WRITER

Sven Hassel

1917 - 2012

Photo of Sven Hassel

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Sven Hassel was the pen name of the Danish-born Børge Willy Redsted Pedersen (19 April 1917 – 21 September 2012) known for his novels about German soldiers fighting in World War II. In Denmark he used the pen name Sven Hazel. He is one of the bestselling Danish authors, possibly second only to Hans Christian Andersen. Hassel claimed his authorship was based on being a veteran of the German Wehrmacht who had fought in the Battle of Berlin in 1945 until he surrendered to the Soviets. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Sven Hassel has received more than 460,639 page views. His biography is available in 26 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 25 in 2019). Sven Hassel is the 747th most popular writer (down from 657th in 2019), the 86th most popular biography from Denmark (down from 73rd in 2019) and the 7th most popular Danish Writer.

Sven Hassel was a Danish soldier who fought in the German army during World War II. He is most famous for his series of books about his experiences, which are often cited as an example of the genre of "war literature."

Memorability Metrics

  • 460k

    Page Views (PV)

  • 63.75

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 26

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 9.86

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 1.69

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Notable Works

The court martial
The legion of the damned
Wheels of terror
S.S.-generalen
Comrades of War
Monte Cassino
It's clear why Sven Hassell's books have sold millions. From a no-holds barred description of frontline combat to accounts of partisan attacks and adventures in Rome on leave, his World War II story is a classic. Here, Sven and his comrades who have surv

Among WRITERS

Among writers, Sven Hassel ranks 747 out of 7,302Before him are John Dos Passos, Berossus, Edmond de Goncourt, Theognis of Megara, A. J. Cronin, and Felix Salten. After him are Taha Hussein, Aelius Donatus, Christa Wolf, Clemens Brentano, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, and Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle.

Most Popular Writers in Wikipedia

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1917, Sven Hassel ranks 31Before him are Algirdas Julien Greimas, Óscar Romero, Bourvil, Robert Burns Woodward, Nur Muhammad Taraki, and Rochus Misch. After him are Tove Ditlevsen, Dizzy Gillespie, John B. Calhoun, John Lee Hooker, Fernando Rey, and Herbert A. Hauptman. Among people deceased in 2012, Sven Hassel ranks 28Before him are Donna Summer, Robin Gibb, Matilde Camus, Carlos Fuentes, Antoni Tàpies, and Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria. After him are Jean Giraud, John Demjanjuk, Antonio Tabucchi, Ravi Shankar, Sun Myung Moon, and Larry Hagman.

Others Born in 1917

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Others Deceased in 2012

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In Denmark

Among people born in Denmark, Sven Hassel ranks 86 out of 1,032Before him are Eric IV of Denmark (1216), Jens Christian Skou (1918), Christopher II of Denmark (1276), Prince George of Denmark (1653), Gerda Wegener (1886), and Christopher I of Denmark (1219). After him are Allan Simonsen (1952), Anne of Denmark (1574), Christina of Denmark (1521), Absalon (1128), Georg Brandes (1842), and Tove Ditlevsen (1917).

Among WRITERS In Denmark

Among writers born in Denmark, Sven Hassel ranks 7Before him are Hans Christian Andersen (1805), Karen Blixen (1885), Karl Adolph Gjellerup (1857), Sigrid Undset (1882), Johannes V. Jensen (1873), and Henrik Pontoppidan (1857). After him are Georg Brandes (1842), Tove Ditlevsen (1917), N. F. S. Grundtvig (1783), Jens Peter Jacobsen (1847), Jussi Adler-Olsen (1950), and Martin Andersen Nexø (1869).