Martin Andersen Nexø in his youth, c. 1900s
Assistens Cemetery, Copenhagen, Denmark
Martin Andersen Nexø's Grave
Martin Andersen as a child
Martin Andersen Nexø in his youth, c. 1900s
(This collection of literature attempts to compile many of...)
This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1514295237/?tag=2022091-20
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work, maintaining the same format as the original work. While some publishers have opted to apply OCR (optical character recognition) technology to the process, we believe this leads to sub-optimal results (frequent typographical errors, strange characters and confusing formatting) and does not adequately preserve the historical character of the original artifact.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AIIQ0A8/?tag=2022091-20
(Set in Denmark, the novel Days in the Sun is a socialist ...)
Set in Denmark, the novel Days in the Sun is a socialist romance which depicts the life of a talented young artist, struggling to make his way in a society with restrictive class structures. The book highlights the conflicts between the working-class and the bourgeoisie, and the power of art in disrupting the status quo. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.
https://www.amazon.com/Days-Sun-Martin-Andersen-Nexo/dp/1021513725/?tag=2022091-20
(The Danish classic Pelle the Conqueror, appeared between ...)
The Danish classic Pelle the Conqueror, appeared between 1906 (Part I) and 1910 (Part IV). It tells the story of Pelle, a poor boy, whose life in Part I shares much similarities with Nexø's. "The great charm of the book lies in the fact that the writer knows the poor from within; he has not studied them as an outsider may, but has lived with them and felt with them, at once a participant and a keen-eyed spectator.
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Martin Nexø
Born into a modest family as the fourth of eleven children, Martin's early life was marked by economic hardship. In 1877, seeking better opportunities, the Andersen family relocated to Nexø on the island of Bornholm. This town would later inspire Martin to adopt "Nexø" as part of his surname, symbolizing a deep connection to the place that shaped much of his formative years.
Martin's educational journey was unconventional, reflecting the challenges of his socioeconomic background. Initially apprenticed as a shoemaker, he later attended a folk high school in Nexø, an institution emphasizing community-based learning and cultural education. These schools, inspired by the educational philosophies of N.F.S. Grundtvig, aimed to empower the common people through enlightenment and self-improvement. It's plausible that this environment nurtured Martin's burgeoning interest in literature and social issues.
In the early 1890s, Martin furthered his studies at the Askov Folk High School, renowned for its progressive teaching methods. Here, he would have been exposed to contemporary literary movements and social theories, potentially interacting with educators and peers who influenced his ideological development. The emphasis on personal growth and societal responsibility at Askov likely played a role in shaping his future writings, which often centered on themes of social justice and the human condition.
After completing his education, Martin embarked on a career as a journalist, contributing to various newspapers and periodicals. His journalistic endeavors allowed him to engage directly with societal issues, providing a platform to voice concerns about the plight of the working class. This period honed his observational skills and deepened his understanding of the socio-economic challenges faced by many Danes.
In the mid-1890s, Martin traveled through Southern Europe, visiting countries such as Italy and Spain. These journeys were undertaken partly for health reasons, as he sought relief from tuberculosis. The experiences and insights gained during these travels were later encapsulated in his travelogue "Soldage" ("Days in the Sun"), published in 1903. This work reflects his keen observations of different cultures and the universal struggles of humanity.
Martin's literary breakthrough came with the publication of "Pelle Erobreren" ("Pelle the Conqueror") between 1906 and 1910. This four-volume novel chronicles the life of Pelle, a boy from a poor family who rises through society's ranks. The narrative mirrors Martin's own experiences and offers a critique of social structures, resonating with readers worldwide. The novel's acclaim led to its adaptation into films, notably the 1987 version directed by Bille August, which received international accolades.
Following this success, Martin continued to explore themes of social injustice and human resilience. His subsequent major work, "Ditte Menneskebarn" ("Ditte, Child of Man"), published between 1917 and 1921, centers on the life of Ditte, a working-class woman. The novel delves into the sacrifices and hardships faced by women of her class, highlighting issues of gender and social inequality. This work, too, was adapted into a film in 1946, further cementing Martin's influence in both literature and cinema.
Throughout his career, Martin's writings were characterized by a commitment to depicting the realities of the underprivileged, often drawing from his own life experiences. His narratives provided a voice to the voiceless, challenging societal norms and advocating for reform.
After dedicating a few years to teaching, Nexø made the decision to pursue writing full time. His early literary works, such as In the Name of the People and Soldage, reflected both his poetic sensibilities and growing political awareness. As he matured as an author, his writing became more explicitly socialist in nature. He joined the Social Democratic Party, and later aligned himself with the Communist Party of Denmark.
During World War I, he voiced strong anti-war sentiments and used his work to advocate for peace and workers' rights. His strong views made him a controversial figure in Denmark, especially as Europe became increasingly polarized.
With the rise of fascism in Europe, Nexø became more politically active, supporting socialist movements and writing in favor of class struggle. When Nazi Germany invaded Denmark in 1940, his outspoken views and communist affiliations made him a target. In 1941, he fled to Sweden, and later to the Soviet Union, where he lived until the end of the war. While in Moscow, he worked with Danish exile groups and continued to write.
After the war, he settled in Dresden, East Germany, where he was warmly welcomed by the socialist regime. He continued to write until his death in 1954, becoming a symbol of proletarian literature not just in Denmark, but across socialist Europe.
Martin Andersen Nexø's achievements lie primarily in literature and political activism. He is widely regarded as Denmark’s first proletarian writer, someone who chronicled the struggles of the working class from a first-person perspective. His works were lauded not only for their literary merit but for their empathetic portrayal of social injustice.
• Pelle the Conqueror became a symbol of hope and ambition for the working class across Europe.
• Ditte, Child of Man is one of the earliest literary works to center a working-class woman as its main character.
• His books were translated into many languages, including Russian, German, and English, and adapted into award-winning films.
• His influence extended to Soviet and East German literature, where his works were taught in schools and referenced as model examples of Marxist humanism.
(This collection of literature attempts to compile many of...)
(Set in Denmark, the novel Days in the Sun is a socialist ...)
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
(The Danish classic Pelle the Conqueror, appeared between ...)
Although born into a culturally Lutheran society, Martin Andersen Nexø’s religious views evolved significantly throughout his life. He was not a devout follower of Christianity in the traditional sense, and his writings rarely reflect overt religious faith. Instead, his belief system gravitated toward a kind of humanistic socialism. Like many thinkers of the early 20th century influenced by Marxism, Nexø viewed religion more as a social structure than a source of spiritual guidance.
However, echoes of Christian ethics—particularly concern for the poor, compassion, and justice—run deeply through his works. Characters like Ditte resemble Christ-like figures, enduring suffering and showing empathy even in a harsh, indifferent world. Nexø likely saw religion not as doctrine, but as a shared cultural morality that aligned, at times, with socialist ideals of equality, sacrifice, and redemption.
During his exile in the Soviet Union, a militantly atheist environment, Nexø did not publicly express religious belief, further suggesting that his primary worldview was secular and political, rooted in class consciousness and human solidarity.
Martin Andersen Nexø was a lifelong socialist, increasingly radicalized over time. His writings display a consistent critique of capitalism and its effects on the poor. Influenced by Karl Marx and the early Danish labor movement, he believed literature should serve as a vehicle for societal transformation. After witnessing the rise of fascism, Nexø aligned himself more closely with the communist cause. In exile during WWII, he worked with Soviet and Eastern European networks, promoting peace and solidarity among workers. He imagined a world where art and politics intertwined to empower the oppressed. Though controversial in his home country, he was revered in East Germany and the USSR as a champion of workers’ rights.
Martin Andersen Nexø believed in the power of literature to elevate and awaken the human spirit—especially the spirit of the oppressed. His worldview was grounded in dialectical materialism, class struggle, and a profound faith in the transformative capacity of human labor and collective action.
He envisioned society as a structure fundamentally skewed against the poor, and much of his literary work serves to expose this imbalance. His protagonists are often workers, mothers, children, and peasants—those typically overlooked or misrepresented in high literature. By giving them voice, Nexø not only illuminated their struggles but celebrated their resilience, ingenuity, and dreams.
He held a utopian vision of a socialist future—a classless society where dignity is not tied to wealth or pedigree, but to character and contribution. His time in the Soviet Union likely affirmed this belief, though he may have been disillusioned by some realities he witnessed. Still, Nexø remained faithful to the ideal that human society can evolve through collective wisdom and solidarity, and that art plays a vital role in that evolution.
Quotations:
1. “The strength of the people is not in their silence, but in their words.”
2. “Let us not weep for what we do not have, but fight for what we deserve.”
3. “Literature is not a luxury for the few—it is the voice of the many.”
Nexø was affiliated with multiple organizations related to labor rights, socialist literature, and anti-fascist activism. His reputation as a “people’s writer” in East Germany and the Soviet Union placed him at the center of many cultural and ideological groups across Europe.
He served as a cultural bridge between Scandinavia and the Eastern Bloc, frequently publishing in state-run literary magazines in the USSR and East Germany. His honorary memberships were often symbolic of ideological solidarity.
Martin Andersen Nexø was known as quiet but fiercely principled. A humble man, he preferred the company of workers and farmers to aristocrats or intellectual elites. He was considered empathetic, disciplined, and idealistic, yet he maintained a deep emotional sensitivity that made his literary characters so believable. Friends and colleagues described him as someone who listened more than he spoke, and whose convictions never wavered—even when they led him into political exile.
Physical Characteristics: Nexø had a lean frame, typical of someone who had suffered from recurring illness (tuberculosis). Photographs from later life show a man with a thick mustache, soft eyes, and a contemplative expression, often dressed modestly in workers’ clothes or simple jackets. He was not physically imposing, but his presence carried a quiet authority. His health fluctuated, especially during his travels in Southern Europe and later years in East Germany. One contemporary described him as having “the eyes of someone who had seen sorrow—and written through it.”
Quotes from others about the person
1. Georg Brandes (Danish literary critic):
“Andersen Nexø does not write for the salons—he writes for the fields and the factories. That is where his characters are born, and where his legacy will live.”
2. Bille August (Director of Pelle the Conqueror):
“I did not merely adapt a novel; I adapted a voice—a voice of pain, resilience, and hope.”
3. East German Cultural Minister (1954):
“Comrade Nexø was not just a writer. He was a builder of socialist consciousness.”
• Travel: Nexø traveled extensively through Southern Europe, not just for health but to observe other cultures. His travel writings reveal a deep love for Mediterranean countries, particularly Italy and Spain.
• Languages: He was interested in language and expression; his works were translated into many languages, and he likely spoke German and Russian later in life.
• Public Speaking: Nexø gave lectures and readings, especially in socialist circles across Europe.
• Children’s Welfare and Education: His novels often reflect a concern for childhood poverty and access to learning.
• Karl Marx – the foundation of his political and social worldview
• Nikolai Chernyshevsky – Russian revolutionary thinker
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau – for his ideals on human nature and society
• N.F.S. Grundtvig – Danish educator and philosopher, influential in the folk high school movement Nexø attended
• Vladimir Lenin – admired as a revolutionary leader
• Rosa Luxemburg – for her socialist and humanist ideals
• Frederik Borgbjerg – Danish socialist figure and journalist
• Otto Gelsted – Danish communist writer and close contemporary
• Fyodor Dostoevsky – for his psychological depth and exploration of suffering
• Leo Tolstoy – for moral inquiry and social critique
• Maxim Gorky – a clear ideological and stylistic influence
• Charles Dickens – for portraying the lives of the poor in industrial society
• Herman Bang – a fellow Dane and pioneer of impressionist literature
He admired realist and social realist painters. Based on his ideology and literary style, his favorites included:
• Ilya Repin (Russian realist painter)
• L.A. Ring (Danish painter known for depictions of rural life)
• Jean-François Millet (French painter of peasant scenes)
These artists shared his focus on the dignity of ordinary people.
Nexø was not known for athletic interests, likely due to his fragile health from an early age (notably tuberculosis). However, he admired physical labor and working-class endurance, themes celebrated in his novels. If he had a connection to sports, it would be more symbolic—valuing endurance, discipline, and the spirit of the common man. It's possible he appreciated gymnastics, which was popular in Denmark in the 19th century for promoting health among workers.
Nexø enjoyed folk music—especially Danish and Scandinavian working-class songs that carried strong narratives and emotional depth. He would have appreciated revolutionary songs like "The Internationale," popular among European socialists, and traditional melodies that reflected rural life and the struggles of common people. He also appreciated classical composers who conveyed human emotion and drama, such as Beethoven, Grieg, and Tchaikovsky.
Martin Andersen Nexø married twice. His first marriage was to Margrethe Thomsen in 1898, with whom he had several children. The marriage ended in divorce. He later married Johanne May, who remained with him during his later years in exile and East Germany.
He was described as a devoted father, and his experiences with family life informed much of his work—especially the portrayal of mothers and children in Ditte, Child of Man.
Johanne played a role during his time in the Soviet Union and East Germany, helping maintain his correspondence and connections.
Einar Otto Gelsted (born Jeppesen, 4 November 1888 in Middelfart – 22 December 1968 in Copenhagen) was a Danish author, poet, literary critic and journalist. He was a member of the Communist Party of Denmark from 1929.
Georg Morris Cohen Brandes (4 February 1842 – 19 February 1927) was a Danish critic and scholar who greatly influenced Scandinavian and European literature from the 1870s through the turn of the 20th century.
