C. Henrik (Carl Henrik) Scharling

Born in Copenhagen on May 3, 1836, Carl Henrik Scharling was a Danish theologian, professor, and writer. He died in Frederiksberg on June 6, 1920. Alongside his academic and religious work, he built a literary reputation that has lasted far beyond his own time.

He is especially known for Ved Nytaarstid i Nøddebo Præstegaard, the novel that became the basis for Nøddebo Præstegård, a story that remained popular on the Danish stage and later in film. That connection has made Scharling an enduring name in Danish cultural life, even for readers who may know the adaptation better than the original book.

Scharling's career reflects a mix of scholarship and storytelling: he worked within theology and university life, while also writing fiction that reached a broader audience. For readers today, he stands out as a 19th-century Danish author whose work helped shape a much-loved national classic.