Background
Son of Peter Hostrup and Carol Anne Johanne, née Irgens, the young Jens was raised in a musical family. His father played the violin, but died shortly after 1830.
Son of Peter Hostrup and Carol Anne Johanne, née Irgens, the young Jens was raised in a musical family. His father played the violin, but died shortly after 1830.
Comforting and encouraging the people, he created poems that fill-hearted his nation with his precise personal and environmental descriptions, as well as succinct dialogue, were welcomed by the critics and contemporaries. He began his studies at the Metropolitan College and was admitted to the literature and drama class in 1837. After 1837 he began studying theology.
He graduated as Candidate theology in 1843.
After his studies, Hostrup worked as a tutor and pastor. In 1844 he wrote the comedy Gjenboerne for the party of the students association, and after that he began to write a songplay, an act which inspired the poets Johan Ludvig Heiberg and Ferdinand Raimund.
While he was tutor at Kokkedal from 1844-1847, he wrote Intrigues in 1845, A sparrow in Crane Dance in 1846 and Tales of Walking Tour in 1847, and more dramas in various genres followed. After her death he traveled to Rome in 1854 and on his return became pastor of Silkeborg in 1855.
They had one son named Helge Hostrup (1862–1949).
In 1862 he became pastor of Hillerødaughter Hostrup published two collections of poems, Sermons in 1866, and the devotional book The resurrection and the life in 1883, Popular Lectures in 1882 and The defeat in 1864. In 1872 appeared Songs and poems from thirty years, in 1884 Songs and poems from the past few years and after his death came in 1893 Posthumous Poems.
He moved to Fredericksberg and died there on 21 November The 1892.
He is buried at Frederiksberg Old Cemetery.
His dramas were on current topics such as feminism, free love and home, maybe one of the reasons why he often used the pseudonym Jens Kristrup (Christrup).
