The Fairy Tale of my Life







FAQ










The original manuscripts of Hans Christian Andersen have an esthetic and emotional intrinsic value which anyone who have had the chance to sit with them in front of themselves or examined them trough the protective glass of the exhibitions has been able to convince them self of.

The preserved manuscripts have also been the decisive basis for new editions of i.e. his letters and diaries and for new critical editions of his known works.



Extract from the Diary of the Journey to Germany, 1831


In 1998 The Manuscript Department at The Royal Library started the publication of chosen Hans Christian Andersen manuscripts in digital facsimile.

Since 2003 Odense City Museums has published about twenty fairy-tale manuscripts and the manuscript for the autobiography "The Story of My Life".

The Hans Christian Andersen Center at University of Southern Denmark has published a few manuscripts as well.

Neither digital nor printed facsimile editions can replace the original manuscripts in all respects. But regarding quality, costs, accessability and preservation the publication of digital facsimile has considerable advantages: The manuscripts can be studied at the same time all over the world for different purposes without exposing the fragile original material to wear.

The publication of Hans Christian Andersen manuscripts will be intensified in the years to come. The purpose is to give scholars and others who are interested the possibility to study well-known as well as lesser known Andersen texts and to give an impression of the author's work with his material and of the 'work in progress' of the individual works.