cultural resources in henrik ibsen's early environment - Ibsen.net

the children of families of better position, who paid an insignificant monthly school tax.
Isaachsen's energy and tirelessness accomplished a lot, and his memory should be
preserved with gratitude through the generations, although no doubt the results of his
work must have been limited, because of the many students for whom he was their only
teacher, but in any case he laid a good foundation for the practical activity to which the
coming generation of youth was destined. This is demonstrated also by the many virtuous
and hard-working merchants Grimstad has produced in the course of time.
The town’s location, as well as its access to the necessary materials, drew people
to shipbuilding from time immemorial. Having the sea so close during the shipping
industry's most favorable period from the 1840's on, meant that in every inlet, and there
are many inlets in and near the town, one saw a hull under construction, and as soon as it
was launched, one saw the ribs of a new one erected. One lived in Grimstad mainly for
that and the whole country was happy in "the time of the wooden ships," which brought
great prosperity. But this enterprise occupied the people to such a degree that higher
interests were not attended to. Everyone who had accumulated the means, or who could
borrow money, invested in ship shares. The priest, the doctor, the judge, not to mention
the seamen and merchants, craftsmen, even the servant girls, all were shipowners. That
is, the opportunity to become a part owner was easily available, even with a
comparatively small amount of money. Becoming the owner of a share in a ship was
regarded as insurance, and more profitable in the long run than taking one's money to the
savings bank. It not seldom happened that under the high freight rates at that time, a ship
was completely paid for after two or three years' trade. Most of the male inhabitants were
sent to sea immediately after confirmation, and after that they spent only the winter
390