Sigrid Undset

Date of Birth: May 20, 1882

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Date of Death: June 10, 1949

Biography

Sigrid Undset was a renowned Norwegian novelist, best known for her historical novels set in the Middle Ages, particularly the trilogy “Kristin Lavransdatter” and the tetralogy “The Master of Hestviken.” She was born on May 20, 1882, in Kalundborg, Denmark, but moved to Norway with her family when she was just two years old. Undset’s early life was marked by financial difficulties after her father’s death when she was 11. She worked as a secretary to support her family while writing in her spare time. Undset’s first novel, “Fru Marta Oulie,” was published in 1907, and it depicted the struggles of a modern woman, which was a recurring theme in her early work. However, it was her medieval novels that brought her international fame. “Kristin Lavransdatter,” published between 1920 and 1922, earned her the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928. During World War II, she was an outspoken critic of the Nazi regime, which led her to flee Norway and live in the United States until the war ended. She returned to Norway after the war and continued to write until her death. Sigrid Undset passed away on June 10, 1949, in Lillehammer, Norway.

5 Interesting Facts about Sigrid Undset

1. Sigrid Undset won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928 for her powerful descriptions of Scandinavian life during the Middle Ages.

2. She converted to Catholicism in 1924, a decision that greatly influenced her later works.

3. Undset’s trilogy “Kristin Lavransdatter” has been translated into numerous languages and remains a classic in Norwegian literature.

4. She was a vocal critic of the Nazi occupation of Norway and had to flee to the United States during World War II.

5. Sigrid Undset was not only a novelist but also wrote essays, biographies, and children’s books.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Sigrid Undset

1. “I have been a woman for a little over fifty years and have gotten over my initial astonishment.”

2. “The longest journey is the journey inward.”

3. “All things are connected. We cannot separate ourselves from anything.”

4. “And when the hourglass has run out, the hourglass of temporality, when the noise of secular life grows silent, the stillness of eternity enters and we hear the symphony of the ages.”

5. “Love is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Sigrid Undset’s highest net worth is not well-documented, but she earned significant royalties from her books, especially after winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, which also came with a monetary award.

Children

Sigrid Undset had three children: two sons, Anders and Hans, and a daughter named Maren Charlotte. Tragically, Maren Charlotte passed away at a young age due to meningitis.