Drawings made by Andersen[1] on his journey to Turkey in 1841 Copyright © Det Kongelige Bibliotek (Denmark) Mavi Boncuk |
Travel through Europe during the mid-19th century was by stagecoach, often in cramped, uncomfortable conditions. The advent of the railway during this period improved people’s way of travelling and Andersen, always keen to embrace new technology, would have been one of the first to benefit from it.
"I have heard many say that the coming of the railway would be the end of the poetry and romance of travel and that everything beautiful and interesting would be lost ... And as for the disappearance of the poetry of travel, I am of the completely opposite opinion. It is in the cramped, overfilled stage- coaches [2] and diligences that poetry vanishes. In them one becomes dull, and in the best of weather one is plagued by dust and heat and in the winter by bad roads"
En Digters Bazar (A Poet’s Bazaar)
"Oh, to travel, to travel! If only one could spend one’s life fluttering about! I feel as if the world is my home and I shall, I must, frolic about in that home."
Mitt Livs Eventyr
Andersen was unusual among his contemporaries, in that he spent an astonishing nine years outside Denmark. His experiences provided the background for some of his novels and for several factual accounts. Although he travelled as far as Constantinople his greatest loves remained Italy,[3] inspiration for his first novel, and Germany, where he first became famous. The huge success of his tales in Britain also prompted visits in 1847 and 1857 – during the latter he stayed at Charles Dickens’ house for five weeks!
[1]Hans Christian Andersen (April 2, 1805 – August 4, 1875) was a Danish author and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", "The Snow Queen", "The Little Mermaid", "Thumbelina", "The Little Match Girl", and the "The Ugly Duckling".
[2] A nine-month journey from Copenhagen to Constantinople was by coach. He mentions in his diary, “in Constantinople I passed eleven interesting days; and according to my good fortune in travel, the birthday of Mahomet itself fell exactly during my stay there. I saw the grand illumination, which completely transported me into the Thousand and One Nights.”It was from these travel experiences that he wrote the story “Mahomet's Birthday. A Scene in Constantinople”.
[3] 1840-41 / Journey to Italy, Greece and Constantinople; returning via the Balkans, Dresden and Leipzig, where Andersen meets Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.
1841
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