Maria Rebekka Mikkelsen Letters (1877-1956)

Maria R. Mikkelsen, born in Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands, emigrated to Denmark in 1898, where she completed her education and found permanent employment as a registrar for the Danish State Archives. She quickly became a leader of the Faroese community in Copenhagen, where she remained until her retirement. She spent her final years, 1947-1956, in Tórshavn. Mikkelsen authored one short story and translated extensively, but she also played a less visible role in assisting other Faroese authors in proofreading their work and preparing it for print publication in Denmark. Mikkelsen’s letter collection is the largest collection of migrant women’s letters in the National Library of the Faroe Islands.