The woman is locally dubbed Maren (a Danish variant of the name Marina and once a very common name, especially in western and northern Jutland), and her anniversary is marked with a celebration on Saturday, 12 March, from 11 until 12 noon in front of the Old Town Hall in Nørregade, Holstebro, where the sculpture is on display. The New Carlsberg Foundation helped fund the acquisition in 1965, and therefore the foundation’s chairman, Karsten Ohrt, will give a speech, as will the mayor of Holstebro, H. C. Østerby, and others.
The event also includes a performance by Odin Teatret and other stage performers, a musical performance by professional musicians, a choir performance and a sing-along. The Choir of Holstebro Church presents a first-time performance of a choral work for four voices composed by the now 97-year-old Holstebro resident Henning Lange. The festive event is rounded off with a champagne toast, while Sir Michael Berkeley’s Champagne Fanfare is played from the speaker system that has been discreetly and carefully installed at the Old Town Hall.
Over the years, several compositions have been written in Maren’s honour, including a piece by the Faroese composer Pauli î Sandagerdi. During the summer months, the guild ‘Marens Venner’ (Maren’s friends) offers guided tours to the many works of art in Holstebro. The tours always conclude at 21:00 when Maren is lowered into her night-time underground residence in her own private lift.
Read more about ‘Marens Venner’ on the guild’s website (in Danish):
marensvenner.dk