- World famous: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN Andersen is a world-famous Danish author best known for his fairy tales for children
- 160 languages: Over a period of almost 40 years, he managed to write and publish 156 fairy tales, which today have been translated into more than 160 different languages. The total number of published fairy tales and stories is 212 if you include material published after his death (you can read more about his death at the bottom of this page)
- China: Some of his adventures are now compulsory learning material for school children in China
- Other publications: In addition to fairy tales, he also wrote numerous books, poems, dramas, autobiographies and travelogues
- The Christmas heart: In Denmark, he was also known for his bouquets and paper cuts. He is believed to have invented the Danish braided Christmas heart
- The Yellow Age: He was one of the protagonists of the Danish Golden Age (along with H.C. Ørsted, Adam Oehlenschläger, N.F.S. Ørsted, Adam Oehlenschläger, N.F.S. Grundtvig, Søren Kierkegaard and others).
- Love: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN’S FIRST LOVE WAS HIS FIANCÉE RIBORG KRISTINE VOIGT. Andersen’s first great love was the already engaged Riborg Kristine Voigt, the daughter of a royal agent
- Quotes: Famous quotes by Hans Christian Andersen include. Andersen include: ‘To travel is to live’ and ‘What the fatter does is always right’
- Adventure: His most famous fairy tales include: ‘The Tinderbox’, ‘The Princess and the Pea’, ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘The Ugly Duckling’
- Poems: His most famous poems include: ‘Hist hvor Vejen slår en Bugt’ and ‘I Danmark er jeg født’

Fact: Today, some of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales are a compulsory part of schoolchildren’s education in China. Andersen’s fairy tales are a compulsory part of the curriculum for school children in China
Basic information
- Name: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN. Andersen’s full name is Hans Christian Andersen
- Birth: He was born on April 2, 1805 in Hjørnehuset, Hans Jensens Stræde 43 (part of the current museum H.C. Andersens Hus) in Odense
- Baptism: He was baptized at home at 2 am on April 2, 1805. The baptism was confirmed on April 15, 1805 in Sankt Hans Church in Odense; the first baptism took place immediately after birth due to the high infant mortality rate at the time
- Baptismal certificate: His baptismal certificate was produced in November 1823 – probably in connection with an inheritance case upon the death of his grandfather
- Family: He never married and had no children
- Dead: He died on August 4, 1875 at Rolighed in Copenhagen. He is buried at Assistens Kierkegaard in Copenhagen
Facts about H.C. Andersen’s family
- Far: His father was journeyman shoemaker Hans Andersen (1782-1816), who was also a soldier
- Mpr: His mother was washerwoman Anne Marie Andersdatter (1773 or 1775 – 1833)
- Inspiration: It is believed that H.C. Andersen’s mother’s life inspired him to write the fairy tales ‘The Little Match Girl’ and ‘She Wasn’t Good Enough’. However, it was his father who sparked his interest in acting
- Marriage: H.C. Andersen’s parents were married in St. Knud’s Church in Odense on February 2, 1805 (2 months before Hans Christian Andersen’s birth)
- Siblings: At the time of H.C. Andersen’s birth, his mother already had a daughter, Karen Marie Andersen, who was placed with his grandmother
Childhood
- Housing: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN Andersen grew up in the property Klingenberg 646, which is now Munkemøllestræde 3. The home was 42 m2 in total
- Schooling: At the age of 6, he was sent to a boys’ school. Later he went to a school for Jewish children and then also to a ‘poor school’
- Holberg’s comedies: It was his father who sparked Hans Christian Andersen’s interest in theater. Andersen’s interest in theater and culture by showing him Holberg’s comedies
- Work: H.C. Andersen was apprenticed in a cloth factory and also worked in a tobacco company, but he was not suited to physical labor – he was sent back to a poor school where he studied religion and arithmetic
- Confirmation: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN Andersen was confirmed on July 8, 1819 in Odense Cathedral by the cathedral vicar, who normally only confirmed children from wealthier families
- Privileges: Despite his family’s impoverished situation, they never suffered any real hardship and Hans Christian Andersen Andersen generally had a more sheltered and privileged life than children from similar circumstances
Youth and adulthood
- Copenhagen: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN Andersen left Odense on September 4, 1819 and arrived in Copenhagen the following day
- Networking: In Copenhagen, he managed to get in touch with several of the important personalities of the time in the theater and art world and managed to raise money to get ‘the day off the road’
- First play: In 1821, Hans Christian Andersen wrote his first play. Andersen wrote his first play: The Robbers of Vissenbjerg. In 1822, he published his first book, ‘The Ghost at Palnatok’s Grave’, which did not sell many copies
- Latin school: At the age of 17, he entered the prestigious Latin school in Slagelse, which was made possible thanks to a donation from King Frederik the 6th.
- B.S. Ingemann: He then spent several times in Sorø, where he came into contact with the poet B.S. Ingemann
- Inheritance: In 1824, he traveled back to Odense to transfer part of his grandfather’s inheritance to his mother. He visited his mother again in 1825
- Relocation: In 1826, Hans Christian Andersen moved to Elsinore. Andersen moved to Elsinore. In 1827, however, he moved back to Copenhagen because his living conditions in Elsinore were too poor
- Author debut: On September 25, 1827, he had his poem ‘The Dying Child’ published in Kjøbenhavnsposten and his career as a writer began
- High school graduation: Although he was mandated to take the matriculation exam in 1827, he did not receive it until September 22, 1828
- Dancing and singing: H.C. Andersen dreamed of being trained in dancing and singing at the Royal Danish Theatre, which he was not suited for (although he did start the program)
- First releases: In 1831 he published his first collection of poetry and in 1835 his first novel and his first two collections of fairy tales
- Travel: In the years 1831 – 1863 he traveled extensively, including Germany, Italy, Malta, Greece, Turkey, England, Spain and Morocco
Death and death cause
Hans Christian Andersen died on August 4, 1875, from complications following a fall. In 1872, Andersen suffered a serious injury after falling from his bed, which left him in declining health. Over the next few years, his condition worsened, and he ultimately succumbed to liver cancer, though his fall and the resulting injury significantly contributed to his deterioration.