The story of Ludvig Wang

"My mother, Ranka Knudsen Samuelsen, played Aunt Ranka in the children's hour on the radio in the 1930s. It was broadcast by Trøndelag Broadcaster, which was located at the corner of Søndre Gate and Dronningens Gate in Trondheim. Uncle Louis (Mendelsohn) and the siblings Gerd and Otto Nilsen also appeared in it. The Saturday broadcast included competitions for children. The winners often received a book, donated by the anonymous ‘Ridder Blåskjegg’ (the Bluebearded Knight)."

"Few knew that Ludvig Wang, the prisoner at the criminal asylum, was this mysterious Bluebearded Knight."

"My mother kept in touch with him and brought me with her to visit him sometimes. The guards willingly let us into the massive brick building at the corner of Kongens Gate. We were taken into a large cell. The walls inside were covered with books from floor to ceiling. Ludvig Wang earned the money to buy the books by glueing bags for the Erbe confectionary  factory. I think he must have read a lot. And he apparently listened avidly to Saturday's children's hour."

"Once I gave him a bouquet of wildflowers. Perhaps this incident moved him to give me his precious Bible? After a few years, Ludvig Wang was moved from the criminal asylum to Reitgjerdet Asylum. There he was given the freedom to go out into the city almost whenever he wanted to. Once, when he had dinner with us, he told us the story of the farmer's wife who had decided his destiny. He came into her kitchen, famished and begging for food. She refused to give him anything. He got so angry that he pushed her. She fell and hit her head against the stove. That was it. But he never intended to kill her."