Henrik Ibsen

     

    Henrik Ibsen was born on March 20, 1828, in Skien, Norway.  His father was  Knud, as successful merchant, and his mother was Marichen who painted, play piano, and loved to go to the theater.  Henrik was the oldest of five children.  At the age of 8 Henrik's father business began to have problems forcing to family to sell most of their stuff in order to cover debts and move into a rundown farm near their town.  It was there that Henrik spent his time reading, painting, and doing magic tricks.  At the age of 15 , Ibsen stopped attending school for work.  He was an apprentice in an apothecary in Grimstad for six year.  In his spare time he wrote poetry and painted.  In 1849, Ibsen wrote his first play, Catilina, in a similar format to one of his greates influences, William Shakespear.  While working as an apprentice, Henrik Ibsen had a child with a maid in 1846.  Despite paying child support he was never able to his child.  In 1858, Henrik wed to Suzannah Daae Thoresen.  The couple was considered to be very happy and had one child, son Sigurd, a year after marriage.
    Ibsen moved to Christiania to prepare for exams at the University of Christiania.  With the help of a friend Catilina was published but was not noticed by the public.  Fortunately, Ibsen met violinist and theater manager Ole Bull who offered him a job as a writer and manager for the Norwegian Theatre in Bergen.  This provided Ibsen with expiernce on theater and allowed him to travel abroad.  In 1857, Ibsen returned to Christiania to run a theater.  On 1862 Ibsen wrote Love's Comedy and was also exiled to Italy.  It was there that he wrote Brand and, two years later, Peer Gynt.  In 1868, Ibsen moved to Germany wear he first say his drama, The Pillars of Society, performed in Munich.  This kick started his career and in 1879 he wrote A Doll's House.  Ghosts was published in 1881 and two years later An Enemy of the People.  In 1888 The Lady From the Sea was published and once again two years later Hedda Gabler followed up.  On 1891 Ibsen returned to Norway as as literary hero and an internationally known playwright and published The Master Builder.  On his seventieth birhday he had events held in his honor.  His final play, When We Dead Awaken, was published in 1899.
    Henrik Ibsen had a series of strokes in 1900 which left him unable to write.  He died on May 13, 1906 and received a state funeral from the Norwegian government.  His last words were, "To the contrary" in Norwegian.




Source:  Henrik Gibson Biography
 http://www.biography.com/people/henrik-ibsen-37014#final-years