Biographical Introduction, Interpretation and Summary of Contents

Franziska Runge

doi:10.7557/16.5280

Abstract

The eighth volume in the series derives from an MA course in Scandinavian literature entitled ‘Dem Polarlicht auf der Spur. Wissenschaftshistorische und kulturwissenschaftliche Erkundigungen’, given by Marie-Theres Federhofer at Humboldt University Berlin in 2019. Course participants wrote content summaries of selected texts as part of their exam, some of which were selected for the Aurorae Borealis Studia Classica series. The first student text edited and adapted for publication in the series is by Franziska Runge. She has written about one of the most cherished fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Sneedronningen (The Snow Queen), first published in 1844 and then reissued with illustrations by Thomas Vilhelm Pedersen in 1849. As demonstrated in Runge’s introduction, Andersen was well aware of the theories of electromagnetism promoted by the physicist Ørsted at precisely this time. Although a Romantic author, Andersen not only endows the aurora with a symbolic role in the narrative, he also alludes to contemporary scientific debates regarding the properties and origin of the phenomenon.

Highlights

Item digitized for this volume: Copy of Eventyr by H
One of the best-known Danish authors from the period known as Romanticism, Hans Christian Andersen was born on 2 April 1805 in Odense, Denmark
About 5000 people lived in Odense at that time, it was the second largest town in Denmark

Summary

Vol VIII

Written by Hans Christian Andersen illustrated by Thomas Vilhelm Pedersen digitized by UiT, with a biographical introduction and summary of contents by Franziska Runge. The first student text edited and adapted for publication in the series is by Franziska Runge She has written about one of the most cherished fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Sneedronningen (The Snow Queen), first published in 1844 and reissued with illustrations by Thomas Vilhelm Pedersen in 1849. Technical support from the digitisation team at the University Library UiT – Hana Kekić and Haarek Helberg in particular – is gratefully acknowledged. Item digitized for this volume: Copy of Eventyr by H.

Biographical Introduction by Franziska Runge

Interpretation and Summary of Contents by Franziska Runge

Motifs in Sneedronningen

The Aurora Borealis in Sneedronningen