| The Modern Breakthroug
| | Through the critic Georg Brandes Copenhagen in the last third of the 19th century became the gate to continental Europe and a number of Swedish writers stayed in Copenhagen for a shorter or longer period of time.
Brandes called for a more relevant critical-realistic literature. |
In the 1870´s began what is known in Denmark as the Modern Breakthrough in literature and art, and this is usually tied to the lectures of the critic Georg Brandes´ lectures on main currents in European literature in Copenhagen in 1871. Brandes asked for a more meaningful critical-realistic literature, which can contribute to create a discussion on the development of society, as opposed to the still dominant romantic-idyllic literature.
Brandes was the right man at the right time and great parts of the young generation gathered around the far-sighted and European oriented critic. Through him Copenhagen became the door to the continental Europe and a number of Swedish writers stayed here for a shorter or longer period of time.
Most tragic the Scanian author Victoria Benedictsson, who took her own life and most famous August Strindberg, whose principal work, The Father, made its debut in the Casino Theatre in Copenhagen in 1888. In that period, Strindberg was in voluntary exile in Denmark, at first at a hotel in Copenhagen, later in Klampenborg, Tårbæk, Virum and at the Hotel Nyholte. His play “Frøken Julie” also made its debut in Copenhagen under the name of “Paria”, and with his partner Siri von Essen as managing director he formed a Scandinavian experimenting theatre. After the debut of his play “Tshandala” Strindberg went back to Stockholm in 1889.
Brandes | 
Victoria Benedictsson | 
Strindberg | 
The Casino Theatre in Copenhagen |
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