Henrik Ibsen

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Henrik Ibsen
Ibsen in 1895
Ibsen in 1895
BornHenrik Johan Ibsen
20 March 1828
Skien, Norway
Died23 May 1906 (aged 78)
Christiania, Norway
OccupationPlaywright, theatre director, poet
LanguageNorwegian
NationalityNorwegian
Period19th century
GenreDrama, poetry
Notable worksA Doll's House, Hedda Gabler, Peer Gynt, An Enemy of the People, The Wild Duck
SpouseSuzannah Thoresen (m. 1858)
ChildrenSigurd Ibsen

SignatureFile:Henrik Ibsen signature.svg



Henrik Johan Ibsen (20 March 182823 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. He is often referred to as "the father of realism" and is one of the founders of modernism in theatre. His major works include A Doll's House, Hedda Gabler, Peer Gynt, An Enemy of the People, and The Wild Duck. Ibsen is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after William Shakespeare.

Early life[edit | edit source]

Ibsen was born in Skien, a small port town in Telemark, Norway. His parents were Knud Ibsen and Marichen Altenburg. The family faced financial difficulties when Ibsen was young, which influenced his later works.

Career[edit | edit source]

Ibsen moved to Christiania (now Oslo) in 1850, where he worked at the Det Norske Theater in Bergen and later at the Christiania Theatre. His early plays were not successful, but he gained recognition with Brand (1865) and Peer Gynt (1867).

Major works[edit | edit source]

Personal life[edit | edit source]

Ibsen married Suzannah Thoresen in 1858, and they had one child, Sigurd Ibsen, who became a Norwegian Prime Minister. Ibsen spent much of his life living abroad in places like Italy and Germany, returning to Norway in 1891.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Ibsen's works have had a profound influence on theatre and literature. His plays are still widely performed and studied. He is considered a pioneer in the development of modernist and realist drama.

Related pages[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD