TIL: the founder of modern Danish and Norwegian literature

[timelets]

It turns out that the origins of Danish theater can be traced to one person: Ludvig Holberg.

His rich output of comedies during the middle period was shaped by his role as house dramatist at Denmark's first public theater, opened in Copenhagen in 1721. These comedies are the works on which his fame rests today, and they were an immediate and immense success. However the poverty caused by the Copenhagen Fire of 1728, brought a wave of depression and puritanism upon the nation, which clashed with Holberg's satirical works, and as a consequence he gave up his comedies switching to philosophical and historical writings in 1731.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludvig_Holberg

Writing comedy seems to be the path to popular success.

upd!
Danish king did have a role in the creation of his country's theater.

In 1721, the French troupe La troupe du Roi de Danemark, which had performed for the royal court in Copenhagen since 1682, was fired by the king, who wished to hire an Italian opera troupe instead. As the French actors, who in many cases had lived in Denmark for generations, did not all wish to leave, René Magnon and another French immigrant, Etienne Capion, asked for permission to open a public theatre. They were granted royal permission and in 1722, and the first public theatre was opened in Copenhagen on Lille Grønnegade, the first Danish-language theatre open to the public.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lille_Gr%C3%B8nnegade_Theatre

This story is remarkably similar to the emergence of Silicon Valley.

Comments

[anhinga_anhinga]

What's the Silicon Valley parallel? The "traitorous eight"?

[timelets]

Yes.