Henrik Ibsen in Wahpeton
Being from Skien in Telemark (Norway) we are very proud of finding a bust of the dramatist Henrik Ibsen in a nice park in Wahpeton in North Dakota. Henrik Ibsen was born in Skien.
The signs on the footing stone say:
"Garden and seating donated by NDSCS Student Senate 1996 - 97".
"Henrik Ibsen noted 19th Century Norwegian Poet, Dramatist and Historian. Donated by the City of Wahpeton, this bust was dedicated May 17. 1917, and was designed by Norwegian sculptor Jacob Fjelde".
"IBSEN RE-DEDICATION. In appreciation of his literary contributions, this bust of Henrik Ibsen was re-dedicated on October 6, 2000 during Homecoming. This bronze bust of the Norwegian playwright was cast in 1885 by Jacob Fjelde, a Norwegian artist and sculptor".
Rolf Fjelde, Jacob Fjelde's grandson, was very proud of his Norwegian family heritage, and he honored it by his devotion to Norway's greatest artist. In 1989, he had the great pleasure of donating a fired porcelain copy of his grandfather's Ibsen bust to Ibsen House, the theatre and conference center in Skien, Norway, Ibsen's birthplace.