Paul Botten-Hansen (December 26, 1824–7 July 1869) was a Norwegian librarian, book collector, magazine editor and literary critic.

Biography

Botten-Hansen was born at Sel in Oppland, Norway. Born outside of wedlock to Hans Paulsen Nystuen and Ragnhild Jehansdatter Botten, he grew up with her mother's parents on their farm at Botten in Gudbrandsdalen. He moved to

Lillehammer Lillehammer () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. Some of the more notable villages in the municip ...

in 1839 at the age of 15 where he held office positions for the next eight years. In 1847 he moved to Christiania (now Oslo). He studied at the University of Christiania where he came into a circle of young yet unknown literary talents including

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

Aasmund Olavson Vinje Aasmund Olavsson Vinje (6 April 1818 – 30 July 1870) was a Norwegian poet and journalist who is remembered for poetry, travel writing, and his pioneering use of Landsmål (now known as Nynorsk). Background Vinje was born into a poor but ...

and Ivar Aasen. He was a lecturer in Valdres 1847-48 and taught at a private school in Christiania 1848–51. He was co-editor of the literary magazine ''

Andhrimner ''Andhrimner'' was a literary and satirical weekly magazine, issued from January to September 1851 in Kristiania, Norway. History and profile ''Andhrimner'' was established in 1851, as ''Manden'' ("The Man"), but was later renamed after Andhrím ...

'' together with Henrik Ibsen and Aasmund Vinje in 1851. His fairytale drama ''Huldrebryllupet'' first appeared in ''Andhrimner'' in 1851, and elements from this play are later treated by Henrik Ibsen in the 1867 play ''

Peer Gynt ''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five- act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen published in 1876. Written in Norwegian, it is one of the most widely performed Norwegian plays. Ibsen believed ''Per Gynt'', the Norwegian fairy tale on wh ...

''. He edited the weekly magazine ''

Illustreret Nyhedsblad ''Illustreret Nyhedsblad'' was a Norwegian weekly magazine, issued from 1851 to 1866 in Christiania, Norway. Its first editor was Paul Botten-Hansen, who edited the magazine from 1851 to 1864 and from 1865 to 1866, with Frederik Bætzmann bein ...

'' from 1851 to 1866. He became an assistant in the National Archives of Norway (''Riksarkivet'') in 1856. He was head of the

University of Oslo Library The University of Oslo Library ( no, Universitetsbiblioteket i Oslo, UBO) is a library connected to the University of Oslo. Like the university, it was established in 1811 with Georg Sverdrup as the first head librarian. It originally doubled as ...

in Christiania (now Oslo) from 1864. In 1861, he was married to Johanne Evine Karine Elisabeth Sang (1833–1917). They were the parents of three children. Botten-Hansen died during 1869 at age 44 and was buried at Vestre gravlund in Oslo. His book collection of 14,000 volumes was the basis for the establishment of the Bergen Public Library in 1874.

References

1824 births 1869 deaths People from Oppland Norwegian librarians Norwegian book and manuscript collectors Norwegian literary critics Norwegian magazine editors 19th-century journalists Male journalists 19th-century Norwegian writers 19th-century Norwegian male writers Burials at Vestre gravlund {{Norway-writer-stub