A Visit to the Friends of Ibsen

A Visit to the Friends of Ibsen by Edmund Gosse

The work is a first-person account of a summer 1872 visit to Norway, where the narrator, on special leave from the British Museum, retraces encounters with a circle of literary and political figures linked to the early career of a celebrated Norwegian dramatist. The narrative recalls meetings with old friends who had supported the dramatist during his years of exile and controversy in a Norway undergoing political and cultural transformation. These friends, though labeled Conservatives by the radical press, were in many respects constitutional reformers influenced by English liberal thought. They comprised jurists, historians, archaeologists, educators, and intellectuals who had played significant roles in Norway’s cultural and political life. The journey begins in Christiania (now Oslo) amid the celebratory fervor of a millennium festival and unfolds through a series of vivid encounters. The narrator is introduced to Jakob Lokke, head-master of the Christiania Cathedral School, whose home serves as the setting for an intimate gathering of this influential circle. Through Lokke and other intermediaries, the narrator meets several key figures: Emil Stang, a young advocate and son of a prominent prime minister; Ludwig Daae, a scholarly writer and historian noted for his work on the city’s past; Michael Birkeland, the articulate Master of the Rolls with a deep dedication to the study of Norway’s political history; and Oluf Rygh, an archaeologist with quiet determination and an equally significant role in historical research. A notable episode involves an encounter with the poet and dramatist who, despite his physical vigor and forceful manner, reveals his frustrations over literary piracy and the mixed reception of his artistic work both in his native land and abroad. The narrator’s visit to the dramatist’s modest residence, arranged through connections including a note from Hans Christian Andersen, offers a glimpse into the passionate debates on literature, national identity, and political reform that animated the intellectual circles of the time. The narrative seamlessly moves from urban settings in Christiania to excursions in the rural districts of Gudbrandsdalen and Drammen, where the author meets additional literary figures such as the folklorist and former public servant Joergen Moe and the pioneering lexicographer Ivar Aasen. Each encounter is detailed with precise observations of the characters’ physical appearances, moods, and idiosyncratic speech, all of which contribute to a larger picture of a generation devoted to the preservation and advancement of a distinctive national culture under political change. Throughout the memoir, personal reminiscence intertwines with historical commentary. The narrator reflects on the drastic shifts in Norwegian public life: the decline of the old guard supportive of constitutional conservatism, their sidelining by an increasingly radical, populist political tide, and the enduring value of their early contributions to national literature and statecraft. The collected recollections serve as both a tribute to these men and a lament for a lost era, emphasizing that after decades the only link to that passionate period was the narrator’s detailed memories, documented meticulously in journals. Encounters at various civic institutions—the University Library, the Record Office, and even in public spaces like squares and parks in Christiania—highlight the intermingling of cultural, historical, and political threads in Norway’s life. The narrative also touches on symbolic episodes, such as the unveiling of a temporary statue meant to represent a national hero and the guided tour of remnants of medieval architecture, which underscore the deep-rooted cultural legacy that the group sought to defend against modern change. Political debates form a constant backdrop. Conversations at communal meals reveal a deep-seated resistance against what the group viewed as the “fanatical measures” of the emerging Radical party. The participants express a hope, albeit vain, that their learned and conservative methods would eventually shape the governmental future of Norway. Personal ambitions, literary rivalries, and the struggle for cultural recognition are all encapsulated in discussions ranging from the proprieties of translation work to the preservation of historical records and national relics. In sum, the work is a rich, detailed memoir blending personal recollection with cultural history. It provides insight into a fading generation whose contributions, though overshadowed by successive political changes, were integral to nurturing the nation’s literary and intellectual heritage. The narrative offers an intimate chronicle of meetings, discussions, and experiences that together illustrate the complex interplay of literature, politics, and national identity central to Norway’s cultural development in the late nineteenth century.

By Edmund Gosse · First published 1890 · Genre: Memoir, Travel Literature, Literary Biography · 5,219 words

First lines

In the summer of 1872 I received special leave from the Principal Librarian of the British Museum to visit Denmark and Norway for the purpose of reporting on the state of current literature in those countries. Of my Danish experiences I have given an account in my book called _Two Visits to Denmark_ (Smith, Elder & Co., 1911); but hitherto I have not published any of my Norwegian adventures. I am led to do so now, in consequence of a letter which I have just received from Rektor Frederik Ording, of Holmestrand, who is engaged on a biographical study of "Henrik Ibsen's Ungdomsvenner," and who tells me that it has become almost impossible to obtain information about the particular group of men of letters whom I conversed with more than forty-five years ago. They are all long since dead, and no one survives who recollects them in their prime. No one -- so it appears -- but me! The fact is a solemnizing one. I feel like the Moses of the poet:

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A Visit to the Friends of Ibsen is listed on Textopian as a historical account by Edmund Gosse, dated 1890 CE.

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literary criticism · nonfiction essay · Victorian literature · modern drama · theatrical analysis · cultural commentary · aesthetic theory · realism · modernism · intellectual circles · art criticism · social satire

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