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Ludvig Holberg

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Ludvig Holberg
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Ludvig Holberg

Ludvig Holberg (December 3, 1684 – January 27, 1754) was a Danish-Norwegian writer and playwright born in Bergen, Norway. He died in Copenhagen. Holberg's works about natural law and common law were read widely by many Danish law students over two hundred years, from 1736 to 1936.

Contents

Studies and teaching

Holberg was the youngest of six brothers. His father, Christian Nielsen Holberg, died before Ludvig was one year old. He was educated in Copenhagen, and was a teacher at the University of Copenhagen for many years. At the same time, he started his successful career as an author, writing the first of a series of comedies.

He began to study theology at the University of Copenhagen and later taught himself law, history and language. He was not particularly interested in theology as a career, settling for an attestats (similar to a Bachelor's degree today), which gave him the right to work as a priest; he did not attempt a baccalaureus, magister or doctorate in the subject, nor did he follow a career as a theology professor, priest, or bishop. In Holberg's youth, it was common to study theology and specialize according to one's degree, for example in Greek, Latin, philosophy or history. For the purpose of becoming a lawyer, it was normal to study abroad. In 1736 the Danish Lawyer degree was established at the University of Copenhagen, a degree which continued to be granted for 200 years, and for which Holberg's writings remained common reading material throughout this time. Holberg was formally appointed assistant professor after having first worked as one without pay. He had to accept the first available position, which was teaching metaphysics. Later, he became a professor and taught rhetoric, or in other words Latin. Finally, he was given a professorship in the subject which he prized most and was most productive in, history.

Holberg was well-educated and well-traveled. In his adolescence, he visited large cities in countries such as The Netherlands and France, and lived for a short period of time in Rome; and for a longer period of time in Oxford, England (1706–1708), which was rare during that time as intellectual life was centered in continental Europe. He was not formally admitted to Oxford University, but spent his time there using the libraries and participating in Latin discussions with the English students.

Writings

Statue of Holberg in Bergen
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Statue of Holberg in Bergen

Holberg's travels were a main inspiration in his later writings — these experiences matured him both artistically and morally. Holberg let himself be inspired by old Latin comedies and newer French comedies he had seen in Paris, and street theaters in Rome.

His writings can be divided into three periods, during which he produced mainly history, 1711 —1718; mainly satirical poetry and stage comedies, 1719 — 1731; and mainly philosophy, 1731 —1750. His rich output of comedies during the middle period was shaped by his role as house dramatist at Denmark's first public theater, opened in Copenhagen in 1721. These comedies are the works on which his fame rests today.

Ideology

In Paris, Holberg met the Danish scientist Jacob Winsløw, who was Catholic. Winsløw tried to convert Holberg, without success. Holberg began to consider himself a Lutheran, and held anti-Catholic views.

Holberg criticized school doctrines in Christianity, arguing that "Children must be made into men, before they can become Christians""Børn maa gjøres til Mennesker, førend de blive Christne." and "If one learns Theology, before learning to become a man, one will never become a man.""Hvis een lærer Theologie, førend han lærer at blive Menneske, bliver han aldrig Menneske."

Holberg believed in people's inner divine light of reason, and to him it was important that the first goal of education was to teach students to use their senses and intellect, instead of the uselessly memorising school books. This was a new, modern understanding of the question of religion, and it shows he was a renaissance man. Holberg was interested in intellect because he felt this that banded society together. He also wondered why there was so much evil in the world, especially when one could let reason lead the way. One could say that he distanced himself from a religious explanation of evil towards a rational/empirical train of thought, and this is important because of his status as an author; both in his time and ours.

Holberg was open to biblical criticism, and the heliocentric worldview of the times didn't worry him. This stood in contrast to the biblical view of the Earth as the center. Holberg's religious representation was, for the most part, deism. He was critical of the notion of original sin, however, instead subscribing to the notion of man's free will.

Holberg’s declared intentions with his authorship were to enlighten people to better society. This also fits in with the picture of Holberg as a renaissance man. It is worth nothing Holberg enjoyed larger cities with deep culture – small cities and nature did not interest him.

Influence on science

Before Holberg's time, science was dominated by the theology that the world was unmovable. The eighteenth century renaissance meant that science became more popular, and this was advancement for experience based experiment (empiricism) that had given science a new foundation and possibilities. Holberg added the principal part of this development.

Holdberg's concept for science was that it should be inductive (through experience built on observations) and practical to use. A humorous example is his Betænkning over den nu regierende Qvæg-Syge, (1745) where he reasons that the infection referenced in his book comes from microorganisms.

Holberg's finances

In youth

Holberg had to live a modest life in his youth and early adulthood. He earned a living as a tutor and as a travel companion for noble men and tried to work as a private sports coach at the university. He received further support from a grant to travel to other universities in other countries, namely Protestant universities, but this was a condition he did not respect, for he searched out those places where the discussion were the loudest and the experiences were the largest.

During his stay in England, Holberg set his eyes on academic authoring and on his return, he started writing about history. Later he wrote also about natural and international law, possibly at the prompting of an older professor who likened him to natural and international law authors such as Hugo Grotius and Samuel Pufendorf.

To make the most possible profit, Holberg published his own works and sold them as papers under a subscription to interested people, typically in an ark. Holberg also tried to, with some luck, a distributor in Norway. His book about natural and international court came in several versions, and one can say to an extent, this was not a good, or solid, source of income.

Investments

Holberg lived modestly and could invest a large part of the profits from the sale of his books to the side and loan them out or invest them in more active ventures. He has several times in his writings criticized towns people and nobles who used the towns people’s resources in unproductive ways to carry them around in chairs, to serve in houses and throw away money on luxury. He ate reasonably and didn’t use his money to be driven around. He said his travels on foot, and continued walking, was the reason he could keep his malaria, which had plagued him in the south, under control.

When he came to the conclusion he could put his money in better ventures than trading, he put his money in real estate. His first large property purchase, Brorupgaard close to Havrebjerg, happened in stages; first he loaned money to the owner at that time, and later took over the farm himself.

Some years later, Holberg also purchased Tersløsegård by Dianalund, the only one of his properties which is preserved because the others in Bergen, Copenhagen and Havrebjerg are either burned down or torn down.

Sorø Academy and Holberg's will

Holberg was both unmarried and childless, but in the end of his life had a small fortune. He was interested in leaving a legacy and left his estate to Sorø Academy, which was a royal riding academy, with the goal of creating an institution at a university level for young men coming from nobility. Holberg supported the idea of the academy, worked out suggestions to which academic direction it would take and was asked by the king's superintendent to refer some professors for the school.

The agreement with the king included that Holberg would be free of taxes from any income from the farms he owned, because the amount donated to the school should be larger than the amount he would pay in taxes. At the same time, he earned the title of baron.

Holberg's casket, a work of Johannes Wiedewelt, can be seen in Sorø Monastery Church.

Stinginess or sensible conservatism?

It is shown in Holbergs correspondence he was very conservative with money where he thought it would not be of any use, for example, he was against raising the wage of the pedagogues of Havrebjerg.

Holberg commented several times that he was willing to use money if it was put to good use, for example, he would use money on medication and supplied for his farm hands if they suffered from injury or illness.

When academia had large economic difficulties , because funding was very limited, Holberg agreed to help fund the academy (at Sorø Academy) while he was alive.

Tributes

Norwegian Edvard Grieg composed the Holberg Suite (opus 40) to honor Holberg. The suite is in the style of country dances from Holberg's time.

The Norwegian University of Bergen awards the Holberg International Memorial Prize. The €520.000 endowed prize was awarded to Jürgen Habermas in 2005.

There is a town named after Holberg on Northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia Canada. It was founded by Danish immigrants in 1907.

Bibliography

Comedies

Poems

Novels

Essays

Historical works

References

Quotes

External links

 

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