H.N. Jacobsens Bookstore

The Story of H.N. Jacobsen

H.N. Jacobsen’s Bookstore is named after Hans Nicolai Jacobsen. He was born on May 4, 1832.

At that time, Tórshavn was undergoing significant changes, and he and his peers grew up under better conditions than the generations before them.

Hans Nicolai attended school at Reyni with teacher A.C. Lutzen, where he learned to read, write, and do arithmetic, in addition to all the Christian teachings required for children at the time.

As soon as Hans Nicolai was old enough to work, his father took him along to all sorts of tasks—whether on the farm, in the outfield, or on the boat. There was no leisure for the youth of that time. It’s said that he was no more than 13 years old when he began to shoulder adult responsibilities.

Hans Nicolai learned to bind books, mostly ledgers, but also almanacs and other small items. He excelled at this work, and soon he began offering his bookbinding services to others.

He didn’t get much work, but the extra income from his craft helped him significantly and laid the foundation for his later business.

Hans Nicolai married Johanna Maria from Koytu on Sandoy at Tórshavn Church in 1853, when he was just 20 years old—an unusually young age to marry at that time.

H.N. Jacobsen’s Bookstore began at Gongin in Tórshavn, as seen in the charming picture below: