Marianne Sørensen tells the Story of Hanna Winsnes at the Tavern March 8th at 6 p.m.

This year we celebrate March 8th with a well-known and beloved female figure from Norwegian household history. Entry NOK 50,- cash only

“Hanna Winsnes was born in Drammen in 1789. Her father was the town’s mayor. In other words, Hanna was born into a upper class civil servant family. When her father died, the family lost their income. Hanna moved to her mother’s family in Copenhagen for a few years, but remained unhappy throughout her childhood due to illness and her parents early death. Hanna visited Eidsfoss manor and the Cappelen family several times. As a young girl she became very attached to Cappelen’s two daughters, the twin sisters Anne Cathrine, “Trine” and Petronelle “Petra” but also to “mother Cappelen”, i.e. Marie Christine Cappelen. Together they formed a strong bond of friendship through, among other things, writing poems and riddles to each other. Perhaps this game helped Hanna Winsnes to develop the desire to become a writer.

Hanna Winsnes’ legacy is dominated by her household knowledge and cookbook authorship. She met Paul Winsnes when she was 25 years old. He was studying theology and was five years younger than her. They married for love, and had a good marriage that led to many children and an exciting, hectic life in several Norwegian parishes.

Museum educator at the Vestfold Museums, Marianne Sørensen, has studied Hanna Winsnes’ life as priestess at Tanum gård in Brunlanes in Vestfold and as the author “Hugo Schwartz” who became very popular for his writing. Hanna wrote children’s books, novels, poems and riddles under a pseudonym, at a time when women did not write books, and the surprise was great when Hanna revealed who she was.

Hanna Winsnes is best known for the book “Textbook in the different Branches of the Household”, which gives us good insight into the household of – admittedly – better-off families in the 19th century. But she also thought of the less well-off families. In 1857 she published “Husholdningsbog for fattige familier” and in 1862 “Husholdningsbog for tarvelige familier”, by which time she was already a renowned author under her own name.

You are welcome to hear Marianne Sørensen tell more about this fascinating woman from the 19th century, on 8th of March around the fireplace at Old Eidsfoss Tavern – which offers the sale of light meals during the event.