Edvard Grieg 100 years ago

The Norwegian scholar Einar Molland (1908-1976) created the impression that the composer Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) was active in and member of the Norwegian Unitarian movement in the beginning of the 20 Century. Unfortunately this myth is hard to die and still to be found in books and articles published in the 21th Century. Still no traces of Edvard Grieg is found in Norwegian Unitarian church records, it is not known if he ever visited the first Norwegian Unitarian church, the first Norwegian Unitarian pastor, Kristofer Janson (1841-1917), has never mentioned Edvard Grieg as part of the Unitarian movement – and Grieg himself remained until his death a member of the Evangelical-Lutheran State Church.

What seems to be correct and confirmed from Grieg's private correspondence just a month before he died (and from a letter he wrote May 17 1905), is that he discovered the Unitarian religion while visiting Birmingham (UK) in 1888. In a letter written at the hospital in Bergen August 28 1907 he as far as religion is concerned consider himself to be Unitarian and a believer in God.

It has not been possible to find the sourses from where Molland concludes the Grieg was part of the Norwegian Unitarian movement and because Molland also includes the Norwegian writer Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832-1910, Nobel Prize in literature 1903) among those active in the movement, it is tempting to suggest that Molland is guessing. Bjørnson was surely not part of this movement!

Yesterday started the Norwegian 'Grieg Year' in remembrance of 100 years since the death of the great composer. Hopefully this year also will mean a closer look on Edvard Grieg and Norwegian Unitarianism.