Kaj Munk

Born Jan. 13, 1898, in Maribo; died Jan. 4, 1944, in H0rbylunde, near Silkeborg. Danish playwright, poet, and journalist.

After graduating from the department of theology of the University of Copenhagen in 1924, Munk became a parish priest in Western Jutland. He began to write in the 1920’s. His first important work, the play Herod the King (1928), dealt with the subject of good and evil against the background of a biblical theme. In his drama The Word (1925), he asserted the power of religious faith. Munk’s fascination with the idea of a “strong” personality was reflected in his works of the 1930’s and in his support of political dictatorship. The dramas Hamlet (1934), Victory (1936), and The Female Dictator (1938) served as vehicles for his political views. However, in his play He Sits at the Melting Pot (1938), Munk condemned the fascist theories of race.

During the occupation of Denmark, Munk spoke out as an antifascist and patriot. Works of this period include the poetry collections Swear, Young Men! (1941) and The Youthful North (1942), the collections of articles By the Rivers of Babylon (1941) and By the Word’s Sword (1942), and the national historical drama Niels Ebbesen (1942). Munk’s poetry and sermons, which called for resistance, were printed by the underground press. He was killed by the Nazis.