author
J. C. (Jens Christian) Aaberg
1877–1970
A Danish-born Lutheran minister and translator, he helped bring the rich hymn tradition of Denmark to English-speaking readers. His best-known work opens a window onto the history, poetry, and faith behind Danish hymn writing.
1 Audiobook
Hymns and Hymnwriters of Denmark
by J. C. (Jens Christian) Aaberg
About the author
Born in Moberg, Denmark, in 1877, Jens Christian Aaberg emigrated to the United States in 1901. He studied at St. Ansgar’s College and later at Grand View College and Seminary in Des Moines, preparing for ministry in the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
He served congregations in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota, while also building a lasting reputation as a translator and writer on hymnody. Aaberg is especially remembered for Hymns and Hymnwriters of Denmark (1945), a book that introduced many English-language readers to Danish sacred song and its authors.
Beyond his parish work, he contributed widely to church music and hymn collections, helping preserve and share a literary and musical tradition that might otherwise have remained less known outside Danish-speaking communities. He died in Minneapolis in 1970.