A Biographical Multimedia Mosaic...


Financial considerations


 


Enlarged section.





What Constance and Rued Langgaard actually lived on when neither of them had regular work has been something of a mystery. Among the papers Langgaard left behind are a number of accounts - like the one shown here from 1933-34 - which offer an explanation. One of the official signs of recognition Langgaard received was that in 1923 he "was mentioned in the Budget", which meant that he received a fixed annual sum from the state fund in support of artists. In 1934 this was Dkr. 810. The accounts also reveal that he had an annual income in the form of interest of Dkr. 2,200, which must have been a bequest from his parents. To this must be added the income from renting out a room and the irregular income brought in by his performances. All in all this amounted to an annual income of Dkr. 3,300, which in the 1930's was not bad at all, as due to heavy unemployment the annual average income of the population was very low. For example, the maximum annual unemployment benefit was Dkr. 1000.

At least in this period, therefore, Constance and Rued Langgaard were financially independent, and were able despite their lack of employment to maintain a comfortable, though not extravagant, middle-class existence.



This excerpt shows that Langgaard was considering employing a maid.