Christiern Pedersen facts for kids
Christiern Pedersen (born around 1480 – died 1554) was a very important Danish scholar, writer, printer, and publisher. He helped bring new ideas and books to Denmark during a time of big changes.
Early Life and Studies
Christiern Pedersen was born in Helsingør, Denmark. He went to school in Roskilde and then studied at the University of Greifswald starting in 1496. He earned his first degree in 1498. Later, in 1505, he became a canon, which is a type of priest.
From 1508 to 1515, he studied at the University of Paris. He earned a Master of Arts degree there in 1511. While in Paris, he became very interested in writing, translating, and publishing books. Paris was a major center for the new printing press technology at that time.
Pedersen even wrote a new Latin-Danish dictionary called Vocabularium ad usum Dacorum, which he published in 1510. This was a big help for students learning Latin in Denmark.
Publishing Gesta Danorum
Christiern Pedersen really wanted to publish a very old and important history book about Denmark. This book was called Gesta Danorum and was written by Saxo Grammaticus about 300 years earlier. It was a huge book, but it was hard to find a complete copy of it. Most people only knew about it from a short summary.
Pedersen sent letters all over Denmark, asking friends if they had a copy. When that didn't work, he even traveled around Denmark, looking in old libraries and monasteries. He still couldn't find a full manuscript.
Then, something unexpected happened! The Archbishop of Lund, Birger Gunnersen, wrote to Pedersen saying he had found a copy in his area. He made sure Pedersen could use it.
With the help of a printer named Jodocus Badius Ascensius, Pedersen finally published the first printed edition of Gesta Danorum. It was titled Danorum Regum heroumque Historiae and came out on March 15, 1514, in Paris. This printed book is now the oldest complete copy of Saxo’s Gesta Danorum that we know of.
Later Years and the Danish Bible
In 1516, Pedersen returned to Lund and worked for Archbishop Birger Gunnersen. He later faced some difficulties and had to leave Denmark for a while. He was loyal to King Christian II, who also went into exile. Pedersen followed him to the Netherlands in 1526.
In 1529, Pedersen changed his religion from Catholic to Lutheran. He did not return to Denmark until 1532. He was allowed to live in Malmø, where he opened his own printing shop.
In 1534, he married Else Jacobsdatter in Malmø. Sadly, she passed away in 1539 during childbirth. Pedersen then sold his printing shop and moved to Copenhagen in 1541.
During these years, Christiern Pedersen began his most important work: translating the entire Bible into Danish. This was a huge task and took many years. His translation was finished in 1543, but it was finally published in 1550. This book, simply called Biblia, was not only a fantastic translation but also a beautiful book with good quality pictures. It was the first complete Bible translation into Danish. About 3000 copies were printed. Because of this amazing work, Christiern Pedersen is sometimes called "the father of Danish literature."
Pedersen was not well during the last ten years of his life, but he kept working. He passed away in 1554 while living with relatives in Helsinge.
