"I would rather live in enmity with everyone around me than renounce what I believe to be right and true." Alexander L. Kielland
Alexander L. Kielland was born in Stavanger, Norway, in 1849. He made his literary debut in 1879 and wrote novels, plays and short stories. Kielland is regarded as one of the foremost representatives of literary realism in Norway, and often used his home town as the starting point for his texts. Recurrent themes in his authorship include generational conflicts, women’s rights, social inequality, religious hypocrisy and harsh attacks on the bourgeoisie’s double moral standards. Kielland held many different roles in the city during his lifetime, including businessman, lawyer, literary writer, journalist and mayor. He was politically radical and stood up for the weak; however, he himself was a member of the moneyed merchant classes and came from one of Stavanger’s most distinguished families – a duality that characterised his life and work.
Writer
Kielland was highly controversial in his era, but his style, penmanship and social criticism have ensured him a central position in Norwegian literary history. All Norwegian schoolchildren are familiar with his 1883 novel “Gift” (published in English as “Poison”, although the title is ambiguous in Norwegian), which launches a stinging attack on the education system and religious hypocrisy, or the short story “Karen” (1881), which tells the tragic tale of a young barmaid who becomes pregnant outside marriage. His most well-known and widely read work, however, is probably the novel “Garman and Worse” (1880). Set against the backdrop of a venerable shipping business, it describes life in the bourgeoisie in nineteenth-century Norway, with conflicts between the generations, intrigues and power games, betrayal and unrequited love. The book focuses on the tensions between new and old, poor and rich, and culture and nature. Indeed, this novel was the inspiration for Thomas Mann’s masterpiece “Buddenbrooks”.
From a contemporary point of view, Kielland’s authorship reveals that he had a very modern understanding of nature that the present-day reader can identify with. In 1870, he called for the protection of local birds and animals, and was worried about the effects of human intervention in the landscape as a result of the transition to modern farming practices.
European
Kielland travelled extensively, and lived for a time in Paris and Copenhagen. During his many travels, he mingled with leading writers, artists and intellectuals, and brought new thoughts and ideas from the continent back to his small home town on the periphery of Europe. He was also rather vain and even had his own tailor in Hamburg, who ensured he was impeccably dressed at all times. His books were among the most widely read in Scandinavia and have been translated into several languages. Most of Kielland’s works were translated into German during his lifetime, and the novel “Jakob” (1891) was republished in a new German translation this spring.
Kielland’s legacy
The writer’s home was demolished shortly after his death, and apart from a statue in the centre of Stavanger’s market square, there are few traces of the writer in his hometown today. Stavanger Museum has a separate “Kielland room”, featuring several characters from his works and glimpses of life in the town in his era. In addition, the Kielland family’s home, Ledaal, is now a museum and open to the public. This stately manor house also serves as the royal family’s residence in Stavanger.Kielland never lived at Ledaal, but he was a frequent guest, and both the house and the people who lived here served as models and inspiration for his fiction.
Kielland’s greatest legacy, however, is probably the views and ideas expressed in his written works, and using literature as a tool for social criticism. Stavanger has a strong tradition of promoting literature and freedom of expression. The city was Norway’s first City of Refuge for persecuted writers and is currently hosting the headquarters of ICORN – International Cities of Refuge Network. The Kielland Centre opened at the Silverberget library and cultural centre, in the heart of the city, on 18 February 2019, the writer’s 170th birthday.
The Kielland Centre in Stavanger
The Kielland Centre is a centre for literature, reading and writing. Inspired by the life and works of the author and social critic Alexander L. Kielland, the centre highlights the importance of literature for society and individuals. Here you can learn about the literary city of Stavanger and explore the role of literature for democracy and freedom of expression. Through exhibitions, events and school outreach activities, the Kielland Centre encourages debate, exchange of ideas, and discussions on reading and literature. The Kielland Centre will have a stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair together with ICORN and Stavanger City of Refuge, focusing on literature and freedom of expression.