The Hans Christian Andersen Museum, or H.C. Andersens Odense, is a set of museums/buildings dedicated to the famous author Hans Christian Andersen in Odense, Denmark, some of which, at various times in history, have functioned as the main Odense-based museum on the author.
 H.C. Andersens, Odense | |
 | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 55°23′58″N 10°23′31″E / 55.39955352°N 10.39189909°E |
| Type | History and life of Hans Christian Andersen |
| Owner | Odense City Museums |
| Website | H. C. Andersen Museum |
They variously comprise the H.C. Andersen Museum (existing museum), the H.C. Andersen Birthplace (original museum), the H.C. Andersen Childhood Home, and even Møntergården (city museum). A new installation called House of Fairytales (called New H.C. Andersen Museum) is planned to open in late 2020.[1]
They are administered and managed by Odense City Museums, a department of the Odense Municipality.
H.C. Andersen's Birthplace
editThe birthplace (Danish: H.C. Andersen's Hus) is located in the building which is thought his birthplace (not conclusively confirmed), a small yellow house on the corner of 45 Hans Jensens Stræde and Bangs Boder street in the old town.[2] In 1908, the house was reopened as the H.C. Andersen Museum. It documents his life from his childhood years as the son of a shoemaker to his schooling, career as an author, and later life, with artifacts providing an insight into his acquaintances and adventures.[2] The birthplace is also known as H.C. Andersen's House, after the plaque at the front door Danish: H.C. Andersen's Hus.
H.C. Andersen's Childhood Home
editAndersen's childhood home (Danish: H.C. Andersens Barndomshjem) is at 3-5 Munkemøllestræde, not far from the cathedral. He lived in the little half-timbered house from the age of two until he was 14. Opened as a museum in 1930, the house contains an exhibition of the cobbling tools used by his father and other items based on Andersen's own descriptions.[3]
H.C. Andersen Museum
editThe museum is located at 11 Claus Bergs Gade, and comprises exhibits and collections from Andersen's works and life.[4][5]
Planned House of Fairytales
editIn 2016, it was announced that Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma, and museum design consultancy, Event Communications, had won an international competition to design a new House of Fairytales concept for the Hans Christian Andersen Museum (also called the New Hans Christian Andersen Museum).[6][7] Kuma's designs revolve around "a series of cylindrical volumes with glass and latticed timber facades, and scooped green roofs".[8] Event Communications said that the museum would follow an "immersive theatre" that "taps into a fundamental aspect of fairytales – they are journeys where the line between the everyday and the transformative is blurred".[1][9] The project is being managed by Odense City Museums and plans are for it to open in late 2020.[1]
Gallery
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Birthplace and original museum
(45 Hans Jensens Stræde) -
Childhood Home
(3-5 Munkemøllestræde) -
Current museum, rear view
(11 Claus Bergs Gade)
References
edit
- ^ a b c "House of Fairytales". Odense Bys Museer (Odense City Museums). 9 January 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- ^ a b "Hans Christian Andersen's Birthplace". Visit Odense. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- ^ "H.C. Andersen's Childhood Home". Visit Odense. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
The little house where H.C. Andersen lived with his parents from the age of 2 to 14, was opened as a museum in 1930.
- ^ "Hans Christian Andersen's Museum". Visit Odense. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ "H.C. Andersen Museum". H.C. Andersen Odense. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- ^ "Kengo Kuma and Event Communications wins competition to design fairytale-themed Hans Christian Andersen museum expansion". Attractions Management. 26 April 2016.
- ^ Angus Montgomery (9 May 2016). "Event Communications wins Hans Christian Andersen museum competition". Design Week.
- ^ Jessica Maris (22 April 2016). "Kengo Kuma reveals plans for Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense". Dezeen. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- ^ "Stroll Through a Fairytale Forest". Event Communications. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
The existing Hans Christian Andersen Museum opened in 1908 and is located in Hans Christian Andersen's childhood home in Odense. As part of a Denmark-wide initiative to expand the country's cultural tourism offer, the City of Odense has embarked on an ambitious project to transform the museum into a flagship tourist attraction, harnessing the worldwide appeal of Andersen's stories.