By Evelyn Kelly, PhD
Imagination is a thing of beauty. We are in Odense, Denmark at the home of Hans Christian Andersen. It is the third largest city in Denmark and about 100 miles from Copenhagen. “The Ugly Duckling” comes alive as we venture into the writer’s creative mind. Odense is a picturesque town that looks like someone has thrown colored blocks down to land on the Cobblestone streets.
Probably everyone has read something by Hans Christian Andersen: “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” or maybe “The Princess and the Pea.” It is such an honor to be here where he was born in 1805 and where he is recognized as one of Denmark’s greatest citizens.
From the ages of two to 14, Andersen lived in the little yellow half-timbered house near the Odense Cathedral. Touring the house, we see very humble rooms and the poverty that marked his early years. His mother was an illiterate washerwoman, and his father was a shoemaker who delighted in telling his son stories. (“Arabian Nights” especially piqued the young Andersen’s imagination.)
Related: Armchair Adventures: Secrets of the Mona Lisa
Our favorite is “The Ugly Duckling” about a young duck who was laughed at and excluded from the other ducklings; even his mother didn’t like him. But then something unique happened; the ugly duckling became a gorgeous creature: a swan.
This story parallels Andersen’s experience. He went to Copenhagen to become an actor but was laughed at for being too skinny and uneducated to enter the theater. But the mid-1800s was marked by the Romantics in literature and Danish nationalism. Andersen began writing stories from his youth using his majestic imagination, and they became popular – the human “ugly duckling” became a beautiful swan. His 156 stories have been recognized internationally and written into plays and movies.
Related: IMDB’s list of the 10 best films made from Hans Christian Andersen stories
Despite his success, Andersen didn’t fit in with Copenhagen high society. His behavior and upbringing were not considered proper. Once, after returning from a speaking tour, he heard someone say, “Now our world-famous orangutan is home again.”
Except for a bookstore and souvenir shop, there’s wasn’t much at his home. I purchased his biography and a statue of the Little Mermaid. But when I returned in 2015, there were plans in the works for a Hans Christian Andersen Museum like no other (it opened in 2021). Built from plans drawn by Japanese architect Kengo Kama, the museum has round buildings, soft curves, and a magical garden. “You end up somewhere between what is outside and what is inside,” says the guide. High hedges guide you through a dense, dark green garden with crooked fir trees, and then suddenly you are in the light garden with fanciful flowers. These hedges form the walls from different scenes to encourage the imagination.
Underground spaces tell fairy tales and urge your imagination along by appealing to all senses. State-of-the-art technology interacts with the world around you. The museum is as unique and unforgettable as Hans Christian Andersen himself, and it honors his prodigious imagination.
