Amanda of Kerteminde

The story of Amanda was inspired by a girl born Sophie Krag. She was a young girl from Kerteminde, who suffered a rather sorry fate, becoming ill and dying aged just 40.

One of eight children, she was the daughter of clockmaker Edvard Krag and his wife Marie Catrine Ovesen Wittrock. At the age of 20, she travelled to Copenhagen to become an actress, like her sister Augusta Møller.

She was given a place as a revue actress at Nørrebro theatre, and soon became part of the "acting circle", and engaged to writer Anton Melbye, who was 10 years her senior.'

The story goes that she met an old acquaintance from Kerteminde, law student Wilhelm Nielsen, and enjoyed a brief flirtation with him, despite being engaged. The engagement was called off, causing a scandal among the bourgeoisie, and in 1893, one of Anton's good friends, the composer Axel Schwanenflügel, wrote the now famous song "Harper i luften" (harps in the air) for the winter revue, 
a song with the well-known first line "Min Amanda var fra Kerteminde" (my Amanda was from Kerteminde).

Naturally, the town of Kerteminde has long since forgiven its "Amanda" for her treacherous excesses and honoured her with a statue symbolising Kerteminde's lovely daughters who – as bright and bubbly as they are – should be loved.

The name Amanda is Latin and means: the one who should be loved.