Hergisheim

Hergisheim is a villa in Stavern, near Larvik. From Christmas 1927, the writer Gisken Wildenvey (1892–1985) and the poet Herman Wildeney (1885–1959) lived here, and the house's name is taken from the first letters of their names (Herman and Gisken). Hergisheim served as a meeting place for local artists. Arne Nordheim met Wildenvey here in 1943 as a boy. “He introduced me to the charms of poetry”, said Nordheim, who – thanks to his father – knew many of Wildenvey's poems. As a child, he also tried to set one of his poems to music. Nordheim claimed that studying Wildenvey’s poetry was almost on a par with the study of counterpoint and harmony and had the same weight as “several semesters in any conservatory”. He visited Hergisheim often. Many years later, he stated that Wildenvey was the intellectual closest to his own mind. His friendship and discussions with the poet underpinned Nordheim's future ability to express his thoughts precisely on a high literary level.