Rasmus Nyerup (12 March 1759–28 June 1829) was a Danish literary historian, philologist, folklorist and librarian.

Biography

He was born at the village of Nyrup near Glamsbjerg on

Funen Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...

, Denmark. After graduating from Odense Lærde Skole, Nyerup studied philology and theology and took exams in resp. 1779 and 1780. He was assistant at the Royal Library from 1778, and its secretary during 1709–1803. In the period 1790–1797, he was editor of the literary-critical journal ''Kiøbenhavnske lærde Efterretninger''. He became a professor of literary history at the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University. ...

in 1796. From 1803, he was head librarian of

Copenhagen University Library The Copenhagen University Library (Danish language, Danish: Københavns Universitetsbibliotek) in Copenhagen, Denmark, is the main research library of the University of Copenhagen. Founded in 1482, it is the oldest library in Denmark. The old mai ...

. Nyerup wrote and published a number of historical, literary-historical and cultural-historical works. Together With

Rasmus Rask Rasmus Kristian Rask (; born Rasmus Christian Nielsen Rasch; 22 November 1787 – 14 November 1832) was a Danish linguist and philologist. He wrote several grammars and worked on comparative phonology and morphology. Rask traveled extensively ...

(1787–1832), he published a Danish translation of the ''

Prose Edda The ''Prose Edda'', also known as the ''Younger Edda'', ''Snorri's Edda'' () or, historically, simply as ''Edda'', is an Old Norse textbook written in Iceland during the early 13th century. The work is often considered to have been to some exten ...

'' in 1808, and with Jens Edvard Kraft (1784–1853) a general literary history of Denmark, Norway and Iceland (1818/9). Together with Knud Lyne Rahbek (1760–1830) and Werner Abrahamson (1744-1812), Nyerup was also responsible for the publication of folk songs from the Middle Ages in ''Udvalgte Danske Viser fra Middelalderen'' (Copenhagen: J. F. Schulz, 1812–14). Rasmus Nyerup gravsten

Nyerup was co-founder of the society ''Selskabet for Efterslægten'' (1786) and the Scandinavian Literary Society (1796). As secretary of the Royal Commission on the Preservation of Antiquities (''Den kongelige Commission til Oldsagers Opbevaring''), Nyerup also helped

Christian Jürgensen Thomsen Christian Jürgensen Thomsen (29 December 1788 – 21 May 1865) was a Danish antiquarian who developed early archaeological techniques and methods. In 1816 he was appointed head of 'antiquarian' collections which later developed into the Na ...

(1788–1865) initiate the foundation of the

National Museum of Denmark The National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) in Copenhagen is Denmark, Denmark's largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main building is located a short distance from S ...

References

Other sources

*C.L.Ström, ''Professor og Ridder Rasmus Nyerups Levnetslöb, beskrevet af ham selv'' (1829). Danish librarians 18th-century Danish historians 19th-century Danish historians Academic staff of the University of Copenhagen Royal Library, Denmark 1759 births 1829 deaths People from Denmark–Norway {{Denmark-historian-stub