Wergeland, << VAIR guh lahn, >> Henrik Arnold (1808-1845), was a Norwegian author and fervent nationalist. He became an early supporter of Norwegian political independence from Sweden, which controlled Norway from 1814 to 1905. He also encouraged Norwegians to seek cultural independence from Sweden and Denmark. Along with Henrik Ibsen and other writers, he played a major part in the development of a separate Norwegian culture. Wergeland wrote poetry, drama, and prose, but his poems are his greatest works. They include Creation, Man, and Messiah (1830) and The Jew (1842). Wergeland was born on June 17, 1808, in Kristiansand, Norway. He died on July 12, 1845.
