Christen Collin
Encyclopedia
Christen Christian Dreyer Collin (21 November 1857 – 1 April 1926) was a Norwegian literary historian.
He was born in Trondhjem
as a son of Georg Fredrik Collin (died 1867) and Marie Fredrikke Dreyer (1833–1901). When his father died at the age of ten, Christen Collin was raised by his maternal grandfather in Tromsøe
. He took the cand.philol. degree at the Royal Frederick University
in 1887, and studied abroad while writing for Verdens Gang
before returning home and founding the periodical Nyt Tidsskrift
.
He started teaching at the Royal Frederick University in 1892, and was promoted to docent
in the history of European literature in 1895. He was a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
from 1897. He was a professor from 1914 to his death, and is best known for his research on English literature
and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
. He biographed the early Bjørnson in the 1907 book Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. Hans barndom og ungdom. A collection of letter correspondance between Bjørnson and Collin was released in 1937. A William Shakespeare
biography was planned but never finished, but Collin wrote articles on Shakespeare, reissued The Merchant of Venice
and translated English poetry.
Collin was not uncontroversial in his time. He criticized Naturalism
, especially in the 1894 book Kunsten og moralen, and received rebuttals from people like Gunnar Heiberg
, Nils Kjær
, Arne Garborg
and Georg Brandes
. He, especially in his later career, wrote several books where he diagnosed the European culture of the time with "cultural diseases" or "cultural problems". In them, he fused his cultural knowledge with sociology, natural sciences and medicine. Such books include Leo Tolstoi og nutidens kulturkrise (1910), Brorskapets religion og den nye livsvidenskap (1912), Det geniale menneske (1914), Vintersolhverv (1916), Verdenskrigen og det store tidsskifte (1917), Livskunst (1917), Den hvite mands sidste chanse (1921) and Ved en ny tids frembrud (1922). From 1918 to 1925 he edited his own periodical, Atlantis. He was branded as a socialist by some, but shunned by the socialists after supporting the existence of a military. During the First World War he strongly supported of the Triple Entente
.
In July 1894 he married Astrid Greve (1874–1947), a daughter of Mathias Sigwardt Greve
and sister of Ulrikke Greve and Bredo Greve. He died in April 1926 in Oslo
.
He was born in Trondhjem
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
as a son of Georg Fredrik Collin (died 1867) and Marie Fredrikke Dreyer (1833–1901). When his father died at the age of ten, Christen Collin was raised by his maternal grandfather in Tromsøe
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
. He took the cand.philol. degree at the Royal Frederick University
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
in 1887, and studied abroad while writing for Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang (1868-1923 newspaper)
Verdens Gang is a former Norwegian newspaper, issued in Oslo from 1868 to 1923.It was established as a weekly magazine in 1868, later expanded to three issues a week, and was issued daily from 1885. It was the most widespread political newspaper in Norway for many years, and had considerable...
before returning home and founding the periodical Nyt Tidsskrift
Nyt Tidsskrift
Nyt Tidsskrift is a former Norwegian literary, cultural and political magazine issued from 1882 to 1887, and with a second series from 1892 to 1895. The magazine had contributions from severeal of the leading intellectuals of the time, including later Nobel Literature Prize laureate Bjørnstjerne...
.
He started teaching at the Royal Frederick University in 1892, and was promoted to docent
Docent
Docent is a title at some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks below professor . Docent is also used at some universities generically for a person who has the right to teach...
in the history of European literature in 1895. He was a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway.-History:The University of Oslo was established in 1811. The idea of a learned society in Christiania surfaced for the first time in 1841. The city of Throndhjem had no university, but had a learned...
from 1897. He was a professor from 1914 to his death, and is best known for his research on English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland...
. He biographed the early Bjørnson in the 1907 book Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. Hans barndom og ungdom. A collection of letter correspondance between Bjørnson and Collin was released in 1937. A William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
biography was planned but never finished, but Collin wrote articles on Shakespeare, reissued The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
and translated English poetry.
Collin was not uncontroversial in his time. He criticized Naturalism
Naturalism (literature)
Naturalism was a literary movement taking place from the 1880s to 1940s that used detailed realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping human character...
, especially in the 1894 book Kunsten og moralen, and received rebuttals from people like Gunnar Heiberg
Gunnar Heiberg
Gunnar Edvard Rode Heiberg was a Norwegian poet, playwright, journalist and theatre critic.-Personal life:...
, Nils Kjær
Nils Kjær
Nils Kjær was a Norwegian playwright, short story writer, essayist, literary critic and theatre critic.-Personal life:Kjær was born in Holmestrand as the son of Nils Henrik Kjær and Christine Smestad...
, Arne Garborg
Arne Garborg
Arne Garborg, born Aadne Eivindsson Garborg was a Norwegian writer.Garborg championed the use of Landsmål , as a literary language; he translated the Odyssey into it...
and Georg Brandes
Georg Brandes
Georg Morris Cohen Brandes was a Danish critic and scholar who had great influence on Scandinavian and European literature from the 1870s through the turn of the 20th century. He is seen as the theorist behind the "Modern Breakthrough" of Scandinavian culture...
. He, especially in his later career, wrote several books where he diagnosed the European culture of the time with "cultural diseases" or "cultural problems". In them, he fused his cultural knowledge with sociology, natural sciences and medicine. Such books include Leo Tolstoi og nutidens kulturkrise (1910), Brorskapets religion og den nye livsvidenskap (1912), Det geniale menneske (1914), Vintersolhverv (1916), Verdenskrigen og det store tidsskifte (1917), Livskunst (1917), Den hvite mands sidste chanse (1921) and Ved en ny tids frembrud (1922). From 1918 to 1925 he edited his own periodical, Atlantis. He was branded as a socialist by some, but shunned by the socialists after supporting the existence of a military. During the First World War he strongly supported of the Triple Entente
Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was the name given to the alliance among Britain, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
.
In July 1894 he married Astrid Greve (1874–1947), a daughter of Mathias Sigwardt Greve
Mathias Sigwardt Greve
Mathias Sigwardt Greve was a Norwegian physician, best known as the director of Rikshospitalet from 1883 to 1911.-Personal life:...
and sister of Ulrikke Greve and Bredo Greve. He died in April 1926 in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
.