Karen Bramson

Karen Bramson
Born Karen Adler
(1875-08-10)August 10, 1875
Tårbæk, Denmark
Died January 26, 1936(1936-01-26) (aged 60)
Paris, France
Resting place the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris
Occupation Author
Language Danish and French
Nationality Danish
Notable awards
Légion d'honneur
1827 Officier

Tagea Brandt Rejselegat
1934

Spouse Dr. Louis Bramson
Children Mogens Bramson
Relatives
Vera Stanley Alder (niece)

Niels Bohr (third cousin)

Signature
Karen Bramson's grave at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris

Karen Bramson (née Adler; born 10 August 1875 in Tårbæk, Denmark and died 27 January 1936 in Paris, France) was a Danish author who wrote novels and plays mostly in Danish or French although many of her writings have been translated into English.

Bramson spent her early life in Denmark and her later life in France. She was awarded the Légion d'honneur for her work during the First World War and for her contributions to French literature.

Early life in Denmark

Karen Adler was born on August 10, 1875, in Tårbæk, Denmark with parents Julius Frederick Adler a wealthy cigar merchant in Copenhagen and Dorothea (Thea) Monies[1] a second cousin of the physicist Niels Bohr.[2] She had several siblings, one of which was her elder brother, David Julius Adler. Karen was apparently a better writer than David, because she would sometimes write David Adler's school essays for him. Karen Adler started writing plays at the age of 12 and at 14, had a play in two acts - "Veninder" (Girlfriends) and "I pension for unge piger" (In a boarding house for young girls) - accepted at the Folketeatret (People's Theatre) in Copenhagen for a fee of 200 Danish Kroner.[3] She had insisted that she should remain anonymous, but the theatre director could not resist giving her name to the local newspaper. Karen hurriedly withdrew her play and refunded the fee to avoid scandal and her father's wrath, for in 1890s Copenhagen, it was unheard of for a young lady of her class to attract such publicity and get paid for writing a play.[4] In 1893, at the age of 17, Karen Adler married Louis Bramson (b. 1861 - d 1952). Louis, like Karen, came from a relatively prosperous Danish family, was a doctor and was 15 years older than Karen.[1] In 1895 they had a son, Mogens Bramson. Karen Bramson continued to write and made her début in print with the two plays "Den unge Frue. Mands Vilje" (The young lady - Man's Will) published in 1900 and performed in 1907[5] at the People's Theatre in Copenahgen.

In 1904, Karen and Louis Bramson built a country mansion which they called Solgården (Sun Yard) near the sea in Strøby Egede, Stevns Municipality just south of Copenhagen.[6] They invited artists from different parts of Europe and held plays on a stage they had built there.[7] King Frederick VIII of Denmark is said to have stayed there in 1911 and, in commemoration, is said to have presented Karen with four marble statues of eagles which were placed on the corners of a tower in the building.[8][9][10]

In 1912, Karen Bramson was elected a councillor of Copenhagen Municipality but declined, preferring to concentrate on writing.[11] In 1914, Karen Bramson left Denmark and moved to France in a personal protest against Denmark remaining neutral during the World War I. She was to spend the rest of her life in France.[9]

Literary career in France

After Karen Bramson settled permanently in Paris, France at the beginning of the First World War, she wrote mostly in French. During the war, she was attached to the press department of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which tried to create international awareness of the country's situation. Bramson was an enthusiastic writer and propagandist for the French cause and tried to help prisoners.[12][13] She was awarded the rank of Chevalier in the Légion d'honneur in 1917 for the work she did during the First World War.[1]

After the war, her greatest triumph was the performance in 1923 of her play “Le Professeur Klenow” at the Theatre de l'Odeon in Paris[14] with actor Poul Reumert in the lead role.[15] Later in 1923 there was a reworked version of her 1902 play, "Den Stærkeste“ (The Strongest), as guest performance at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. Shortly before, at the same theatre, her play “De evige Fjender" (The Eternal Enemies) with Reumert and the actress Bodil Ipsen in the lead roles met with limited success. However, in 1924 the same play translated into English with the title “Tigercats” and starring Edith Evans[16] and Robert Loraine[17][18] was performed at the Garrick Theatre and then the Royal Strand Theatre in London, where it was much more successful and ran for 116 performances.[19] "Tigercats", directed by David Belasco also ran for 48 performances in the Belasco Theatre on Broadway in New York with Katharine Cornell[20] and Lorraine in the lead roles.[21] Other plays by Karen Bramson performed in England about this time were "Medusa", "The Godless", "The Enchantress", "The Man they Buried…" and "The Tower of Babel".[19][22] In 1925 she was the first foreign female author to have a play accepted at the Comédie-Française in Paris.[23] She was made an Officier in the Légion d'honneur in 1927 because of her contributions to French literature and plays.[24] In 1934 she also received the Tagea Brandt Rejselegat Danish award. Karen Bramson was known in fashionable circles in Paris had a reputation for being a brilliant hostess inviting artists, diplomats and politicians to receptions in her house. For example, she was friends with the poet and diplomat Saint-John Perse (who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature), the diplomat Philippe Berthelot, his wife Hélène[3] and the French politician Louis Barthou.[25] Despite her versatile talents, her literary ambitions and a life in the media spotlight, her inner personality was mostly hidden. She disliked giving interviews and was reticent about divulging details of her personal life.[4]

Final years and Death

In her final years she retired from public life and studied spiritualism. She had always loved a cosmopolitan life and travelled throughout Europe staying in various hotels before dying in 1936 of a cerebral hemorrhage[26] in a hotel room in Paris.[27] Her ashes were buried at the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.[28]

Reception and legacy

Her first plays ("The Young Lady", "Man's Will" in 1900 and "Mothers" in 1901 ) have been described as focussing on the oppression women suffer in marriage and she often explored themes of interpersonal relationships and the battle of the sexes. Deadly love and female masochist tendencies have also been mentioned by reviewers.[1] One newspaper review of her play "Tiger Cats" noted the London audience "...consisting mainly of middle-aged, unmarried women cheered wildly these scenes of sadism."[29] She has also been described as a feminist[11] and a writer of science fiction in the near future.[30] In 1932 she was regarded by some critics as "the most significant figure in Nordic literature since Ibsens time."[31]

Bramson's family

Karen Bramson and her husband Louis Bramson had one son Mogens Louis Bramson[32] After 1914, she lived apart from her husband, but had a friendly relationship with him throughout her life. She adored her son Mogens, who was a pilot[32] and aviation engineering consultant. Mogens Bramson lived much of his life in England and played a crucial role in helping Frank Whittle develop the worlds first jet engine.[33] Later in his life Mogens moved to California, USA where he invented a heart lung machine.[34] One source says Karen Bramson's older sister Olga married the Russian Prince Vladimir Orloff.[2][35] Karen's brother David Julius Adler was the father of the author and painter Vera Stanley Alder.

List of works

Bibliography

There is no printed biography of Karen Bramson. She is mentioned in some dictionaries and encyclopaedias of Danish authors.[1] [4] [5] [72] [73] [74] [75] [76] [77] [78] [79] [80] [81]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Bech, Svend Cedergreen, ed. (1979). Dansk Biografisk Leksikon 3. udgave [Danish biographical handbook third edition] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Gyldendal. ISBN 978-8700055513.
  2. 1 2 Brenner, Otto (1927). Leksikon over danske familier [Encyclopaedia of Danish families] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: The Personal Institute. OCLC 482088191.
  3. 1 2 Holst, Holger Christian (4 May 2000). "Le jeune Alexis Leger/Saint-John Perse vu par Karen Bramson" [Young Alexis Leger/Saint-John Perse as seen by Karen Bramson]. Colloque international Postérités de Saint-John Perse (in French and English). Aix Marseilles University. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Jensen, Marianne Majgaard (2003). "Karen Bramson (1875 - 1936)". Dansk kvindebiografisk leksikon (Danish women's autobiographical library) (in Danish). KVINFO. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  5. 1 2 Engelstoft, Povl (1920). Dahl, Svend, ed. Dansk Biografisk Haandleksikon Bind 1. [Danish biographical handbook first volume] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Nordisk Forlag. p. 210.
  6. ↑ "Solgardsparken in Stroeby Egede". Visit Denmark. Danish Tourist Office. 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  7. ↑ "Solgårdsparken, Strøby Egede, Historiske billeder" [Solgards park, Stroby Egede, Historic images] (in Danish). Solgard Park, Strøby Egede. 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  8. ↑ "Auction 786; The Departments of Decorative Art". Copenhagen, Denmark: Bruun Rasmussen Antiques. April 2008. p. 7. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Historien bag Solgårdsparken" [The History of Solgards Park] (in Danish). Solgard Park, Strøby Egede. 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  10. ↑ "Solgårdsparken" [Solgards park] (in Danish). Historical atlas. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  11. 1 2 "Suffragette Refuses Office and Gains Literary Honors. Mmme Bronson Expected to Raise Women's Standards". The Evening Independent (St. Petersburg, Florida, USA). 16 March 1912. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "Says Germany Spreads Phtsisis Among Prisoners; Tuberculous Victims Deliberately Mixed with Others, Mme. Bramson Alleges.". The New York Times (New York, USA). 24 September 1916. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "Bramson Karen (1875-1936)" (in French). Amis et Passionés du Père-Lachese; Écrivains - Poètes - Littérateurs; 87eme division (Columbarium). 16 March 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  14. ↑ (2015) Répertoire Odéon Théâtre de l'Europe, Paris, Retrieved 3 June 2015
  15. 1 2 3 "Les Relevés de mises en scènes écrites" [List of written productions] (in French). collections de l'Association de la Régie Théâtrale. 23 October 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  16. ↑ Worsley, Luccy (15 September 2014). "Dame Edith Evans". The Times Great Women's Lives: A Celebration in Obituaries. United Kingdom: The History Press. ISBN 9780750962346.
  17. ↑ Senelick, Laurence (September 2013). Theatre Arts on Acting. United Kingdom: Routledge. p. 316. ISBN 9781134723751.
  18. ↑ Liggera, Lanayre D. (August 2013). The Life of Robert Loraine: The Stage, the Sky, and George Bernard Shaw. USA: University of Delaware Press. p. 181. ISBN 9781611494594.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Wearing, J.P. (2014). The London Stage 1920-1929: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel (2nd ed.). London, UK: Rowman & Littlefield Education. p. 313. ISBN 978-0810893016. OCLC 863695327.
  20. ↑ Sicherman, Barbara; Green, Carol Hurd (January 1986). Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume 4: The Modern Period. USA: Harvard University Press. p. 168. ISBN 9780674627338.
  21. 1 2 "Tiger Cats". The Internet Broadway Database. 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  22. ↑ Adller, F. (8 March 1926). "Theatre collections: Medusa (La Femme Fatale)". University of Kent, UK, Special Collections. the Pleasure Gardens Theatre, Folkstone, Kent, England. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  23. ↑ "Mort de l 'écrivain danois Mme Karen-Bramson" [Death of the Danish author Mrs Karen Bramson]. Journal du Loiret (in French). 28 January 1936. p. 1.
  24. ↑ Adller, F. (2013). "Karen Bramson, Dansk forfatter" [Karen Bramson, Danish author] (in Danish). Kendtes gravsted (Celebrity burials). Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  25. ↑ "Nécrologie - Les obsèques du Mme Karen Bramson" [Obituary - Funeral of Mrs Karen Bramson]. Le Figaro (in French) (Paris, France). 1 February 1936.
  26. ↑ "The death has occurred in Paris from cerebral haemorrhage of Madame Karen- Bramson, the Danish writer". The Dundee Evening Telegraph (Angus, Scotland). 28 January 1936. p. 6.
  27. ↑ "Mme Karen Bramson grand écrivain danois est morte à Paris" [Mrs Karen Bramson, the great Danish author has died in Paris] (PDF). Le Petit Dauphinois (in French) (Grenoble, France). 28 January 1936. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  28. ↑ Beyern, Bertrand (2011). Guide des tombes d'hommes célèbres [Guide to the graves of famous men]. Le Cherche Midi. ISBN 978-2749121697.
  29. ↑ Wearing, J. P. (2014). The London Stage 1920-1929: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. Plymouth, UK: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 308. ISBN 978-0-8108-9301-6.
  30. ↑ "Bramson, Karen". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  31. ↑ "News and Views of Interest to Women in Professional and Domestic Fields - In Nordic Literature" (PDF). The New York Sun. 11 February 1932. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  32. 1 2 Mulder, Rob J.M., (24 November 2011) Skywriting - Mr. Bramson above Christiana (Oslo) European Airlines, reprinted from original article in "Flight" magazine 21 June 1923, Retrieved 13 May 2015
  33. ↑ Meher-Homji, Cyrus B. (2002). "Enabling the Turbojet Revolution – The Bramson Report" (PDF) 42 (1). American Society of Mechanical Engineers: 16–20. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  34. ↑ "the Bramson lung". Independent (Long Beach, California). 23 August 1972. p. 27. Retrieved 16 July 2015. (subscription required (help)). "..The instrument, which assists the heart and lungs, is known as the Bramson lung, named for its designer, Mogens L. Bramson, an engineer. Although the device warms blood and enriches it with oxygen, 50 to 60 per cent of the patient's blood can still be pumped by the natural heart. The patient thus retains his natural pulse. Dr. J. Donald Hill of Presbyterian Hospital of Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, says the Bramson lung buys time for damaged lungs to heal. Standard heart-lung machines may lead to blood damage when used for longer than six hours..."
  35. ↑ "Niece of Prince and Princess". Western Mail and South Wales News (Cardiff, Wales). 1 December 1938.
  36. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1900). Den unge Frue. Mands Vilje [The Young Lady. Man’s Will; two plays] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: To skuespil, Gyldendalske boghandels forlag (F. Hegel & søn). ASIN B000WHFDTE. OCLC 493768937.
  37. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1901). Mødre skuespil i tre akter [Mothers; Play in three acts] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Gyldendal. ASIN B000WHGO4M. OCLC 248764352.
  38. ↑ Bramson, Karen (c. 1901). Mutter : Schauspiel [Mother : Play] (in German). Translated by Otto Hamburger. Nürnberg : Frankfurter. OCLC 248764352.
  39. ↑ "The Strong". Internet Broadway Database. 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  40. ↑ Lavauzelle, Jacky (17 February 2015). "Karen Bramson – Le Professeur Klenow : La laideur de l’amour" [Karen Bramson - Professor Klenow - the ugliness of love] (in French). Artgitato. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  41. ↑ Bramson, Karen. al-Ustādh Klinūv [Professor Klenov] (in Arabic). translated by Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Kāmil. OCLC 30987207.
  42. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1904). Det lyriska versdramat Berengaria, Dronning af Danmark [Berengaria, Queen of Denmark; drama in lyrical verse] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark. ASIN B000WHK6MS. OCLC 465527302.
  43. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1905). Livets Glæde [Life's Joy] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Det Schulbotheske forlag. ASIN B000WHDE7M. OCLC 557484997.
  44. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1908). Elämän iloa ... [Life's Joy] (in Finnish). Helsinki, Finland. OCLC 467958855.
  45. ↑ Jensen, Niels (30 April 2005). "bog guide Danske litteraturepriser" [Book guide, Danish literary prizes] (in Danish). Retrieved 19 June 2015.)
  46. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1926). The Case of Dr. Morel. Translated from Danish into English by the author's brother David Stanley Alder. London, UK: A.M. Philpot. ASIN B000WHK6NM. OCLC 557484978. Also published in 1950 in English as the "Sins of a Paris Doctor"
  47. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1919). Un révolté [A revolutionary] (in French). Translated from Danish into French by the author. Paris, France: E. Fasquelle. ASIN B0018HCNFY. OCLC 491617501.
  48. ↑ Breamson, Karen (1909). Дѣло Доктора Мореля (in Russian). Anna Vasil'evna Ganzen; Petr Gotfridovič Ganzen. St. Petersburg, Russia: A.F. Marks. OCLC 24019022.
  49. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1921). Dĕloto Doktor Morel (in Bulgarian). Biblioteka "Otbrani romani". Sofia, Bulgaria. OCLC 873847760.
  50. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1908). Pengene : Fortælling [The Money : a novel] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Schubothe.
  51. ↑ Bramson, Karen; Wied, Gustav (1909). Ærtehalm [Peas in a Pod] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Nabu Press. ASIN B000WHGOCO. ISBN 9781246478600.
  52. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1910). Lykke. Skuespil i tre Akter [Happiness, play in 3 acts] (in Danish). ASIN B000WHK6TQ.
  53. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1911). Kongemagt. Skuespil i fire Akter [The King; drama in four acts] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Gyldendal. ASIN B000WHK6RI.
  54. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1912). U morja [The King] (in Russian). Anna Vasil'evna Ganzen; Petr Gotfridovič Ganzen; Alvilde Prydz;. St. Petersburg, Russia: A.F. Marks. OCLC 71459709.
  55. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1916). Mennesker af vor Tid [People of our Time] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Hasselbalch. OCLC 464870271.
  56. ↑ "Une femme libre" [A free woman] (in French). Le Temps. 31 August 1917. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  57. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1922). Det store Drama [The Great Drama] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Steen Hasselbachs Forlag. ASIN B00CMG7VSE.
  58. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1925). Le Dictateur [The Dictator] (in French). Paris, France: Les Oeuvres libres. ASIN B000WQOL1G. OCLC 28863461.
  59. ↑ Theatre collections: record view, Medusa (La Femme Fatale) University of Kent, Information Services - Special Collections, Retrieved 26 May 2015
  60. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1929). Nous, les Barbares...' [We the Barbarians ...] (in French). Paris, France: Ernst Flammarion. ASIN B0018HCNEK.
  61. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1931). Nosotros los bárbaros [We the barbarians ...] (in Spanish). Madrid, Spain: Zeus. OCLC 807481540.
  62. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1929). Théâtre [Theatre] (in French). Compendium of 12 of Karen Bramsons plays in French in four volumes. Paris, France: Ernst Flammarion. ASIN B0018HJQFO. ISBN 9781278510798.
  63. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1930). Men. London, UK: Chapman & Hall.
  64. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1930). Une amoureuse [A Lover] (in French). Paris, France: Ernst Flammarion. OCLC 431804761.
  65. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1932). Una enamorada [A lover] (in Spanish). Translated into Spanish by Francisco Pina. Madrid, Spain. OCLC 431804761.
  66. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1931). Une nuit d'amour [A night of Love] (in French). Paris, France: Ernest Flammarion. ASIN B0018HHQ8S.
  67. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1952). En kjærlighetsnatt [A night of Love] (in Norwegian). translated into Norwegian by Trygve Width. Series Alle tiders forfattere. OCLC 467958823.
  68. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1932). Un seul homme [One man] (in French). Paris, France: Ernest Flammarion. ASIN B0018HJQ8Q.
  69. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1932). En Nat. Roman [One night. A novel] (in Danish). Copenhage, Denmark: Koppel. ASIN B000WHDEBI.
  70. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1933). Star (in French). Paris, France: Ernst Flammarion. ASIN B0018HEQXG.
  71. ↑ Bramson, Karen (1935). Lueur dans nos ténèbres [Light Among our Shadows] (in French). Paris, France: Ernst Flammarion. ASIN B0018HGLMU.
  72. ↑ Kraks Blå Bog [Kraks Blue Book] (in Danish). the "Who's Who of Denmark. Copenhagen, Denmark: Krak. 1921. OCLC 219836555.
  73. ↑ Lind, Th. (1915). Gyldendals forfatter-lexikon [Gyldendals author encyclopaedia] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Gyldendal. OCLC 465963608.
  74. ↑ Danske dramatikere; en fortegnelse udgivet af Danske dramatikeres forbund over medlemmernes arbejder [Danish playwrights; a list published by the Danish playwrights Association of Members work] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Jørgensen A Co. OCLC 462755351.
  75. ↑ Jørgensen, Harmer; Henning, Thomas (1974). Gyldendals litteraturleksikon [Gyldendals literary encyclopaedia] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Gyldendal. ISBN 9788700366534. OCLC 2496580.
  76. ↑ Nunnally Hamilton, Tiina (1979). Kvindelige danske forfattere 1820-1910 [Danish women authors 1820-1910] (in Danish). Ballerup Bibliotekscentralen. ISBN 87-552-0582-8.
  77. ↑ Brostrøm, Torben (1981). Danske digtere i det 20. århundrede [Danish poets of the 20th Century] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Gad. ISBN 9788712174523. OCLC 58579575.
  78. ↑ Jørgensen, Aage (1989). Dansk litteraturhistorisk bibliografi 1967-1986 [Danish literary bibliography 1967-1986] (in Danish). Centre for Undervisning og Kulturformidling. Copenhage, Denmark: Akademisk forlag, Dansklærerforeningen.
  79. ↑ Larsen, Jytte, ed. (2000). Dansk kvindebiografisk leksikon [Danish Women's Biographical Encyclopedia] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Rosinante. ISBN 9788773579763. OCLC 48031935.
  80. ↑ Ellehauge, Martin (1933). Det danske skuespil efter verdenskrigen [Danish drama after the war] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Levin & Munksgaard. pp. 21–23. ASIN B000X7QK40. OCLC 463332205.
  81. ↑ Reumert, Poul Hagen (1940). Masker og mennesker [Masks and humans] (in Danish). Copenhagen, Denmark: Gyldendalske boghandel nordisk forlag. pp. 134–142. OCLC 7186690.
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