Funding for encoding this finding aid was
provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
Biographical Note
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.
Lineage
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.
Content Description
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.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
The oral history collection
is open to all users.
Restrictions on Use :
There are no
restrictions on use.
Administrative Information
Custodial History :
The Oral History collection
project was started during an experimental course on Scandinavian Women in the
Pacific Northwest. Students in the course were encouraged to interview women
and learn about their experiences as immigrants to the United States. The
project was continued and expanded with support from the president's office and
by grants from the L.J. Skaggs and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation, from the Joel E.
Ferris Foundation and the Norwegian Emigration Fund of the Royal Norwegian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The project was directed by Dr. Janet E.
Rasmussen. The collection was transferred to the Archives and Special
Collections Department.
Acquisition Information :
Related Materials :
To search and view Pacific
Lutheran University's digitized images, visit our
Digital Assets
Website
Processing Note :
The interview was conducted by
Morrene Nesvig 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. The recording quality is good
The
collection was transcribed by Mary Sue Gee, Julie Peterson and Becky Husby.
Bibliography :
Rasmussen, Janet Elaine. New Land
New Lives: Scandinavian Immigrants to the Pacific NorthwestTacoma, WashingtonUniversity of Washington
Press1993
Additional Reference Guides :
Detailed Description of the Collection
The partial interview transcription highlights important aspects of the
interview. Numbers 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.
Cassette
51, side 1
007/10: PERSONAL
BACKGROUND
Full name, Hans Peter Hansen.
Born November 9, 1888 in Vejen, Jylland, Denmark. Vejen means road.
51, side 1
011: PARENTS
Jens Nikolaj Hansen, builder of homes. Mother, Ane
Kathrine Mads Bergitta Madsen, housewife.
51, side 1
020: BROTHERS AND
SISTERS
Four in the family, Kathrine,
Karen, Mads, and Hans.
51, side 1
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.
51, side 1
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.
51, side 1
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.
51, side 1
074/12:
Arrived US April 14, 1914. He went alone, but two friends
were aboard.
51, side 1
080: REASONS FOR LEAVING
DENMARK
Didn't have a trade.
51, side 1
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.
51, side 1
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 officers training.
51, side 1
/13:
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…
51, side 1
/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.
51, side 1
276: WHAT BROUGHT HIM TO THE
U.S.
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.
51, side 1
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.
51, side 1
346: ARRIVAL AT ELLIS
ISLAND
Talks about passing inspection.
One girl looked pregnant, if she was she would have been sent home.
51, side 1
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.
51, side 1
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.
51, side 1
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.
51, side 1
560: OPENED AN AUTO REPAIR
SHOP
November 1915. (see counter I-631,
II-009)
51, side
1
566: MEETING
WIFE
Met at the Danish Lutheran Young
People's Society. They were married in 1916.
51, side 1
576:
Member of the Danish Sports Club in Vejen, Denmark.
51, side 1
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.
51, side 1
631/14: THE AUTOMOBILE
BUSINESS
Previously the Thompson
Brothers, a Model T repair shop.
51, side 1
SIDE II:
51, side 1
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)
51, side 1
046: FEELING AT HOME IN THE
U.S.
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 (?).
51, side 1
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.
51, side 1
082: WIFE AND
CHILDREN
Wife, Clara Anette Hansen.
Children, Bergitte and Margaret. Grandchildren, five girls and one boy. Great-
grandchildren, four.
51, side 1
094: TRIPS BACK TO
DENMARK
Wife died in 1976 after their 60th
anniversary. Built house in 1928. Used to have a summer home.
51, side 1
117: ORGANIZATIONS
Commercial Club, Danish Society for awhile, Leif
Erikson League.
51, side 1
130/07:
Honored as the oldest immigrant by the Leif Erikson League
on Danish Day during Scandinavian Days in 1980.
51, side 1
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 of antiques.
51, side 1
/08:
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.
51, side 1
337/09: KEPT FAMILY
TIES
He wrote all these years.
51, side 1
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.
51, side 1
374:
Owned a wristwatch before they became popular (1909). After
WWI, they became popular.
51, side 1
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.
51, side 1
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.
51, side 1
456/10:
Sings Norwegian National Hymn "JaVi Elsker" followed by the
Danish National Hymn "Det er et yndigt land."
51, side 1
824:
Joke about Model T days before the end of the 1920s.
51, side 1
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
U.S. 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.
Subjects
This collection is indexed under
the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials
about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these
headings.
Personal Names :
Hansen, Bergitte
Hansen, Clara
Hansen, Hans
Peter--Interviews
(
creator)
Hansen, Jens Nikolaj
Hansen, John
Hansen, Margaret
Madsen, Ane Kathrine Bergitte
Family Names :
Hansen
family
Madsen
family
Corporate Names :
Commercial Club (Tacoma, Wash.)
Danish Lutheran Young People's Society (Tacoma,
Wash.)
First Presbyterian Church (Tacoma, Wash)
Leif
Erikson League (Tacoma, Wash.)
Ray
Roberts Club (Tacoma, Wash.)
Geographical Names :
Tacoma
(Wash.)
Vejen
(Denmark)
Subject Terms :
Christmas
Denmark -- Social conditions --
1945-
Education
Emigration and
immigration
Ocean travel
Scandinavian-Americans--Interviews
Scandinavian-Americans--Northwest,Pacific--Social life and
customs
