Lagertha Broch

Translator's Note: This is a machine-assisted translation completed on April 7, 2025. While care has been taken to maintain accuracy, this translation has not yet undergone human review or validation. Please note that specialized terms, historical references, and nuanced content may benefit from expert review.

Lagertha Broch (1864–1952) was a children's book author, illustrator, and women's rights advocate.

Her surviving diary remains one of the most comprehensive Norwegian autobiographical documents we know that reflects on same-sex love. She had several close emotional and erotic connections with other women. Lagertha Broch was part of what has been called a "romantic friendship culture," a culture that was possible – and relatively accepted – before the understanding of the new concept of homosexuality became widespread in the 20th century.

Lagertha Broch's diary is housed at the National Library and is digitally accessible. You can read more about Lagertha Broch in Tone Hellesund's article in the Norwegian Biographical Encyclopedia "Lagertha Broch," "- al min længsel og uro -: om einslege borgarskapskvinner rundt århundreskiftet", Master's Thesis 1995, and "Chapters from the History of Single Life", Universitetsforlaget 2003.

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