Johannes Jensen Danish writer, Nobel Prize for Literature, 1944 Date of Birth: 20.01.1873 Country: Denmark

Biography of Johannes V. Jensen

Johannes Vilhelm Jensen, a Danish writer, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1944. Born in Farsø, Himmerland, in northern Jutland, he was educated by his mother until the age of 11. He then attended a local school for two years before taking private lessons in preparation for admission to Viborg Cathedral School in 1890.

After studying for three years in Viborg, Johannes enrolled in the University of Copenhagen, where he initially pursued medicine and natural sciences but developed a greater interest in literature. During his student years, he supported himself by writing detective novels, which were published under the pseudonym Ivar Lykke.

During this time, the aspiring writer also worked on his novel "Danes" ("Danskere"), published in 1896. With the money he earned from the book, he took a brief trip to the United States, which greatly impressed him with its standard of living, technological advancements, and progressive ideals. Johannes was particularly intrigued by the lives of Danish immigrants in America, and upon his return to Copenhagen, he wrote "Einar Elkoer" in 1897.

Encouraged by his literary success, Johannes abandoned his medical studies in 1898 and became a correspondent for the Danish newspaper "Politiken." He was assigned to cover the Spanish-American War and also embarked on a circumnavigation journey in 1902-1903. Throughout this time, he continued to write books and articles for "Politiken." In 1904, he married Elza Marie Ulrik, and they lived together with their three sons in Copenhagen.

In 1912, Johannes embarked on another circumnavigation, visiting Ceylon, Singapore, Beijing, Mongolia, and ultimately New York, from where he returned to Copenhagen in 1914. His impressions from the trip were documented in the book "Introduction to Our Era" ("Introduktion til vor Tidsalder") published in 1915.

From 1922 to 1924, Johannes released six volumes of "The Long Journey" ("Den lange Rejse"), an extensive artistic exposition of his evolutionary theories, presenting the harsh nature as a stimulus in the search for a lost ideal land. In 1925, he embarked on another journey, this time to Egypt, Palestine, and North Africa. Upon his return to Copenhagen in 1928, the writer completed "Milestones of Consciousness" ("Andens Stadier").

In 1939, Johannes visited the United States once again, but his illness forced him to return to Denmark after a few months. In 1944, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his rare strength and wealth of poetic imagination combined with intellectual curiosity and originality of creative style."