Remembering HC Andersen

150 years on, ‘Ugly Duckling’ creator still captivates

Hans Christian Andersen was a dreamer who migrated between the worlds of fantasy and reality while becoming one of the world’s best-known fairy tale authors, reports DW.

He died in Copenhagen on August 4, 1875 but his stories live on — in children’s rooms, on theatre stages and movie screens.

His sagas often feature characters who’ve been rejected by society. They are tales of human weakness, of anguish and longing, but also beauty.

The writer’s children’s stories are his greatest legacy, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and illustrator of children’s books.

Here are five reasons why Andersen remains relevant 150 years after his death.

1. From childhood struggles to feted artist

Born on April 2, 1805, Andersen grew up in humble circumstances in Odense, a town in southern Denmark. His father was a cobbler, his mother a laundress and alcoholic. His aunt ran a brothel.

During Andersen’s childhood, his family’s struggled to put food on the table, and he attended a local school for impoverished children. It was there that he discovered his love for books and the theater and began to write his first stories.

At the age of 14, he went to Copenhagen and met the director of the Royal Danish Theatre, who took Andersen under his wing and nurtured his talent. By the time the writer turned 30, the whole of Europe was captivated by his poems, plays, two novels and the first volume of Fairy Tales Told for Children.

But recognition eluded him back home in Denmark, where critics derided his fairy tales as “harmful” and “irresponsible.”

Nonetheless, Andersen’s mythical tales underpinned his global fame and Denmark ultimately celebrated his talent as he received patronage and travel grants from the Danish king.

2. Protests against injustice

Look behind the fairy tale sheen of Andersen’s stories and you’ll often find subtle satire or veiled criticism of power, vanity and social injustice.

The Emperor’s New Clothes is a parable about vanity and the fear of contradicting authority — a theme that’s more relevant than ever in the social media age.

Few children’s tales are as poignant as the story of the little girl trying to sell matches on a freezing cold New Year’s Eve. The next day she’s found on the street, frozen to death and nameless.