Troels Frederik Lund
Encyclopedia
Troels Frederik Troels-Lund (September 5, 1840 - February 12, 1921) was a Danish
historian born in Copenhagen
. He was the youngest son of Henrik Ferdinand Lund, Søren Kierkegaard
’s brother in law. Henrik Ferdinand was the brother of the naturalist Peter Wilhelm Lund
.
. He entered the University of Copenhagen
in 1858. His first important work, Historiske Skitser, did not appear until 1876, but after that time his activity was stupendous. In 1879 the first volume of his Danmarks og Norges Historie i Slutningen of det Xvi. Aarhundrede, a history of daily life in Denmark and Norway
at the close of the 16th century, was published. His work said little about kings, armies and governments, but instead concentrated attention on the lives of the ordinary men and women of the age with which he deals. He used these common people to illustrate a vast body of documents previously neglected by the official historians.
Information Quarterly had this short article about him, "Treols Frederick, Troels-Lund, the well-known apostle of “Kulturgeschichte,” and one of the three Scandinavians to receive the Nobel prize
. The editor has been unable to find the award on Nobel's site, but it seems to be on Google Books for literature was born in Copenhagen in 1830. After studying theology for awhile he abandoned it for the study of history. His first work, which appeared in 1871, an erudite biography of Socrates
, gave him a great reputation among continental scholars. From 1870-1875 he was assistant he Danish “Geheimarchiv.” And after that in instructor in history in the military school at Copenhagen. In 1888 he was made full professor of history, and from that day to the present has been producing many profound volumes mostly devoted to the subject of Scandinavian history during the sixteenth century." Kierkegaard also wrote much about Socrates. It seems the available sources have a conflict as to date of birth.
Lund nominated Georg Brandes
for the Nobel Prize several times. In 1913 a bust of Soren Kierkegaard was proposed. When the sculptor, Rikard Magnussen, proposed the idea to Lund, then in his eighties, he didn't support the proposal, he is quoted as saying, "But didn't you know what he was like? Soren Kierkegaard was a hunchback." In the early 1900s biographers were interested in finding out what Kierkegaard was like on the outside.
was a "real Christian or not", he was 16 years old at the time. He visited Kierkegaard in the hospital and was a witness to his burial.
According to Lund Kierkegaard spent half of his fortune on publishing his own works, he refused to accept interest on his money “on Old Testament grounds”, and he also gave much of his money to the poor. Kierkegaard says the same: "I almost never made a visit, and at home the rule was strictly observed to receive no one except the poor who came to seek help."
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
historian born in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. He was the youngest son of Henrik Ferdinand Lund, Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish Christian philosopher, theologian and religious author. He was a critic of idealist intellectuals and philosophers of his time, such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling and Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel...
’s brother in law. Henrik Ferdinand was the brother of the naturalist Peter Wilhelm Lund
Peter Wilhelm Lund
Peter Wilhelm Lund was a Danish paleontologist, zoologist, archeologist and who spent most of his life working and living in Brazil...
.
Troels Lund as a historian
Troels-Lund was appointed historiographer-royal to the king of Denmark and Comptroller of the Order of the DannebrogOrder of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
. He entered the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
in 1858. His first important work, Historiske Skitser, did not appear until 1876, but after that time his activity was stupendous. In 1879 the first volume of his Danmarks og Norges Historie i Slutningen of det Xvi. Aarhundrede, a history of daily life in Denmark and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
at the close of the 16th century, was published. His work said little about kings, armies and governments, but instead concentrated attention on the lives of the ordinary men and women of the age with which he deals. He used these common people to illustrate a vast body of documents previously neglected by the official historians.
Information Quarterly had this short article about him, "Treols Frederick, Troels-Lund, the well-known apostle of “Kulturgeschichte,” and one of the three Scandinavians to receive the Nobel prize
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
. The editor has been unable to find the award on Nobel's site, but it seems to be on Google Books for literature was born in Copenhagen in 1830. After studying theology for awhile he abandoned it for the study of history. His first work, which appeared in 1871, an erudite biography of Socrates
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary ...
, gave him a great reputation among continental scholars. From 1870-1875 he was assistant he Danish “Geheimarchiv.” And after that in instructor in history in the military school at Copenhagen. In 1888 he was made full professor of history, and from that day to the present has been producing many profound volumes mostly devoted to the subject of Scandinavian history during the sixteenth century." Kierkegaard also wrote much about Socrates. It seems the available sources have a conflict as to date of birth.
Lund nominated Georg Brandes
Georg Brandes
Georg Morris Cohen Brandes was a Danish critic and scholar who had great influence on Scandinavian and European literature from the 1870s through the turn of the 20th century. He is seen as the theorist behind the "Modern Breakthrough" of Scandinavian culture...
for the Nobel Prize several times. In 1913 a bust of Soren Kierkegaard was proposed. When the sculptor, Rikard Magnussen, proposed the idea to Lund, then in his eighties, he didn't support the proposal, he is quoted as saying, "But didn't you know what he was like? Soren Kierkegaard was a hunchback." In the early 1900s biographers were interested in finding out what Kierkegaard was like on the outside.
Troels Lund and Kierkegaard
He related different stories about Kierkegaard to him. One instance was of Kierkegaard's playfulness, “He [Kierkegaard] was an unseen witness to a conversation between two poorhouse inmates. The first said: “It’s the devil that one never is happy." The other: “Nonsense! What’s happiness?” The first: “It would be if an angel dropped down from heaven and gave me a ‘blue one.’” This Kierkegaard could not resist. Ho took a five-dollar note (a “blue one”) from his purse, stepped up, presented it with a deep bow, and disappeared without saying a word.” In 1854 he sat in on discussions between his mother, Anna Kathrine, and Kierkegaard about whether or not MynsterJacob Peter Mynster
Jacob Peter Mynster was a Danish theologian and Bishop of Zealand, Denmark from 1834 until his death....
was a "real Christian or not", he was 16 years old at the time. He visited Kierkegaard in the hospital and was a witness to his burial.
According to Lund Kierkegaard spent half of his fortune on publishing his own works, he refused to accept interest on his money “on Old Testament grounds”, and he also gave much of his money to the poor. Kierkegaard says the same: "I almost never made a visit, and at home the rule was strictly observed to receive no one except the poor who came to seek help."
Works
- "Paa Vandring", 1867 (under pseudonym Poul Vedel)
- "Historiske Skitser - Efter utrykte Kilder", 1876
- "Mogens Heinesøn - Et tidsbillede fra det 16 Aarhundrede", 1877
- "Dagligt Liv i Norden i det sekstende Aarhundrede I-XIV", 1879-1901 (First edition under title "Danmark og Norges Historie i Slutningen af det 16de Aarhundrede")
- "Om Danmarks Forsvar", 1880
- "Preussens fald og Genoprejsning", 1883
- "Om Danmarks Neutralitet", 1886
- "Christian den Fjerdes Skib paa Skanderborg Sø I-II", 1893
- "Livsbelysning", 1899
- "Sundhedsbegreber i Norden i det 16de Aarhundrede", 1900
- "Peder Oxe", 1906
- "De tre Nordiske Brødrefolk", 1906
- "Nye Tanker i det 16de Aarhundrede", 1909
- "Historiske Fortællinger - Tider og Tanker I-IV", 1910–1912
- "Bakkehus og Solbjerg - Træk af et nyt Livssyns Udvikling i Norden I-III", 1920–1922
- "Et Liv - Barndom og Ungdom", 1924
External links
- Works of Troels-Lund from Archive.org, all in Danish.
Sources
- Kierkegaard The Cripple, by Theodor Haecker, translated by C. Vasn O. Bruyn, With and Introduction by A. Dru, Published 1950 by the Philosophical Library Inc.
- Soren Kierkegaard, A Biography, by Johannes Hohlenberg, , Translated by T.H. Croxall, Pantheon Books 1954
- Kierkegaard, by Josiah Thompson, Alfred A. Knopf, 1973