Hans Christian Andersen's manuscripts and letters

The Little Mermaid. The Ugly Duckling. The Snow Queen. Each one is a universal tale of love, transformation and longing - and part of the writing that has made Hans Christian Andersen a part of worldwide cultural heritage. Though the fairy tales are Andersen's most famous works, Hans Christian Andersen has in fact worked across many genres. This is reflected in the library's collections of material by Hans Christian Andersen. The library has the world's largest Hans Christian Andersen collection, containing everything from drafts and finished manuscripts to fairy tales, poems, novels and plays. Get beneath the surface and discover the more vulnerable side of Hans Christian Andersen through his diaries, almanacs and personal notes.

You can also go hunting through thousands of letters that bear witness to the author's extensive network in Denmark and abroad.

The collections can help to supplement the stories that the great author shaped in his autobiographical works, and which have helped to create his legacy – from a poor upbringing to international fame. In addition to writing, he also expressed his creativity with paper cuttings, drawings and picture books. These can also be found in the library’s collections.

There is a reason why Royal Danish Library contains the world's largest collection of materials from Hans Christian Andersen. As early as 1875, the library received Hans Christian Andersen's albums and books with inscriptions as a testamentary gift. Several times in the 20th century, our library has received large donations or acquired manuscripts and letters from Hans Christian Andersen.

In 1997, the library's collections of Hans Christian Andersen's letters and manuscripts were included in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, which includes documents of global importance that are particularly worthy of preservation. The inclusion on the UNESCO list emphasises the collection's unique value as part of the world’s shared documentary heritage.