Adam Oehlenschläger

Adam Gottlob Oehlenschläger was born on November 14, 1779, in Vesterbro near Copenhagen. After an exhilarating sixteen-hour conversation with Norwegian philosopher Henrik Steffens in 1802 about German romanticism, he penned his sensational poem Guldhornene (The Golden Horns) overnight.

Oehlenschläger ignited Danish Romanticism, celebrating ancient Norse sagas and heroes in tragedy cycles like Hakon Jarl and Palnatoke. In 1819, he penned the beloved verses to the Danish national anthem, Der er et yndigt land (There is a Lovely Land). In 1829, inside Lund Cathedral, Swedish national poet Esaias Tegnér placed a laurel wreath on his head, proclaiming him the undisputed King of Nordic Poetry.