Classic Authors: Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen wrote stories to please children, so that not one of them would have to experience the sadness his childhood brought him. He created tales about outcasts and unfortunates, because he knew what it meant to be alone and unwanted. Little did he know that one day his name would be known the world over; the obscure Dane would become one of the greatest storytellers in all of literature.

Hans was born on April 2, 1805, in a one room house in Odense, Denmark. The family lived in deep poverty, often going without food or clothing. Hans' father labored as a shoemaker, and his mother worked as a washerwoman. She remained illiterate and often neglectful of her young son. His father, on the other hand, nurtured his child's creativity by reading him a story every day at precisely 2 p.m. Hans grew up with a love of storytelling, acting, and mimicry. He attended school sporadically, but was able to memorize easily. One author says Hans learned a great deal by listening to a neighborhood boy recite his lessons aloud.

When Hans was 11, his father died, leaving him to support his mother. Mrs. Andersen apprenticed the young man to a weaver, a tobacconist and a tailor; none of these occupations interested the creative boy. At 14, he ran away to Copenhagen to seek his fortune. There, he continued to live in abject poverty. He made some money by singing in a boy's choir, but he had to quit when his voice changed. He tried acting and ballet, but he found himself to be too awkward for such occupations. Three years after arriving in Copenhagen, Hans came to the attention of Chancellor Jonas Collin, one of the directors of the Royal Theater. Recognizing Hans' writing talent, he financed his education. First, Hans studied at a grammar school at Slagelse, where he found the schoolmaster harsh. The bitter man ridiculed young Hans for wanting to be a writer. Soon, Collin moved Hans back to Copenhagen, where the boy began studying under a private tutor. In 1828, he passed the entrance exams for the university at Copenhagen, and began his college studies.

In 1833, Hans procured a grant from the king to be used for travel. He then spent 16 months touring Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy. From then on, he spent a great deal of his time traveling, seeing many different countries. He used his experiences to write travel stories for children.

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