    
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Administrative
Information
Scope and Content Note
Biographical Information
Lineage
Selected Search Terms
Partial Interview Transcript
|
Information
Resources
Robert A. L. Mortvedt Library
Pacific
Lutheran University
Tacoma, WASHINGTON 98447
Phone: (253) 535-7586 E-mail: archives@plu.edu
New Land
New Lives Oral History Collection
Hans Peter Hansen
A Guide to His Oral History Interview |
|
Administrative
Information
Creator:
Hansen, Hans Peter
Collection Nr: t051
File Content:
|
|
3 file folders
2 photographs
1 sound cassette
2 compact discs
|
|
|
Processing Information:
|
|
The
interview was conducted using a cassette recorder. A research
copy was also prepared from the original. To further preserve
the content of the interview, it is now being transferred
to compact disc. We deliberately did not transcribe the
entire interview because we want the researchers to listen
to the interviewee's own voice. The transcription index
highlights important aspects of the interview and the
tape counter numbers noted on the Partial Interview
Transcription are meant as approximate finding guides
and refer to the location of a subject on the cassette/CD.
Interviewed
by Morrene Nesvig
Transcribed by Mary Sue Gee, Julie Peterson and Becky
Husby
Encoded by Kerstin Ringdahl & Amity Smetzler
Recording Quality: Good
|
Restrictions:
|
|
The
collection is available for research.
|
|
Preferred Citation:
|
|
[Collection
Number, Collection Title]
New Land New Lives Oral History Collection
Scandinavian Immigrant Experience Collection
Robert A.L. Mortvedt Library
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447
|
Go
to top |
This
interview was conducted with Hans Peter Hansen on April 13,
1981 at his home in Tacoma, Washington. It provides information
on family background, the Danish Royal Guard, emigration, occupation,
and Danish heritage. The interview also includes two black and
white photographs of Hans at the time of the interview and Hans'
obituary (December 4, 1981). The interview was conducted in
English.
|
|
Hans
Peter Hansen was born on November 9, 1888 in Vejen, Denmark
to Jens Nikolaj Hansen and Ane Kathrine Bergitte Madsen. Hans
had three older siblings: Kathrine, Karen, and Mads. The family
moved to the city when Hans was eight years old, and his father
had a bicycle shop there. Hans attended a private school called
the Danish Latin School, and when he was eighteen, he went into
the Danish Royal Guard. Hans signed up for officers' camp and
then became a Corporal, training the new boys. During his time
in the Royal Guard, Hans got to know Crown Prince Christian,
who later became King Christian X, Prince Gustav, and a Danish
count. When he was twenty-five years old, he decided to immigrate
to America because he had no trade in Denmark. Hans settled
in Tacoma, WA, where a friend of his father's lived. Hans took
night school at Franklin High School to improve his English,
and in November 1915, he and a friend, John Hansen, opened an
auto-repair shop, H.P. Hansen & Co. At first, Hans only
worked on Model T Fords but later expanded and began working
on Model A's as well. Hans met his wife, Clara, at the Danish
Young People's Society, and was married in 1916. They had two
children, Bergitte and Margaret. In Tacoma, Hans has been involved
with church, Commercial Club, Danish Society, and the Leif Erikson
League. In 1980, the Leif Erikson League honored Hans as the
oldest Danish immigrant on Danish Day during Scandinavian Days
in Tacoma. Another special occasion for Hans occurred on the
250th anniversary of the Royal Guard in the U.S. At that time,
Hans received a special invitation from the Danish consulate
to be his guest and have an audience with the Queen of Denmark.
Hans' heritage has been very important to him, and he continues
to keep in touch with all of his relatives there.
Go to top |
|
|
Full Name: |
Hans Peter Hansen
|
|
Father |
Jens Nikolaj Hansen
|
|
Mother: |
Ane Kathrine Bergitte Madsen
|
|
Paternal Grandfather: |
Hans Peter Hansen
|
|
Paternal Grandmother: |
Johanne Kathrine Sorensdatter
|
|
Brothers and Sisters: |
Kathrine Hansen
Karen Hansen
Mads Hansen
|
|
Spouse: |
Clara Anette Hansen
|
|
Children: |
Bergitte Hansen
Margaret Hansen
|
Go to top |
This collection is indexed under the following headings
|
|
Personal Names |
|
Hansen, Hans Peter
Hansen, Jens Nikolaj
Madsen, Ane Kathrine Bergitte
Hansen, Clara
Hansen, John
Hansen, Bergitte
Hansen, Margaret
|
|
Family Names |
|
Hansen family
Madsen family
|
|
Geographical Names |
|
Vejen (Denmark)
Tacoma (Wash.)
|
|
Subjects |
|
Family -- Denmark
Danish Lutheran Young People's Society (Tacoma, Wash.)
Denmark -- Emigration and immigration
Leif Erikson League (Tacoma, Wash.)
Education -- Denmark
Royal houses -- Denmark
Christmas -- Denmark
Guards troops -- Denmark
Commercial Club (Tacoma, Wash.)
First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma, Wash)
Ocean travel
Ray Roberts Club (Tacoma, Wash.)
Denmark -- Social conditions -- 1945-
Danish Royal Guard
|
|
Occupations |
|
Bicycles -- Maintenance and repair
Danish Royal Guard
Automobiles -- Maintenance and repair
|
|
Genre/Form |
|
Oral history
|
|
Institution |
|
Pacific Lutheran University. Scandinavian Immigrant Experience
Collection
|
Go
to top |
The
partial interview transcription highlights important aspects
of the interview. Numbers on the left may be used as guides
to important subjects. Two numbers separated by a slash indicate
that the first number is for cassette and the second for CD.
007/10 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Full name, Hans Peter Hansen. Born
November 9, 1888 in Vejen, Jylland, Denmark. Vejen means road.
011 PARENTS: Jens Nikolaj Hansen, builder of homes. Mother,
Ane Kathrine Mads Bergitta Madsen, housewife.
020 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Four in the family, Kathrine, Karen,
Mads, and Hans.
025 GRANDPARENTS: Named after his paternal grandfather, Hans
Peter Hansen. Maternal grandparents were large farmers and his
paternal grandparents were house farmers (small farmers). He
talks about the area he lived in Jutland which was three miles
from the border when he left. The borderline was the Kongeaa
(river). After WWI the allies conducted a vote to see if the
areas taken away from Denmark by Germany in 1864 wanted to return
to Denmark. This area was divided into three sections. The first
section down to Flensborg voted to return to Denmark and the
next section decided to remain German so the third section remained
German too.
035 BACKGROUND ON DANISH HOME: They lived about fifteen miles
from the East coast and twenty-four to twenty-five miles from
the west. This was the border then but it moved down to Flensborg.
062/11 GROWING UP IN DENMARK: They lived in a farming area.
The town was called Vejen. They moved to the city when he was
eight years. He talks about travel difficulties in those days
and the resulting dialects that developed.
074/12 Arrived US April 14, 1914. He went alone, but two friends
were aboard.
080 REASONS FOR LEAVING DENMARK: Didn't have a trade.
082 BICYCLING: He had a bicycle with one big wheel and one little
wheel. His father sold bicycles. He talks some about the evolution
of the bicycle. Brother first had a motorcycle in about 1904.
Hans got one later this was the second motorcycle in the area.
These were German made. They had pedals on them too because
they weren't very powerful. He worked fixing bicycles for a
period for his father.
101 SCHOOL DAYS IN DENMARK: Went to a private school this was
called the Danish Latin School, which was a prepatory school
for the university. Denmark had a mandatory draft and Hans went
in at age eighteen. Never seen the Royal Guard. This was a special
group. You had to be 6 foot tall to get into it. There were
many wealthy and good citizen families involved in this group.
They had a five-month service in boot camp. At this time numbers
were drawn to determine whether you stayed or went home. These
numbers could be sold. Hans signed up for…
/13 officers training. This lasted for seven months. For the
next five months, after that he was a Corporal training the
new boys. The commander of the Royal Guard at this time was
the Crown Prince Christian who later was King Christian X. He
had a farewell party at the prince's home in Lyngby. The castle's
name was Sorgenfri. At this time, Prince Christian was being
advanced in rank. He was a Colonel in the Royal Guard then he
became a general and moved over to the infantry in Aarhus in
Jylland. Christian loved the guard. Hans had guard duty with
the royal family when they were in residence in Copenhagen and
in Frederiksborg. The day they left. Crown Prince Christian,
his wife…
/01 Alexandrine, and their two boys, Knud and Frederik stood
by the gate when they walked out. The Crown Prince cried. Then
they (Hans) took over the Guard as Corporal of the Guard at
the Frederiksborg Castle. Checked the castle twice during the
night. He talks about the castle. They ran into Frederik and
Knud. They had just gotten new bicycles. They gave them their
first lesson on the bicycle. He talks about some other experiences
of working as Corporal of the Guard. Hans was in the service
seventeen months. They had a marksmanship competition and Hans
was the best marksman in his company and received a cup from
the future King of Denmark. Talks about like in the military.
They got two loaves of bread a week and one Danish Krone a day.
He talks about their barracks which had no indoor plumbing or
kitchens.
The armory where he was at was part of the Rosenborg castle.
Hans traded his bread and money for food at the YMCA which was
nearby. Met a man at the YMCA who started questioning him about
the royal guard and it was Prince Gustav of Denmark who was
the brother of the Crown Prince. Gustav had a lot of work to
do to lose weight to get into the guard. Later, Gustav was in
his company and so was a cousin of Gustav's. Talks about Gustav's
training. He wasn't quite strong enough and others helped him.
Gustav told Hans about his life. He said that Frederiksborg
castle was like heaven. Hans' sidekick in the Royal Guard was
a Danish count. They stayed friends for years.
276 WHAT BROUGHT HIM TO THE US: He was 25 years old when he
came. Hans had no trade. His father wanted him to take over
the shop. Hans had a friend in Johannesburg who had a job mining
(in South Africa), but this area went under martial law so they
couldn't work. A friend of Han's dad came to Denmark for a visit
so Hans decided to come here instead. This man was building
a girls reform school in the Tacoma area. Hans came on the 14th
of April.
304 LEAVING DENMARK: Sailed from Copenhagen. Ticket about 200
Kroner. Went to Oslo (Kristiania, Norway). He and a friend got
off the ship and went to Holmenkollen. Then they took off to
England were they ran into a terrific storm. They were locked
below for three days with no ventilation. They started getting
acquainted with other young people from Norway, Sweden, and
Finland. There was a person playing the accordion and they would
dance on the deck. The trip took two weeks.
346 ARRIVAL AT ELLIS ISLAND: Talks about passing inspection.
One girl looked pregnant, if she was she would have been sent
home.
362 TRAIN TRIP TO TACOMA: Train had a stove at one end and people
could cook on it. Only knew how to say doughnuts and coffee
at the restaurants. So that was all he ate on the trip. The
trip took seven days.
383 EXPERIENCE IN THE FIRST DAY IN TACOMA: Train stopped at
the depot on Puyallup Ave. There was a girl who got off the
train who he hadn't seen eating the entire trip. There was no
one there to greet her, but she had the address. Hans fixed
her up with a car. Hans went and got a shave. He had trouble
explaining where he wanted to go, language difficulties. He
thought "streetcar" sounded like "street map. He finally got
on the streetcar and made his way to the house, but no one was
there. There was a ball game going on, he thought the Eriksons
would be there. He couldn't understand the game or find the
Eriksons. It started raining. He went to find something to eat.
He went to a saloon, (he didn't know what a saloon was). Then
he had to find a room for the night. Went to a Swedish boardinghouse.
The next morning he found a place that sold coffee and doughnuts.
Went back to the Eriksons. There still wasn't anybody home.
He went to the neighbors and asked where they were. They had
moved a couple of blocks away. Mrs. Erikson had a sister Irene
Minhard (?), she spoke German and hardly any English. Luckily
Hans knew some German. She took him over to the Petersons were
arrangements had been made for him to stay.
530/03 HIS EXPERIENCES AT THE METHODIST CHURCH: This was with
Charlie, John, and Mathia Peterson. Heard a Danish-Norwegian
Methodist preacher named Nelson. He spoke Norwegian. Charlie
started going down on his knees for prayer. They never did this
in the Lutheran Church. He was introduced to the pastor after
the service and they became good friends. This pastor's son
was Sirus Nelson (?) an architect. He was the architect for
Hans' home. Pastor Nelson moved to Oregon and later back again.
560 OPENED AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP: November 1915. (see counter
I-631, II-009)
566 MEETING WIFE: Met at the Danish Lutheran Young People's
Society. They were married in 1916.
576 Member of the Danish Sports Club in Vejen, Denmark.
599 LEARNING ENGLISH: Night school at Franklin High School for
one winter. Had had a good deal of English in school. He speaks
about his wife and her family. They came from Denmark. He talks
about some of the jobs he worked at.
631/14 THE AUTOMOBILE BUSINESS: Previously the Thompson Brothers,
a Model T repair shop.
SIDE II
009/05 H.P. HANSEN AND CO.: In November 1915, Hans and his friend
Jon Hansen started this shop together. Not enough business so
his friend returned to his previous job with McNeill and Libby;
fishing in Alaska for awhile. Business built up. They worked
on only Model T Fords. He rented the shop on Mt. Tahoma Ave.
for $15 a month. Later expanded. Quit in 1958. Started working
on Model A's too. Talks about his mechanics. (see counter I-560,
I-631)
046 FEELING AT HOME IN THE US: Only planned to stay for about
five years. He wanted to visit California and Hawaii and then
go home from there, but he met his wife and stayed here. Also
had many other friends he made through his business. He mentions
Dr. Cravelly (?).
068/06 DANISH SOCIAL CLUB: Changed group got smaller. His wife
started going to the First Presbyterian Church. Stayed with
this church for about twenty years.
082 WIFE AND CHILDREN: Wife, Clara Anette Hansen. Children,
Bergitte and Margaret. Grandchildren, five girls and one boy.
Great- grandchildren, four.
094 TRIPS BACK TO DENMARK: Wife died in 1976 after their 60th
anniversary. Built house in 1928. Used to have a summer home.
117 ORGANIZATIONS: Commercial Club, Danish Society for awhile,
Leif Erikson League.
130/07 Honored as the oldest immigrant by the Leif Erikson League
on Danish Day during Scandinavian Days in 1980.
146 TRIPS BACK TO DENMARK: Had a wonderful time. Talks about
his experiences on the airplane from which he saw the midnight
sun. Talks about his sister-in-law first husband, Ray Roberts,
who is a WWII hero. There is a veterans club here in Tacoma
named after him, the Ray Roberts Club. He talks about some other
wart figures, John Cabe (?), a colonel and Tage Hansen (?).
Tage had been in the Royal Guard with Hans. Saw a performance
of the Royal Guard at Rosenborg Castle and met the Queen. Afterward
they were invited to Tage's house, which was full…
/08 of antiques. Meeting the family again. They had a big family
reunion in a pavilion near where he was born. There were 70-80
people there. There was music from the Girl Guards (a club).
Talks about his sister Kathrine's husband who had a fish hatchery
and she worked in a bank. His other sister Karen plays the organ
and teaches it.
337/09 KEPT FAMILY TIES: He wrote all these years.
342 Loves Denmark, but happy to be in the US. He talks about
lifestyles in Denmark and the US. He was talking to a minister
who said that he was beginning to feel if a couple hadn't been
living together they weren't ready for marriage.
374 Owned a wristwatch before they became popular (1909). After
WWI, they became popular.
390 TALKS ABOUT SWIMMING AT AMERICAN LAKE: Hans had brought
his trunks from Denmark, but had to go buy some with a skirt
on them. His wife wore the sailor suit complete with stockings
for swimming.
401 DANISH HOLIDAYS: Christmas. Try to maintain the traditions
from Denmark. They always had candles on the tree. They had
rice every Christmas. They also had lots of cookies and coffeecakes.
Easter was a four-day holiday and so was Pentecost. New Years
Eve, they shoot fire crackers and play tricks.
456/10 Sings Norwegian National Hymn "JaVi Elsker" followed
by the Danish National Hymn "Det er et yndigt land."
824 Joke about Model T days before the end of the 1920s.
846/11 IMPORTANCE OF DANISH HERITAGE: One of the big things
of his life. He's very proud of being Danish. He'd rather be
called Norsk than Swedish.
In Denmark in 1908, Hans celebrated the 250th anniversary of
the Royal Guard. The Royal Theater gave a performance. He talks
about a Danish opera singer who became president of the Royal
Guard Association in the US. Hans and his wife celebrated the
300th anniversary of the Royal Guard in the US. He got an invitation
from Tage Hansen in Copenhagen to celebrate the 319th anniversary
of the Royal Guard. Was introduced to the Queen again. 250th
anniversary of the Royal Guard in the US. Received tickets to
attend the celebration from the Danish Association. Gave them
to his daughter and son-in-law. He hadn't driven on the freeway
for sometime. The dinner was in Olympia. About 10 days before
the Queen and her husband came, Hans got a special invitation
from the Danish consulate to be his guest and to have an audience
with the Queen before the dinner. The governor of Washington
state at that time, Daniel Evans, was there at the meeting with
the Queen. Several Jews were there. They honored the country
of Denmark with a plaque they gave to the Queen. Denmark was
occupied by Germany during WWII. The Danes helped many Jews
escape to Sweden.
Go to top
|
Maintained by archives@plu.edu
© 2002-2003 Pacific Lutheran University
|