Marie Heiberg (10 September 1890 – 15 February 1942) was an

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

poet. When she was only about 15 years old she wrote her first poems which were acclaimed for their youthful freshness. Heiberg spent the last twenty years of her life in a mental institution. There is a memorial to her memory in

Urvaste Urvaste (; ) is a village in Antsla Parish, Võru County, in southeastern Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021) Before the 2017 Administrative Reform in Estonia, 2017 Administrative Reform, the village belonged to Urvaste Parish. Tamme-Lauri oak, ...

Biography

Heiberg was born on Siimu Farm near Lake Uhtjärv in the south of Estonia in September 1890, (though technically her birth occurred in August 1890 as Estonia did not change from the

Julian calendar The Julian calendar is a solar calendar of 365 days in every year with an additional leap day every fourth year (without exception). The Julian calendar is still used as a religious calendar in parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church and in parts ...

to the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

until 1917). Heiberg was brought up in a poor family environment. After attending local schools in the small village of

and the larger borough of

Sangaste Sangaste () is a small borough () in Otepää Parish, Valga County, southern Estonia. Sangaste has a population of 228 (as of 1 January 2010). Sangaste castle Sangaste castle or manor () traces its history to at least 1522, when it was part of ...

in 1905, Heiberg began to write poetry when she was sixteen. Her first poems appeared in an anthology published by the Estonian writer and critic

Friedebert Tuglas Friedebert Tuglas, born Friedebert Mihkelson or Michelson (2 March 1886 – 15 April 1971), was an Estonian writer and critic who introduced Impressionism and Symbolism to Estonian literature. Persecuted by the authorities in the beginning of 20t ...

. (She and Tuglas were to exchange letters for the next twelve years.) When she was 16, she went to

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...

where she earned a living performing odd jobs and working as a freelance journalist. In 1906, she published her first collection of poems ' (Songs of a Problem Child), followed in 1913 by her second and last collection ''Luule'' (Poems). In 1910, she published a short story, ''Elukevade'' (Springtime of Life). The youthful freshness of ' was acclaimed while ''Luule'' was considered more sophisticated but less youthful. Her stories are not comparable with her talented approach to poetry with its recurrent themes of loneliness, sadness and spiritual darkness. During all this time she corresponded with Tuglas despite his being in exile in various countries around Europe. He returned to Estonia in 1917.Friedebert Tuglas
Database of Estonian Writers, retrieved 19 February 2015 Around 1919, Heiberg began to suffer from a mental illness, possibly

schizophrenia Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...

, and spent some time in

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

's mental hospital. She returned home but her condition deteriorated with the result that she spent the last 20 years of her life in a mental home until she died in February 1942.

Legacy

In 2010 a book, ''Üks naine kurbade silmadega'', was published about Heiberg, her correspondence and some of her poetry. A memorial to Marie Heiberg which includes a bust of her has been erected beside the church in Urvaste. Heiberg's words inspired Tõnu Kõrvits and Maarja Kangro to write an operetta ' (My Swans, My Thoughts). The libretto premiered in 2006 and was performed at the

Von Krahl Theatre Von Krahl Theatre () is a theatre in Tallinn, Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across f ...

in Tallinn and subsequently was performed at the

Tallinn City Theatre Tallinn City Theatre () is a repertory theatre located in the medieval old town of Tallinn, Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from ...

Works

*1906: ' (poetry) *1910: '' Elukevade'' (short stories) *1913: ''Luule'' (poetry) *1988: ''Käisin üksi tähte valgel'' (selected poetry)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heiberg, Marie 1890 births 1942 deaths People from Antsla Parish People from Kreis Werro People with schizophrenia 20th-century Estonian poets Estonian women poets 20th-century Estonian women writers Burials at Liiva Cemetery