The Life and Works of Knut Hamsun

1859

Knut Hamsun was born as Knud Pedersen, the son of Peder Pedersen (1825–1907) and Tora Pedersen, née Olsen (1830–1919) on 4 August in the valley of Gudbrandsdalen. He was christened in Garmo Church.

1862

Moved with his family to the village of Hamsund, Hamarøy in the county of Nordland.

1868–1873

Began school in the winter of 1868. Lived for some periods with his uncle Hans Olsen, a stern, puritanical man, at a vicarage 5 km from Hamsund.

1874

Finished his schooling – a total of approximately 250 days over the course of 6 years. Moved to Lom to live with his godfather Torsten Hesthagen. Worked as a shop boy in his godfather’s village shop. Confirmed in Lom Church on 4 October. Returned to Hamarøy where he worked as a salesman in Tranøy for the merchant Nicolay Walsøe.

1875

Hawker in North Norway.

1876

Apprentice shoemaker in Bodø.

1877

His first book, Den Gaadefulde, was published in Tromsø by Mikal Urdals forlag. Worked as a peripatetic teacher in Bø in Vesterålen.

1878

Et gjensyn and Bjørger were published. Began work as a rural policeman in Bø, Vesterålen in the autumn.

1879

Moved from Bø to the Hardanger area on the west coast with financial support from K. Zahl of Kjerringøy. Travelled to Copenhagen just before Christmas. Called on the Danish publisher Frederik Hegel with his rural tale "Frida". The manuscript was rejected.

1880–1881

Visited the Norwegian writer Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson at his home in Aulestad. Lived in Tomtegaten 11 in Kristiania (now Oslo) and suffered great destitution the entire winter. Moved to Toten. Employed as a road worker.

1882–1884

Travelled to the USA in early January 1882. Had various jobs. Employed as a salesman in Elroy, Wisconsin and as a farm hand on several farms. Became the secretary of the Norwegian theologian and writer Kristofer Janson in Minneapolis in the spring of 1884.

1885

Fell ill in the summer and returned to Norway. Found lodgings with a widow in the Valdres region. Published minor pieces in newspapers. Omitted the ‘d’ in Hamsun(d) for the first time in published work.

1886

Moved to Kristiania in the winter. Experienced hunger and destitution once again. Started his first lecture tour in Gjøvik in the spring. Visited a number of towns including Hamar, Horten and Sandefjord. Second visit to the USA in August. Had various jobs, including work as a tram conductor in Chicago.

1887

Travelled to Minneapolis in the spring. Worked as a journalist and lecturer. Had a summer job as a farmhand in the Red River Valley.

1888

Left the USA in the summer and spent some time in Copenhagen where he met Amalie and Erik Skram and the Brandes brothers. Turned 29 in August, but from then on consistently referred to himself as being one year younger. The first chapters of Hunger (Sult) were printed anonymously in November in the Copenhagen journal Ny jord.

1889

Gave a lecture on “American cultural and intellectual life” at the Students’ Association in Copenhagen. Travelled to Valdres and Kristiania. The Spiritual Life of Modern America (Fra det moderne Amerikas Aandsliv) was published in April and Lars Oftedal in November. Continued working on Hunger.

1890

Returned to Copenhagen. Hunger was published in book form under Hamsun’s full name. Moved to Lillesand on the south coast of Norway where he wrote the short story "Smaabyliv" (published in the newspaper Bergens Tidende) and "Fra det ubevidste Sjæleliv", a literary manifesto (published in the September issue of the journal Samtiden).

1891

A new lecture tour in Norway. Hunger was translated into German and published by S. Fischer in Berlin. Lived in Sarpsborg and Kristiansund.

1892

Left Kristiansund. Travelled to Copenhagen. Mysteries (Mysterier) was published in September. Lived in a variety of places.

1893

Redaktør Lynge was published in April. Travelled to Paris. Met August Strindberg, Paul Verlaine, Herman Bang, Johan Bojer and Albert Langen. Shallow Soil (Ny Jord) was published in November.

1894

Travelled to Kristiansand in the summer. Returned to Paris in the autumn. Pan was published in December.

1895

Hamsun’s play At the Gate of the Kingdom (Ved Rigets Port) was published in June. Travelled to Fåberg, Kristiania and Ljan (near Kristiania) in the summer. Worked on the play The Game of Life (Livets Spil).

1896

Edvard Munch made an etching of Hamsun. Travelled to Munich and was a guest of his German publisher Albert Langen. Met Bjørnson. The Game of Life was published in April. Returned to Norway in the summer. Lived with Erik Frydenlund in Aurdal and other places in Valdres. World premiere of two of his plays at Christiania Theater: At the Gate of the Kingdom on 28 October (21 performances) and The Game of Life on 4 December (16 performances).

1897

Lived at Miss Hammer’s Boarding House at Ljan. Gave a lecture on 30 January "On overestimating writers and writing". Siesta, a collection of short stories, was published in June.

1898

Married Bergljot Goepfert (née Bech) on 13 May. Aftenrøde was published in June and received its world premiere at Christiania Theater on 17 October (11 performances). Victoria was published in October. Travelled to Helsinki with Bergljot.

1899

Met Albert Engstrøm and Jean Sibelius. Held a lecture entitled “A poet’s life” at Helsinki University. Travelled to Russia, the Caucasus and Turkey.

1900

Spent time in Copenhagen. Returned to Hamarøy, where he had grown up. Worked on the verse drama Munken Vendt. Returned to Copenhagen in the autumn.

1901

Lived in Kristiania and Copenhagen. Worked on material from his travels in 1899.

1902

Hamsun’s daughter Victoria was born on 15 August. Munken Vendt was published in October. Wrote a poem in honour of Bjørnson’s 70th birthday.

1903

A volume of travel writing entitled In Wonderland (I Æventyrland) was published in March, the play Dronning Tamara in September and Kratskog, a collection of short stories, in November. The sculptor Gustav Vigeland made a bust of Hamsun.

1904

World premiere of Dronning Tamara at the National Theatre in Kristiania (12 performances) on 5 January. Published a collection of poems, The Wild Choir (Det vilde Kor), in April/May and the novel Dreamers (Svermere) in December. Awarded a stipend by the Houen Fund. Lived in Kristiania and Drøbak, as well as in Copenhagen and on the Danish island of Samsø.

1905

Moved to a new house in Drøbak. Participated in the Norwegian struggle for independence, including writing campaigning poems for the flysheet Strax. A collection of short stories, Stridende Liv, was published in May.

1906

Hamsun separated from Bergljot. Stayed at the boarding house “Utsikten” at Nordstrand just outside Kristiania, working on the first Wanderer books. Under the Autumn Star (Under Høststjærnen) was published in November.

1907

Hamsun’s father Peder Pedersen died on 17 March. Hamsun did not attend the funeral. Held a lecture entitled "Ærer de unge" (“Honour the Youth”), reversing the Fourth Commandment. Lived in Kongsberg during the summer. Hamsun’s collected novels and short stories ( Samlede Romaner og Fortællinger) were published in 5 volumes.

1908

Met the actress Anne Marie Andersen (or Marie Lavik as she called herself) from Elverum. Benoni was published in April/May. Spent the summer in Kongsberg. Held a speech in Kristiania on 17 June, the centenary of Henrik Wergeland’s birth. Rosa was published in December.

1909

Hamsun married Marie on 25 June. Travelled to Sollien in the valley of Østerdalen. A Wanderer plays on Muted Strings (En vandrer spiller med Sordin) was published in November/December.

1910

Hamsun’s article "Teologen i Æventyrland" appeared in the newspaper Morgenbladet on 5 January. Bjørnson died on 26 April and Hamsun wrote a poem paying tribute to him. Moved to Koppang, then to Elverum. Hamsujn’s article entitled “Et Ord til os” (3 July) and four articles entitled “Landets Sprog” (8 and 10 July, 23 September and 27 November) appeared in the newspaper Verdens Gang. World premiere of the play In the Grip of Life (Livet ivold) at the National Theatre on 16 November (14 performances).

1911

In the Grip of Life was published in book form. Bought “Skogheim”, a farm belonging to the local policeman at Hamarøy. Settled there as a writer and farmer together with Marie after the house had been renovated.

1912

Hamsun’s son Tore was born on 6 March. The Last Joy (Den sidste Glæde) was published in November.

1913

Alternated between living at “Skogheim” at Hamarøy and in Bodø. Children of the Age (Børn av Tiden) was published in November.

1914

Hamsun’s son Arild was born on 3 May. Alternated between living at Hamarøy and in Bardu. Outbreak of WWI. Hamsun sided with Germany. Feud conducted with Professor Collin and W. Archer in the newspaper Tidens Tegn.

1915

Called for the return of the death penalty for child murder in an article entitled "Barnet" which appeared in the newspaper Morgenbladet on 16 January (followed by articles with the same title on 10 February and 4 March). Lived in Harstad while working on Segelfoss town (Segelfoss By), which was published in November. His daughter Ellinor was born on 23 October.

1916

Moved from place to place in Nordland while working on The Growth of the Soil (Markens Grøde). Lived mostly at “Kråkmo” farm at Hamarøy. First edition of Hamsun’s collected works published.

1917

Sold the “Skogheim” farm at Hamarøy and moved to Larvik. His daughter Cecilia was born on 13 May. Hamsun’s essay "Nabobyen" appeared in the newspaper Aftenposten on 8 and 12 July. The Growth of the Soil was published in November/December.

1918

Hamsun’s article “Sproget i Fare” protesting against the Norwegian Spelling Reform of 1917 appeared in Aftenposten on 9 June. The Hamsun family moved to Nørholm near Grimstad.

1919

Knut Hamsun’s mother died on 6 January. Hamsun did not attend the funeral.

1920

Spent an extended period writing in Arendal. The Women at the Pump (Konerne ved Vandposten) was published in November. Received the Nobel Prize in Stockholm on 10 December for the novel The Growth of the Soil.

1921

Worked in Arendal. Dikte, a highly edited edition of Det vilde Kor, was published.

1922

Hamsun had a writer’s cottage built at Nørholm. Wrote in Arendal and at Nørholm.

1923

The Last Chapter (Siste Kapitel) was published in October.

1924

On 31 December a group of Norwegian investors finally succeeded in amassing sufficient capital to acquire ownership of the Danish-controlled Gyldendalske Boghandel Nordisk Forlags Hovedekspedition in Kristiania (now the publishing house Gyldendal Norsk Forlag). The demerger was made possible largely as a result of Hamsun’s financial contribution. At the time of the acquisition, his investment amounted to one sixth of the share capital.

1925

Hamsun worked at his cottage at Nørholm and in Lillesand.

1926

Lived at the Victoria Hotel in Oslo and started psychotherapy with Dr. Johannes Irgens Strømme in January. Returned to Nørholm in the summer where he wrote the first section of Wayfarers (Landstrykere), which was to be volume one of the so-called August Trilogy. Moved to Museumsveien 5 in Bygdø (Oslo) with his family for a period.

1927

Moved back to Nørholm. Wayfarers was published in October.

1928

Worked at his cottage and in Lillesand. Hamsun’s article “Festina lente” appeared in Aftenposten on 12 December.

1929

Received tributes from the whole world on his 70th birthday (4 August).

1930

Spent the winter in Aurdal. Returned to Nørholm in the spring. Fell ill and underwent an operation in hospital in Arendal. August, volume two in the August Trilogy, was published in October.

1931

Travelled to the French Riviera for a couple of weeks in January and to Aurdal in the summer.

1932

Worked at his cottage at Nørholm and in Egersund.

1933

The Road Leads On (Men Livet lever), the third and final volume in the August Trilogy, was published in October.

1934

Travelled to France again. Spent time in Lillesand and in Nørholm in the summer. Refused the Goethe Prize of 10 000 German Marks, but accepted the Goethe Medal.

1935

Worked in Oslo and at Nørholm. Attacked the imprisoned German pacifist and later Nobel Laureate Carl von Ossietzky in an article entitled "Ossietzky" which appeared in Aftenposten and Tidens Tegn on 22 November.

1936

Hamsun’s final novel The Ring is Closed (Ringen sluttet) was published in October.

1937

Hamsun’s hearing continued to deteriorate.

1938

Tried to write a continuation of The Ring is Closed during a visit to Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, but abandoned the attempt.

1939

Celebrated his 80th birthday on 4 August and once again the world paid tribute to him. Artikler, a collection of articles, was published to coincide with his birthday. WWII broke out in September. Hamsun continued to sympathize with Germany.

1940

Norway was invaded by German troops on 9 April. Hamsun wrote the article ”Et Ord til os” at the outbreak of the war, as well as a number of other articles and appeals in support of the occupying forces.

1941–1942

Lived at Nørholm. Wrote articles sympathetic to the Germans. Also wrote letters and contacted the authorities, actions which contributed to the freeing of several Norwegians in German captivity. Suffered a stroke in April.

1943

Hamsun sent his Nobel Prize Medal to Goebbels in June. Had a tempestuous meeting with Hitler in Berchtesgaden on 26 June, at which Hamsun put forward complaints about Terboven, the German Reichskommissar in Norway.

1944

Lived a quiet life at Nørholm. Wrote “Appeal to our Seamen in Allied Service” which appeared in the newspaper Fritt Folk on 2 March. Also attempted to prevent the execution of death sentences pronounced on Norwegians.

1945

Wrote an obituary for Adolf Hitler which appeared in Aftenposten on 7 May. After German armed forces had withdrawn from Norway, Knut and Marie Hamsun were held under house arrest at Nørholm. Later Hamsun was interned at Grimstad Hospital. Appeared before Sand Magistrate’s Court in Grimstad on 23 June charged with Crimes against the State under § 86 and 140 of the Penal Code. Later transferred to the Psychiatric Clinic at Vinderen in Oslo where he was examined by Consultant Gabriel Langfeldt. Hamsun made notes for On Overgrown Paths (Paa gjengrodde Stier).

1946

Discharged from the Psychiatric Clinic after a harrowing stay. The psychiatric assessment concluded that Hamsun was of sound mind under the provisions of criminal law although his mental faculties were considered to be permanently impaired.

1947

Following the medico-legal psychiatric assessment the Director General of Public Prosecutions chose not to initiate criminal proceedings against Hamsun. The issue of whether he should be made financially accountable for his membership in Nasjonal Samling (NS) was passed to the Directorate for Compensation (Erstatningsdirektoratet). Legal proceedings in the compensation case took place at Sand Magistrate’s Court in Grimstad on 16 December. Sentenced to pay NOK 425 000 as compensation for his NS membership. The sentence was passed on 19 December.

1948

Continued working on On Overgrown Paths. Appealed against the compensation sentence. In June the Supreme Court reduced the level of compensation to NOK 325 000.

1949–1951

On Overgrown Paths was published simultaneously in Norway and Sweden on 28 September 1949. Lived a quiet life at Nørholm. Minimal sight and hearing.

1952

Knut Hamsun died in his bedroom at Nørholm on 19 February. He was buried at Nørholm.