Welcome to Ibsen City, Skien.
Provided by:
Ibsenbyen Skien
This audio guide takes you on a tour around city center to places that can tell you something about Henrik Ibsen's childhood, adolescence og family in Skien. We recommend that you start at Handelstorget. The audio guide is produced by Skien municipality. Thanks to Telemark Museum for text content, Teater Ibsen for the recording, and Lena Barth Aarstad for reading the Norwegian text. The translations into other languages are done using AI, and the recordings of the texts in other languages are made by AI-generated voices. Press "Download" and then "START" to begin the experience. The audio stories start automatically when you enter the red circle. The route takes about 45 minutes to walk.
To find more content and listen to free audio guides, download the Voice of Norway app.
Points of interest
#1
Handelstorget
If you walk from the harbor in Skien, up Henrik Ibsens gate and past the Arkaden shopping centre, you will reach Handelstorget. This place has a long and special story to tell. This is where Skien's history begins and where Henrik Ibsen was born. Professor Jon Nygaard writes about this place: On the shore of the quiet cove in the innermost part of the Bryggevannet, at the transition between the inland waterway and the waterway out to the coast, more than 1,000 years ago a small craft and trade center with simple wickerwork huts grew up. It was based on the tanning of reindeer skins and the processing of reindeer horns from Hardangervidda and whetstones from Eidsborg and Lårdal. It shows how extensive the hinterland was that created Skien and the importance and scope of the waterways both inland into Telemark - and outwards from Skien. Brynestein from Skien has been found again over large parts of Northern Europe. It shows the extent of the trade connections that were to become the basis for the city of Skien. Today's Handelstorget is the last remnants of this original Skien. There are older trading places than Skien in Northern Europe, such as Skiringssal in Vestfold, Birka in Sweden and Hedeby in Denmark, but while the others have disappeared, only Ribe in Denmark and Skien still exist as cities today. Handelstorget in Skien represents more than 1,000 years of trade and craftsmanship and an extensive network both within Telemark and beyond in Europe. And it was precisely here, in Stockmann's farm by the square, that Henrik Ibsen was born on 20 March 1828.
#2
Stockmann House – Henrik Ibsen’s Birthplace.
At the top of Trade Square lies what is today Telemarksgata 12. Before the city fire in 1886, the Stockmann House was located on this site, and it was here that Henrik Ibsen was born on March 20, 1828. The large townhouse included, among other things, a needlework school for upper-class girls. The nearest neighbor to the west was the Plesner family's townhouse, where Henrik's grandmother had grown up and where his father, Knud Ibsen, apprenticed in trade with his uncle. Knud Ibsen moved into Stockmann House in 1825 and established his business on the ground floor. That same year, he married Marichen Altenburg. Henrik Ibsen came into the world in the corner room on the second floor of the townhouse. His two-year-old older brother was very ill at the time and died only three weeks after Henrik's birth. The family moved to Altenburg House before Ibsen was three years old, but in his short autobiography, Ibsen recalls several memories from the years in this house. Among other things, Ibsen writes this about the place where he was born: I was ... born in a house by the square, Stockmann’s house, as it was then called. This house was directly opposite the front of the church with the high steps and the impressive tower. To the right of the church stood the town’s pillory, and to the left lay the town hall with the prison and the “madhouse.” The fourth side of the square was occupied by the Latin school and the citizen school. The church stood freely in the middle.
#3
The Parsonage.
The parsonage is the yellow wooden building at the top of the hill at the end of Telemarksgata. This is one of the few buildings in old Skien that remained standing after the fire in 1886. Here lived the strict and pietistic priest Gustav Adolf Lammers. While Henrik Ibsen made a career as a playwright, friends, acquaintances, and siblings in Skien joined a congregation that claimed theater was sinful. Most of Henrik Ibsen's friends and acquaintances were inspired by the strict and pietistic priest Lammers. Poul Lieungh, to whom Henrik wrote from Grimstad, married the daughter of Priest Lammers. In 1860, after a few years in this free church congregation, Lammers grew very tired of what he called "a pretentious spirituality" among some in the congregation, and he therefore expelled 24 people. Most of them had surnames like Boyesen, Eckstorm, Lieungh, and Ording—all from the Ibsen family's circle. Shortly after, they gathered at Børsesjø, where they were baptized in their newly established congregation. In 1861, Henrik Ibsen's sister, Hedvig, joined this congregation, and a few years later, his younger brother, Ole, also joined.
#4
Altenburg House.
In 1830, Henrik's father, Knud Ibsen's business received a boost through the inheritance of his father-in-law's trading house, his distillery, breweries, seafront warehouses, and not least Altenburg House in the center, which stood here until the city fire in 1886. In 1831, when Henrik was three years old, the family moved from Stockmann House up here to Altenburg House. During his childhood, Henrik Ibsen was the eldest son of a vigorous and skilled merchant. As a new businessman, Knud Ibsen increased his turnover while most others in the city suffered due to the crisis in the timber industry and shipping. Henrik Ibsen spent precisely his first seven years of life in a family that had every reason for optimism and faith in the future. Tor Gardåsen at Telemark Museum has described in one of his many books how child-rearing in these bourgeois families was characterized by distance and an almost ritualistic interaction between parents and children. Daily interaction was left to governesses and private tutors, who indoctrinated the children with the idea that they were special, that they were finer than other children and preferably should not play with them. It would, of course, be speculative to claim that such an educational ideal came to characterize Henrik Ibsen, but at least it can be said that this was an upbringing ideal that suited someone with Henrik Ibsen's personality well. He had a touch of arrogance throughout his life.
#5
Ibsen Park.
The park was established in the center of Skien after the city fire in 1886. On the occasion of Henrik Ibsen’s 70th birthday in 1898, the park was named Henrik Ibsen’s Square, and today it is known as Ibsen Park. In connection with the celebration of Henrik Ibsen’s 130th birthday in 1958, Dyre Vaa’s sculpture of the great poet was unveiled in Ibsen Park in Skien. The sculpture, placed on a granite pedestal, towers over the lower part of the park as an introduction to Henrik Ibsen Street in the center of Skien. The sculpture is crafted in bronze and is larger than life-size. Henrik Ibsen is depicted in his characteristic style; standing, wearing a long coat but without the typical top hat, and with his gaze directed towards the street. It is the mature Ibsen who is depicted with his distinctive sideburns and authoritative presence. The sculpture of Henrik Ibsen has a narrative and decorative style. The artist was not preoccupied with form but rather with the person Henrik Ibsen. Vaa uses the opportunity to convey the position Henrik Ibsen holds in his hometown and emphasizes this by depicting him larger than life-size and placing the sculpture on a high pedestal. In Ibsen Park, there are also the sculptures: “Hedvig and The Wild Duck, Eyolf and Mopsemann” and “The Ride of the Buck”, both by Svein Tore Kleppan.
#6
Festiviteten.
This building is called Festiviteten, and for many years it was Skien's only proper theater venue. Until 2010, the regional theater of Vestfold and Telemark, Teater Ibsen, was housed in Festiviteten. The duo Karpe has owned the building since 2018. They have used it for several art projects in recent years and have invested in renovations—making upgrades and changes to the interior. The building was inaugurated on Henrik Ibsen’s birthday in 1891 with excerpts from «The Pretenders», «Peer Gynt», «Brand», «An Enemy of the People», and recitations from Ibsen’s lyrical poetry. Additionally, Mathias Skeibrok’s new bust of Ibsen was garlanded, and a letter from Ibsen was read. Henrik Ibsen was, of course, invited to the opening day but did not attend. Instead, he wrote: "How I wish that I could have been present on that occasion. Of my childhood acquaintances, I would probably have met only very few. I would have stood in the midst of a new generation, unfamiliar to me. But fundamentally, perhaps not so unfamiliar after all. Through all the many years of absence, it has always seemed to me as if I still belonged in my hometown. [...] How I wish that I could have personally said this—and more—to you. But in my own way, I am still present among you nonetheless. And should I once more, as I hope, come up to Norway, - yes, then I will see the home again, - the old and yet new home."
#7
Skien Church.
The church in Skien had been located at Trade Square in the town since the 13th century. But after the city fire in 1886, which destroyed the old church that Henrik Ibsen knew, it was decided to build the new church further up in the town. Skien Church was completed in 1894, and with its 68-meter-high towers, it is a landmark for Skien. Henrik Ibsen never saw this new church, but the place where it stands can be the starting point for a little story: Henrik Ibsen visited Skien for a couple of weeks in the spring of 1850. He was on his way from Grimstad to Christiania to take his university entrance exams and continue as a playwright. When he left Skien in 1850, he never returned. His sister Hedvig later said she had happy memories of her brother's last visit. Other anecdotes also attest to pleasant times with the family and Henrik, who was debuting as a playwright with «Catilina» during those days. However, it was 19 years before Henrik had contact with any of them again. It was after he received a letter from his sister telling him that their mother had died. His mother, Marichen, died where the towers of Skien Church stand today. She spent her last years with her daughter, Hedvig, who lived in the meeting house of the free church dissenting congregation.
#8
Lie Cemetery.
In this cemetery lie several of Henrik Ibsen's close relatives and individuals from the circle around his upbringing. The only family member Henrik Ibsen himself initiated contact with was his father, Knud Ibsen. Henrik sent him a letter in 1875, after 25 years of silence. They likely exchanged letters a couple of times during the last two years of his father's life. As the gravestone tells, Knud Ibsen died in 1877. In this cemetery, you will find the graves of Henrik Ibsen's mother and father. Here also lies his sister, Hedvig Stousland, and her family. Henrik Ibsen is buried at Our Savior's Cemetery in Oslo, while his younger brother, Ole, rests in Stavern. Johan never had a grave but died as a gold miner in California. Nicolai is buried in Iowa under the inscription "By strangers honored and strangers mourned." If you look around the cemetery, you will find important names from the Ibsen family's closest circle. Here, you will find names of Ibsen's relatives from the Blom, Paus, Plesner, and Cappelen families. Also buried here are acquaintances of the Ibsen family, such as Lieungh, Melgaard, Bøysen, Gasmann, Houen, and notably Lammers.
#9
Scheel House.
On this corner stood the building where Henrik Ibsen attended school from 1841. Boye Ording shared a desk with Henrik at school and recounted several anecdotes from their school days. He particularly remembered how skilled Henrik was at drawing, but also that he wrote an essay so good that the teacher accused Henrik of plagiarism. Ibsen himself added to this anecdote that he had refuted the accusation "in a more energetic manner than the teacher approved of." Ording also wrote about a quarrel between Henrik and a classmate they called the Astronomer. One day, the Astronomer had written a satirical verse about Henrik. Henrik responded to the provocation with a caricature of the Astronomer that was so accurate it led to a fight in the classroom.
#10
Ibsen Steps
The Ibsen Steps start where Telemarksgata meets Kongens gate, ascending via Snipetorpgata towards Brekkeparken. Constructed of concrete and adorned with granite, the Ibsen Steps lead up to Telemark Museum at Brekkeparken. Halfway up, at the intersection with Snipetorpgata, you reach Sorrento Square, where a bust of Henrik Ibsen stands, crafted by artist Håkon Anton Fagerås. A similar bust is erected in Sorrento, Italy, the place where Henrik Ibsen wrote the dramas "Peer Gynt" and "Ghosts". Sorrento maintains a friendship with Skien. Out of the 127 steps, 32 are embellished with famous quotes from Henrik Ibsen's renowned play "Peer Gynt". These quotes take you through the entire play, from the opening line in Act One, "Peer - you are lying", to Solveig's famous line "- in my hope and in my love" in Act Five. The Ibsen Steps serve as the path from downtown Skien to Brekkeparken, where Telemark Museum is located. At the top of the steps, follow the path and then the road to reach the entrance of Brekkeparken.
#11
Lieungh Family House, Snipetorpgata 2
The earliest known handwriting from Henrik Ibsen is a letter he sent from Grimstad addressed to Poul Lieungh, who lived in this house. Lieungh owned the entire lower part of this block. From the letter, it is evident that Ibsen's circle of friends in Skien wrote poems and borrowed books from each other. They were also, of course, interested in girls. Henrik writes: "You may believe that Grimstad, and especially its surroundings, are quite beautiful; and although not as gallant as Skien’s, the ladies are also quite appealing, and you can be sure that I do everything to obtain their favor, which is also quite easy to achieve."
#12
Snipetorp
Snipetorp is Skien's oldest residential area that survived the fires of 1854 and 1886. Here you find old Skien with continuous wooden house settlements dating back to the late 1700s. Snipetorp was one of the old entrances to the city, bustling with workshops and pubs. The Ibsen family lived in Snipetorpgata 27 from 1843, though Henrik probably did not reside in this house as he had moved to Grimstad during this period. However, Henrik visited here several times.
#13
Snipetorpgata 27
This was the home of the Ibsen family, but Henrik likely did not live here. Telemark Museum's research suggests that Henrik only stayed here during summer holidays in July 1845 and for a couple of weeks in April 1850. In November 1843, Henrik Ibsen left for an apprenticeship in pharmacy in Grimstad. In December of the same year, his family moved from their childhood home at Venstøp (now a museum) to this house. The Ibsens lived on the second floor. Besides his parents, Knud and Marichen, Henrik's older brother Johan also moved here. He lived here until he emigrated to America in 1849. Sister Hedvig lived here until she got engaged to skipper Hans Jacob Stousland in the early 1850s. The hunchbacked second youngest brother Nicolai lived here and operated a dry goods store until he declared bankruptcy in 1863, two months before bankruptcy laws were introduced. The youngest brother in the family, Ole Paus Ibsen, lived here from the age of eight until he was fourteen, when he was sent to sea. Money ran out in the mid-1850s, but Knud and Marichen Ibsen still had servants in their household. This was typical of their social status and indicates they were well taken care of by Knud Ibsen's wealthy half-brother, Christopher Blom Paus.
#14
Henrik Ibsen Museum at Venstøp
Venstøp is Henrik Ibsen's childhood home from age seven to fifteen. The family moved here in 1835 after father Knud Ibsen had to sell all his properties in town. Located in Gjerpen, about 5 km north of downtown, Venstøp consists of a protected main building from 1815, brewery house, servants' quarters, barn, and storehouse. The farm is set in a beautiful cultural landscape in Gjerpen, offering a place for a break with a reconstructed bowling alley in the garden. Guests are invited to use it as they did when visiting Knud and Marichen Ibsen in the 1830s. The museum recounts the story of the world-renowned author's upbringing. Inside the childhood home are furniture and items known to have belonged to the Ibsen family. Exhibitions also cover the author or his work. The museum includes a shop and café. For opening hours and current exhibitions, visit the museum's website.
#15
The harbour of Skien - Langbrygga
Henrik Ibsen departed Skien aboard the ship "Lykkens prøve" in 1843. In earlier times, the area was a busy harbor with warehouses and maritime activities. Skien's old railway station was located on Langbrygga from 1882 to 1963.
#16
«Rottejomfruen» (Rat virgin)
Located on Bakkestranda just outside the center of Skien, you will find the sculpture "Rottejomfruen". The 7-meter tall sculpture "Rottejomfruen" draws inspiration from Henrik Ibsen's play "Little Eyolf". It is situated in Bakkestranda, one of the most popular outdoor areas in Skien. "Rottejomfruen" depicts a lady who visits homes asking if there's anything that gnaws and troubles them. She refers to rats, but between the lines, we understand Ibsen questions whether there's something gnawing and troubling between people. Created by artist Marit Benthe Norheim, the sculpture features porcelain eyes contributed by 2,349 pupils from Skien's schools, each embedded into the 7-meter tall sculpture. In addition to being a work of art, the sculpture serves as a playground apparatus, with a slide inside that is especially popular among young children.
#17
Skien Library
Skien Library Skien Library is the public library of Skien municipality. The library houses one of Norway's largest collections of books by and about Henrik Ibsen. As part of Skien's preparations for the 200th anniversary of Ibsen's birth in 2028, the library has established a dedicated department focused on promoting the literary heritage of Henrik Ibsen. The dissemination center, called Sølvåren, along with the library, service center, and tourist information, will be located in the new Ibsen Library, which is set to be completed by 2028.
#18
Ibsenhuset
Ibsenhuset was inaugurated in 1973 and serves as the city's cultural center. The cultural center offers a rich cultural program throughout much of the year. In and around Ibsenhuset, there are sculptures of both Ibsen himself and his characters. Skien Library is also located in Ibsenhuset, where you can find one of Norway's largest Ibsen collections, consisting of Ibsen's own dramatic works. The collection comprises over 700 titles.
#19
Teater Ibsen
Teater Ibsen er regionteateret for Telemark og Vestfold. Teateret holder til på Klosterøya i Skien. Teater Ibsen spiller forestillinger rettet mot barn og voksne og ønsker å utvikle ny dramatikk i store og små formater. Annethvert år arrangerer Teater Ibsen den internasjonale festivalen Ibsen Scope og deler ut stipendier (Ibsen Scope Grants) til teaterprosjekter som setter Ibsens tekster inn i en sosial og politisk kontekst. Siden starten i 2006 (?) har Ibsen Scope bidratt til omlag 60 produksjoner i 30 ulike land og mange av dem er vist i Skien under Ibsen Scope Festival. Festivalen finner sted neste gang i 2026 og deretter annethvert år.
#20
Tourist Information - "Kaffehuset"
Now you are standing by the "Kaffehuset" and the Tourist Information in Skien. To the left of the entrance, there is a map showing the places in the city that have something to tell about Henrik Ibsen's life in Skien. To get to the Ibsen locations, we recommend that you go to the left from here and up the first street to the right, Henrik Ibsen's Street, and up towards Handelstorget. Enjoy your trip!