Johan Herman Wessel

Johan Herman Wessel was born and raised in Vestby, a village in Akershus, Norway. He was the son of a parish priest and a nephew of the naval hero Peter Tordenskjold. He had twelve siblings, including the mathematician Caspar Wessel and the jurist Ole Christopher Wessel. He attended Oslo Cathedral School and then the University of Copenhagen, where he studied foreign languages. He did not pursue any academic degree or career, but made a living as a tutor and translator. He was a prominent member of The Norwegian Society, a literary club that cultivated Norwegian national identity in Copenhagen. He wrote poems and plays that were often humorous and satirical, mocking the conventions and follies of his time. His most famous works include the verse tales Smeden og Bageren (The Smith and the Baker) and Herremanden (The Squire), and the parody of neoclassical tragedy Kierlighed uden Strømper (Love without Stockings). He also wrote a science fiction play Anno 7603, which depicts a time travel to the future. He suffered from poor health, toothache, and depression throughout his life. He married Anna Catharia Bukier in 1780 and had a son, Jonas, in 1781. He died of tuberculosis in 1785, at the age of 43, and was buried in the cemetery of Trinitatis Church in Copenhagen. He is regarded as one of the greatest Danish-Norwegian poets and dramatists of the 18th century.