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The Drop of Water
Copenhagen in Hans Christian Andersen’s Day
From March 5th to December 31st 2005.
The Museum of Copenhagen’s large special exhibition on the Copenhagen of Hans Christian Andersen was named after his fairytale The Drop of Water, wherein the teeming - and often cynically brutal - life among the micro organisms in the water of a ditch is compared to life in that day’s Copenhagen.
Copenhagen was the hometown of Hans Christian Andersen from 1819, when he arrived in town to become famous, till his death in 1875. Throughout his life he found inspiration in his surroundings. In his works one recognizes a Copenhagen in rapid development - from a small town hiding behind the ramparts to a sprawling modern city.
The exhibition took the shape of a walk through the capital following in the footsteps of Hans Christian Andersen. Along the way doors were opened and we were introduced to the Copenhageners he shared the city with. Original artefacts and pictures told the real fairytale of the author and the city for children and adults alike.