Morten Korch
Encyclopedia
Morten Korch was a Danish
writer who wrote populist stories and romances about rural Denmark. During his lifetime, he was the most widely read author in Denmark. Korch wrote 123 novels, several of which were made into popular films. In 1937, Korch was awarded a Danish knighthood in the Order of Dannebrog. He is listed in the book of The 20th century's 100 most important people in Denmark.
, Denmark
. He was the son of a teacher and had seven siblings. At the age of 14, Korch left home and began an apprenticeship in business with his uncle in Nyborg. After finishing his apprenticeship, Korch worked for W. Løngreen in Odense, for whom he drove a horse-drawn wagon to farms selling various wares including porcelain and chemicals.
Korch was a writer of populist stories, which centered around the old-fashioned traditions of farms, small shops and rural merchants. His tales were built around the traditional adventure model of idyll-crisis-idyll. The characters tended to be stereotypes, and the problems clearly marked as a battle between good and evil which were always resolved happily. Beneath Korch's stories, there is a focus on the conservative patriarchal society and the belief in conservative Christian morals. Korch wrote 123 separate titles and sold more than 7 million books in Denmark alone. In 1937, Korch received a knighthood in the royal Danish society of Order of Dannebrog. By 1940, Korch was the mostly widely read author in Denmark, where he was known as "Denmark's Morten". From 1942 to 1947 he sat on the board of the Danish Writers Union.
In 1999, he was listed in the book of The 20th century's 100 most important people in Denmark.
made the first film of a Korch novel: his 1943 book De røde heste
(The Red Horses). The simple story—young newlyweds who try to save the family horse farm from bankrupty by winning a racing derby—became the biggest box office success in Danish cinema. By 1976, eighteen films had been produced of Morten Korch stories. Ib Bundebjerg wrote that these combined "a special Danish popular comedy tradition with a reassuring portrayal of a rural environment at a time of frenzied modernisation."
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
writer who wrote populist stories and romances about rural Denmark. During his lifetime, he was the most widely read author in Denmark. Korch wrote 123 novels, several of which were made into popular films. In 1937, Korch was awarded a Danish knighthood in the Order of Dannebrog. He is listed in the book of The 20th century's 100 most important people in Denmark.
Early life
Morten Luther Gudmund Korch was born on 17 January 1876 in the small village of Over Holluf on the island of FynFYN
Proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Fyn is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the FYN gene.This gene is a member of the protein-tyrosine kinase oncogene family. It encodes a membrane-associated tyrosine kinase that has been implicated in the control of cell growth...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. He was the son of a teacher and had seven siblings. At the age of 14, Korch left home and began an apprenticeship in business with his uncle in Nyborg. After finishing his apprenticeship, Korch worked for W. Løngreen in Odense, for whom he drove a horse-drawn wagon to farms selling various wares including porcelain and chemicals.
Writing career
Korch's first story, Jule Toner (Sounds of Christmas) was published in 1892 and his first book of stories, Fyensk Humør (Humor of Fyn) was published in 1898. In 1916, at the age of 40, Korch decided to become a full-time author.Korch was a writer of populist stories, which centered around the old-fashioned traditions of farms, small shops and rural merchants. His tales were built around the traditional adventure model of idyll-crisis-idyll. The characters tended to be stereotypes, and the problems clearly marked as a battle between good and evil which were always resolved happily. Beneath Korch's stories, there is a focus on the conservative patriarchal society and the belief in conservative Christian morals. Korch wrote 123 separate titles and sold more than 7 million books in Denmark alone. In 1937, Korch received a knighthood in the royal Danish society of Order of Dannebrog. By 1940, Korch was the mostly widely read author in Denmark, where he was known as "Denmark's Morten". From 1942 to 1947 he sat on the board of the Danish Writers Union.
In 1999, he was listed in the book of The 20th century's 100 most important people in Denmark.
Film legacy
Several of Korch's novels were developed into successful movies. In 1950, film director Alice O'FredericksAlice O'Fredericks
Alice O'Fredericks was a Danish actress, screen writer, and film director. She is best known for directing the series of Far til Fire comedies and the series of family dramas based on Morten Korch novels. Having written 38 produced screenplays and directed 72 feature films, O'Fredericks was one...
made the first film of a Korch novel: his 1943 book De røde heste
De røde heste
The Red Horses, , is a 1950 Danish romantic drama directed by Alice O'Fredericks and Jon Iversen, based on the popular novel by Morten Korch. The film stars Poul Reichhardt and Tove Maës as young newlyweds who try to save an old family farm by winning a horse race...
(The Red Horses). The simple story—young newlyweds who try to save the family horse farm from bankrupty by winning a racing derby—became the biggest box office success in Danish cinema. By 1976, eighteen films had been produced of Morten Korch stories. Ib Bundebjerg wrote that these combined "a special Danish popular comedy tradition with a reassuring portrayal of a rural environment at a time of frenzied modernisation."
Personal life
In 1899 Korch married the niece of his first employer, Elna Marie Løngreen Fyrdendahl, with whom he had five children. After Elna died of tuberculosis in 1907, Korch married a second time, to Sophie Petrea Bruun in 1908 and they had two sons together. Sophie died in 1953, and one year later, on 8 October 1954, Korch died at the age of 78.Further reading
- Berthelsen, Carsten, Morten og det danske guld. Morten Korch for begyndere. 1998. 80 pg.
- Lundbye, Vagn, Hundred år efter Morten Korchs første bog, (speech given at Odense Town hall) Bogens Verden, 1998, nr. 6, pg. 11-13.
- Johansen, Klaus, Morten Korch. En bibliografi. 1995. 62 pg.
- Mylius, Johan de, Traditionens guld - og Landmandsbankens, NORDICA, IV, 1987, pg. 65-94 (+ addendum pg. 95-99).
- Korch, Morten A., Min far Morten Korch, 1979. 153 pg
- Andersen, Frantz Smolle, Olav Harsløf, Freddie Pagh, Gitte Pedersen, Kirsten Dyssel Pedersen, Henrik V. Petersen & Ivan Z. Sørensen, Bogen om Morten Korch En smaaborgers virksomhed. 1977. 288 pg.
- Knudsen, Finn Bruun, Freddie Pagh & Ivan Zlebaci Sørensen, Fascismen i 30erne, Litteratur & Samfund, nr. 4-5, 1975, pg. 10-75. (pg. 42-66 address Morten Korch's I morgen får vi sol.)
- Korch, Morten A., Morten Korch, Folkeminder, nr. 14-15, 1969–71, pg. 213-20.