Amalie Skram
Encyclopedia
Amalie Skram was a Norwegian
author and feminist who gave voice to a woman's point of view with her naturalist writing. She moved to Denmark
in 1894 where she settled in Copenhagen
with her husband, the Danish writer Erik Skram. She is considered the most important female writer of the Modern Breakthrough
.
Amalie had 4 brothers. Her parents operated a small business, which went bankrupt when Amalie was 17 years old. Her father emigrated from Norway to the United States to avoid a term of imprisonment and her mother was left with five children to care for.
Her mother pressured Amalie into a marriage with an older man, Bernt Ulrik August Müller (1837–1898), a ship captain, later mill owner. Following thirteen years of marriage and the birth of two sons she suffered a nervous breakdown, in part attributed to his infidelity. After several years in a mental hospital, she was divorced from Captain Müller. Together with her two sons, she moved to Kristiania (now Oslo
) and began her literary activities. There she met the Kristiania Bohemian
community, including writers Arne Garborg
and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
, with whom she remained in contact for many years.
, Denmark. They had a daughter from this union. Her obligations as housewife, mother and author as well as the public’s limited acceptance for her then-radical work, led to a further breakdown in 1894, after which Amalie lived in a psychiatric hospital near Roskilde
. In 1899 her second marriage was dissolved. She died six years later in Copenhagen
, Denmark.
", published in the magazine Nyt Tidsskrift
. Her work continued until her death. She dealt with topics she knew well.
Her work can be divided into three categories:
She is recognized as an early and strong proponent of what has come to be known as the women's movement, setting the early European trend. Her works, which had been generally forgotten with her death, were rediscovered and received strong recognition in the 1960s. Several of her works are currently available in recent translations to English.
The Amalie Skram-prisen or Amalie Skram prize is a travel stipend that has been awarded annually since 1994 to Norwegian authors who show exceptional skill in addressing women's issues.
A statue of Skram, by Maja Refsum
(1897–1986), was unveiled at Convent Garden (Klosterhaugen) in Bergen 1949. A marble bust by Ambrosia Tønnesen (1859–1948) is in Bergen Public Library
. She was also honored with a Norwegian postage stamp in 1996.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
author and feminist who gave voice to a woman's point of view with her naturalist writing. She moved to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
in 1894 where she settled in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
with her husband, the Danish writer Erik Skram. She is considered the most important female writer of the Modern Breakthrough
Modern Breakthrough
The Modern Breakthrough is the normal name of the strong movement of naturalism and debating literature of Scandinavia near the end of the 19th century which replaced romanticism....
.
Early life
Berthe Amalie Alver was born in Bergen, Norway. Her parents were Mons Monsen Alver and Ingeborg Lovise Sivertsen.Amalie had 4 brothers. Her parents operated a small business, which went bankrupt when Amalie was 17 years old. Her father emigrated from Norway to the United States to avoid a term of imprisonment and her mother was left with five children to care for.
Her mother pressured Amalie into a marriage with an older man, Bernt Ulrik August Müller (1837–1898), a ship captain, later mill owner. Following thirteen years of marriage and the birth of two sons she suffered a nervous breakdown, in part attributed to his infidelity. After several years in a mental hospital, she was divorced from Captain Müller. Together with her two sons, she moved to Kristiania (now Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
) and began her literary activities. There she met the Kristiania Bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
community, including writers Arne Garborg
Arne Garborg
Arne Garborg, born Aadne Eivindsson Garborg was a Norwegian writer.Garborg championed the use of Landsmål , as a literary language; he translated the Odyssey into it...
and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland...
, with whom she remained in contact for many years.
Move to Denmark
In 1884 Amalie Müller married again, this time the Danish writer Erik Skram (1847–1923), with whom she moved to CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark. They had a daughter from this union. Her obligations as housewife, mother and author as well as the public’s limited acceptance for her then-radical work, led to a further breakdown in 1894, after which Amalie lived in a psychiatric hospital near Roskilde
Roskilde
Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....
. In 1899 her second marriage was dissolved. She died six years later in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark.
Literary career
In 1882 Amalie Skram debuted (as Amalie Müller) with the short story "Madam Høiers leiefolkMadam Høiers leiefolk
"Madam Høiers leiefolk" is a short story by Norwegian writer Amalie Skram . It was first published in 1882 in the magazine Nyt Tidsskrift, and was Skram's first published literary work. The story depicts a situation when a poor family is evicted from their flat...
", published in the magazine Nyt Tidsskrift
Nyt Tidsskrift
Nyt Tidsskrift is a former Norwegian literary, cultural and political magazine issued from 1882 to 1887, and with a second series from 1892 to 1895. The magazine had contributions from severeal of the leading intellectuals of the time, including later Nobel Literature Prize laureate Bjørnstjerne...
. Her work continued until her death. She dealt with topics she knew well.
Her work can be divided into three categories:
- Novels concerning marriage, which explored taboo topics such as female sexuality, and the subservient status of women in that period. These works were perceived by many as overly provocative and resulted in open hostility from some segments of society.
- Multi-generation novels, which dealt with the fate of a family over several generations. With these she explored the social institutions and conditions of the time and campaigned for change.
- Mental hospital works such as Professor Hieronimus and Paa St. Jørgen, which dealt with the primitive and brutal conditions of such institutions of the period. Her novels created a major stir in Denmark and precipitated improvements in these institutions.
She is recognized as an early and strong proponent of what has come to be known as the women's movement, setting the early European trend. Her works, which had been generally forgotten with her death, were rediscovered and received strong recognition in the 1960s. Several of her works are currently available in recent translations to English.
Subsequent recognition
A statue of Skram, by Maja Refsum
Maja Refsum
Maja Refsum was a Norwegian sculptor and teacher. Daughter of Harald Refsum and Hanna Ovidia Yssen . Among her most important works is her sculpture of writer Amalie Skram. She is represented in the National Gallery of Norway with the terracotta sculpture Bruden pyntes...
(1897–1986), was unveiled at Convent Garden (Klosterhaugen) in Bergen 1949. A marble bust by Ambrosia Tønnesen (1859–1948) is in Bergen Public Library
Bergen Public Library
Bergen Public Library is a library building and public library institution in Bergen, Norway. Founded in 1872, it is the second largest public library in Norway...
. She was also honored with a Norwegian postage stamp in 1996.