Hans Scherfig (April 8, 1905 – January 28, 1979) was a renowned
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
writer and artist.
His most famous works of literature include ''
Stolen Spring
''The Stolen Spring'' (, The Neglected Spring) is a Danish novel by Hans Scherfig, first published in 1940. It has been described as "part murder mystery, part social criticism" by The Review of Contemporary Fiction.
''The Stolen Springs main ...
'', ''Frydenholm'', ''Idealists'', and ''The Scorpion'', the last of which was published in over 20 countries. He is also well known for his distinctive Naivistlithographs which depict
jungle
A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century.
Etymology
The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''ja ...
and
savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
scenes that owe something to
Henri Rousseau
Henri Julien Félix Rousseau (; 21 May 1844 – 2 September 1910) at the satirical,
political
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...
, and biblical subject matter.
Central to Scherfig's work was his lifelong political engagement. Already in his early years he became a dedicated communist and remained so until his death in 1979. He was also a long-standing member of the
Communist Party of Denmark
The Communist Party of Denmark ( da, Danmarks Kommunistiske Parti, DKP) is a communist party in Denmark. The DKP was founded on 9 November 1919 as the Left-Socialist Party of Denmark (, VSP), through a merger of the Socialist Youth League and ...
. Because of this Scherfig was imprisoned by the
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
German
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** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
military occupation
Military occupation, also known as belligerent occupation or simply occupation, is the effective military control by a ruling power over a territory that is outside of that power's sovereign territory.Eyāl Benveniśtî. The international law ...
forces in Denmark during
WWII
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. During the Cold War, Scherfig intensified his critical attitude against the United States.
Scherfig lies in an unmarked grave in
Assistens Cemetery (Copenhagen)
Assistens Cemetery ( Danish: Assistens Kirkegård) in Copenhagen, Denmark, is the burial site of many Danish notables as well as an important greenspace in the Nørrebro district. Inaugurated in 1760, it was originally a burial site for the poor l ...
. His grave can be identified by the stone sculpture of a turtle which lies beside it
Den Fortabte abe
Den may refer to:
* Den (room), a small room in a house
* Maternity den, a lair where an animal gives birth
Media and entertainment
* ''Den'' (album), 2012, by Kreidler
* Den (''Battle Angel Alita''), a character in the ''Battle Angel Alita' ...
'', 1964
Prizes
Scherfig won a number of prizes within the field of Danish literature, including the following:
* 1973 ''
Grand Prize of the Danish Academy The Grand Prize of the Danish Academy, founded in 1961, is the most notable of Denmark's literature prizes and awards. It is awarded by the Danish Academy. Until 1982, it was handed yearly, but since then it has been given every second year. The fir ...
''
* 1965 ''
Jeanne and Henri Nathan's Memorial Grant
Jeanne may refer to:
Places
* Jeanne (crater), on Venus
People
* Jeanne (given name)
* Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc, 1412–1431)
* Joanna of Flanders (1295–1374)
* Joan, Duchess of Brittany (1319–1384)
* Ruth Stuber Jeanne (1910–2004), Ameri ...
''
* 1963 ''
Adam Oehlenschläger legatet
Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
''
* 1954 ''
Holger Drachmann Scholarship Holger may refer to:
People
* Holger (given name), includes name origin, plus people with the name
* Hilde Holger, stage name of dancer, choreographer and dance teacher Hilde Boman-Behram (née Hilde Sofer, 1905–2001)
Fictional characters
* Holg ...
''
* 1952 ''
Jeanne and Henri Nathan's Memorial Grant
Jeanne may refer to:
Places
* Jeanne (crater), on Venus
People
* Jeanne (given name)
* Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc, 1412–1431)
* Joanna of Flanders (1295–1374)
* Joan, Duchess of Brittany (1319–1384)
* Ruth Stuber Jeanne (1910–2004), Ameri ...