Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
"Yes, we love this country, as it rises forth"
The verse belongs to our national anthem and was written by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.
He was Norway's great national poet from the mid-19th century, and since then has held a place as one of the "big four" alongside Kielland, Ibsen, and Lie. As a brilliant public speaker and active participant in public debate both in Norway and abroad, he was highly controversial - and much loved.
Bjørnson was born in Tynset in 1832, but grew up in Nesset in Møre og Romsdal. He moved to Oslo to attend university, but instead began working as a journalist.
His ability to communicate in writing quickly became evident, a gift he also had orally. Multiple theater reviews contributed to close ties around theater activity. For a while, he was the artistic director at Ole Bull's theater in Bergen, before he returned to Oslo as both theater director and editor.
Romantic nationalism flourished in Norway. Bjørnson was influenced by his time, but was also versatile in his writing and concerned with depicting the darker sides of Norwegian folk life.
All his qualities were rewarded with the Nobel Prize in Literature. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson died in 1910. He left behind his wife Karoline and their five children.
Audio guides available in:Norsk bokmål, English (British), Deutsch , Italiano, Français, Español, Nederlands