The Danish text is about H.C. Andersen and his relationship to the Collin family.
Jonas Collin (1776-1861)
To H.C. Andersen, Jonas Collin was a respected and beloved ‘’father’’, though he wasn’t biologically Andersen’s father, they treated each other like father and son.
In the home of the Collin family Jonas Collin was a patriarch, he was head of the family. Jonas Collin was a dominating type, but he was fair.
Mrs Collin was actually the opposite, she wasn’t the dominating type, and didn’t have much influence because of her deafness and later on blindness.
The Collin family had 7 members: the father (Jonas Collin), mother (Mrs Collin), 2 daughters: Louise Collin, Ingeborg Collin and 3 sons: Edvard Collin, Theodor Collin and Gottlieb Collin.
Jonas Collin who lived during the last period of the absolute monarchy, was an interested citizen, he had a lot of work experience: finances, commerce and culture.
Edvard Collin (1808-1886)
Edvard Collin was the son who was closest to H.C. Andersen.
Their relationship could be compared to a brother to brother relationship, in other words they were like brothers. Though not biologically.
Edvard helped Andersen with Latin, and later on the two of them formed a friendship that lasted throughout their whole life, though not always in great harmony.
Edvard was like his father a great official who helped Andersen with many different types of business: money matters, and business with some publishers and printers, who wanted to publish Andersen’s work.
Andersen wanted to be accepted as one of the family. Jonas (the father) & Edvard Collin helped a lot, they treated him like a family member, well, actually the whole family did, but Edvard and Jonas Collin were closest to him.
As I mentioned before Edvard’s and Andersen’s friendship started with Edvard helping Andersen with his Latin and ended with the last days and hours of Andersen’s life in 1875…
Henriette Collin (1813-1894)
Henriette Collin was Edvard’s wife.
She was a good friend to H.C. Andersen, and helped him when it didn’t go well for him…
Louise Collin
Louise Collin was the youngest daughter in the Collin family.
She had something romantic going on with Andersen. But later on she married a lawyer, Lind. But the friendship with Andersen didn’t disappear.
This was Andersen’s second defeat in his love life, the first one was Riborg Voigt.
After the ‘’defeat’’ Andersen was inspired to write ‘’The Little Mermaid’’
