsen's first play in colloquial prose and marks a turning point in his style towards realism and away from verse. It was widely considered Ibsen's most popular play in nineteenth-century Norway...
.
Once a rich merchant in Skien
Skien
' is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county....
with a lavish lifestyle, Knud Ibsen went bankrupt, an experience which made him an embittered and moody man, and which profoundly influenced his son's work. Knud Ibsen had, like the character Old Ekdahl, also been a lieutenant and a huntsman in his youth.
Knud Ibsen was the son of ship's captain Henrich Ibsen and Johanne Plesner; his paternal great-grandfather had immigrated from Denmark to Norway in 1726; the family's earliest known ancestor was Rasmus Ibsen (1632–1703) from Stege, Denmark
Stege, Denmark
Stege is the largest town on the island of Møn in south-eastern Denmark. As of 2011, its population is 3,823. Stege is now part of Vordingborg Municipality and belongs to Region Zealand...
(cf. Rasmus Gynt in Peer Gynt). His father died at sea in 1797, and the following year, Johanne married Ole Paus, a ship-owner, and he grew up on the Paus family estate Rising. He was the elder half-brother of lawyer and member of parliament Christian Cornelius Paus
Christian Cornelius Paus
Christian Cornelius Paus was a Norwegian lawyer, civil servant and politician. He was a Member of Parliament from 1848 until 1861. He was the judge and magistrate of the city of Skien...
and ship-owner and banker Christopher Blom Paus. He married Marichen Cornelia Martine Altenburg, daughter of wealthy merchant Johan Andreas Altenburg and Hedvig Paus (the sister of his step-father); they had known each other since childhood.