Larsen, Svend Børge "Rav-Larsen"

Mange informationer om Rav-Larsen er baseret på hans egne ord i interviews til ugeblade, bøger m.v. Der kan være modstridende oplysninger i Larsens udsagn, trods hans gode hukommelse.

Jeg har taget historierne og sammensat med hvad der kan dokumenteres, så måske passer alle årstal ikke helt præcist.

1912 - født i København

Født i København i Frederik den VIII's regeringstid. Han kendte kun sin mor, og "vi kom hurtigt på kant med hinanden, så jeg blev sendt på børnehjem i flere perioder" fortæller Rav-Larsen til Hjemmet i 1979.

Han kendte dog også sin farmor og hendes datter, hans faster som han jo boede sammen med. Herudover har han i interviews udtalt at hans oldefar var fotokassetterammesnedker i København (Conrad Larsen, hans farfar er anført som snedker ved fasterens dåb) og så nævnes tipoldefar som vævemester i København.

1917 - 5 år gammel - konflikt mellem mor og farmor

Som 5-årig udkæmpede hans farmor og hans mor et regulært slag om ham på Trianglen i København, indtil politiet kom og blandede sig i det. Farmoderen, Maren Johanne Larsen, ville have ham med hjem til Asger Rygs Gade, hvor han havde boet nogle år. Moden var derimod indstille på at hale ham med hjem til Viborggade, hvor hun boede.

-" og jeg forstod det aldrig, for ende på det hele var at jeg blev sendt på et hjem - jeg kom for skade at kalde hende et "dovendyr"

Formentlig ville moderen have ham tilbage efter hun igen var blevet gift - denne gang med Ludvig Villumsen.

1918-20 Den Spanske Syge - 6-8 år gammel

Rav-Larsen fortæller til Ude og Hjemme at de var 36 drenge i klassen og de 18 havde den spanske syge, og de 18 var raske - han hørte til de raske. Men han erindrer at ligvognen tit kom på besøg i Asger Rygs Gade. "Ligvognens hestespand var flot. Selv om det gjorde dybt indtryk på os børn, når den spanske syge havde krævet endnu et offer, så kunne vi ikke lade være med at beundre hestene"

1921 - 9 år gammel og ved at drukne

Rav Larsen fortæller til Familie Journalen at han som ni-årig er i livsfare, da han ud for Bandholm gik under for tredje gang, og en eller anden ved et tilfælde fik tag i håret på ham! (Bemærk at tanten som han bor hos i Asger Rygs Gade 13 er noteret som født i Bandholm (FT 1921)

Teenager - Struer Optagelseshjem

Børges "lykkelige" barndom var forbi, dan han skulle fra sin farmor og tilbage til sin mor og stedfar (Ludvig Georg Villumsen). Han fandt på tossestreger og kaldte moderen for et dovendyr og blev kort efter sendt på en 14 timers rejse med tog og færge til Struer Opdragelseshjem.

1928 - 16 år gammel

Som 16-årig stak Svend Børge af hjemmefra og endte i Struer, hvor han levede af at sælge småartikler ved dørene.

1929 - 17 år gammel - almindeligt arbejde? Nej, tak!

Larsen fortæller, at han har taget præmilinæreksamen på et kostskoleophold i Frederiksværk, hvorefter han cyklede en tur til Leipzig. Senere var en en kort periode på købmandsskole og været kontorelev på Berlingske Tidende. til 70 kroner om måneden. God løn, men presset var for stort. Han har også været ved landbruget, men det var for hårdt, syntes han.

1931 - 19 år gammel - på tomlen gennem Tyskland

Som 19-årig ville han ud og se sig omkring. I seks graders frost rejst han på tommelfingeren gennem Danmark og krydsede grænsen ved Kruså uden en øre på lommen. I Tyskland hjalp han lastvognschaufførerne med at bære appelsinkasser til julen og tjente en skilling eller et lift på den måde. Et sted sprang han på en lastvogn med anhænger mens den kørte langsomt op ad en bakke - Svend Børge lagde sig til rette mellem flasker og kasser og kom med til Köln, hvor han blev et stykke tid.

Han fik opsnappet noget arbejde hos en bager i Tyskland, som han bildte ind at han var udlært bagersvend. Men da bageren så hvordan alt syltetøjet løb ud mellem fingrene på Svend Børge da han skulle lave Berliner Pfannkuchen, blev han sat til at hugge brænde i stedet.

, inden turen gik videre mod Koblenz og grænseovergangen til Frankrig i Perl. Her blev han afvist på grund af manglende visum, hvorfor han måtte tilbage til Tyskland efter et sådan. Den tyske grænsevagt sagde: "Gå du blot igennem - og held og lykke". Så var Svend Børge i Frankrig.

I Frankrig prajer Svend Børge en bil som giver ham et lift. Føreren, som havde været ordonnans for general Joffre under 1. verdenskrig, kørte med 105 kilometer i timen og slap, til Larsens store rædsel, rattet i svingene. Måske derfor var Rav-Larsen rædselsslagen for biler resten af livet.

1932 Fremmedlegionen - knap 20 år gammel

I Frankrig møder Svend Børge en mand fra Elsass-Lothringen (det tyske navn for Alsace-Lorraine), som overtalte ham til at melde sig til Fremmedlegionen. Den unge mand, som ikke kunne tåle at se en mus dø, og hele livet havde været pacifist, skrev nu i Nancy - sulten som han var - under på, at han de næste fem år af en ærlig vilje ville slå så mange arabere ihjel, som han kunne overkomme!

Svend Børge var ikke gammel nok, så han rettede fødselsdatoen i sit pas, så han blev 3 måneder ældre - det var lige nok til at klare grænsen.

Larsen melder sig ind i Fremmedlegionen den 25. januar 1932.

Rav-Larsen fortæller i de mange interview om de elendige forhold, den stegende sol, væggelus og om hans forsøg på af desertere, som hver gang forpurret og straffet med 60 dage i kachotten. Læs især artiklen i Hjemmet, 1984 "Jeg løj mig ind i Fremmedlegionen".

Prins Aage

Prins Aage af Danmark, søn af prins Valdemar og prinsesse Marie af Ordrup Slot, var også i Fremmedlegionen samtidig med Rav-Larsen. Prins Aage var åbenbart en godmodig sjæl, som blev lidt udnyttet af de skandinaviske legionærer, som blokkede ham for penge. Svend Børge har dog aldrig lån penge af ham - fortæller han.

Larsen takker pænt nej til tilbud om at forny kontrakten i tre år i Syrien, trods løfte om en 3 gange så høj løn.

"Jeg fortryder ikke de fem år i legionen, men vil ikke ligefrem anbefale det til nogen andre"

1937 - tilbage til København for en kort bemærkning

Da han havde udstået tiden i Legionen, kunne han banke på hos sin elskede bedstemor i København, som gav ham husly den første tid. Men hurtigt tog han på landevejen med kaffeposer.

1938 - 26 år gammel og i et forhold

Rav-Larsen fortæller til Svend Aage Carstens i bogen "Landevejens farende svende" at han efter at have været i Fremmedlegionen i fem år, kom tilbage til Danmark i januar 1937, hvor han mødet en dame som han boede hos i Svendborg. "Det var en ældre årgang. Hun var født i 1884"

"Så gik det sådan, at jeg tog ud og solgte kaffeposer fra Ikast og kom til Skagen første gang i 1938", fortsætter Larsen.

Rav-Larsen fortæller at han var forlovet - for første og sidste gang. Hun boede i Svendborg, og de var forlovet i 10 år. Hun var en velhavende dame. Men Svend Børge ville ikke have børn, derfor blev det ikke til mere.

Rav-Larsen skiller sig ud fra størstedelen af de farende svende. Han drikke kun øl, og det kun til husbehov. Han har aldrig tigget én krone, men ernæret sig ved regulært arbejde eller som omvandrende handelsmand.

Under krigen

Under krigen kommer Svend Børge gående i Glostrup med en rygsæk på nakken, som var helt fyldt med kaffeposer af celluld. Fire tyske soldater, der kom ud fra et hus og skulle over vejen, råbte til ham, at han skulle smide alt det lort væk. Det var celluld. Svend Børge tænkte at det var typisk for den tyske mentalitet, for de har kun de her vandrefugle - "jeg ville bare agere uldkræmmer, hvilket jeg begyndte på allerede før der kom celluld"

En anden gang, hvor han solgte dameunderbenklæder, sneg Larsen sig ombord på et tog, som viste sig at være lastet med en stor mængde ammunition. Tyskerne skød efter ham. De troede han var sabotør. Det tog en rum tid før de troede på den med dameunderbukserne!

1943 - 31 år gammel - Sabotage mod færgen "Sjælland"

Den 3. november 1943 (bemærk datoen som er efter den 29. august 43, hvor samarbejdet med tyskerne ophørte) skulle Svend Børge Larsen ud at sejle med færgen "SJælland" mellem Nyborg og Korsør. Han fortæller: "Allerede på vej hen til færgen fra Nyborg lokalstation gik der nogen fyre med nogle tunge kufferter. Mændene med kufferterne var lige ved at sætte livet til af bare iver for at bære deres tunge rejsegods ombord. "Det kan ikke nytte, at I maser sådan, for I kommer ikke op i salonen før mig alligevel", sagde jeg til dem. "Vi skal sgu gi' dig salon" var svaret. Det viste sig at de havde lagt kufferterne indeholdende store bomber på en vogn lige undere salonen"

Heldigvis var Svend Børge gået på toilettet, da bomberne sprang.

[Det formodes at bomberne var anbragt af modstandsgruppen BOPA]

M/Fg. Sjælland af Korsør, 2593 Reg. T. Br. Bygget 1933 af Staal. Paa Rejse fra Nyborg til Korsør.Havareret ved Eksplosion og brændt d. 8/11 43 i Storebælt; 3 Omkomne.Søforklaring og Søforhør i Korsør d. 5/11 43.Kl. 1447, da S. med Ø.-lig Kurs befandt sig ca. 3 Sm. fra Korsør, indtraf en voldsom Eksplosion i den ubenyttede, aflaasede III Kl. Salon under Vogndækket.

En kraftig Brand udbrød i denne Salon, ligesom Stikflammer fra Eksplosionen tændte Ild i nogle Redningsveste paa Promenadedækket, hvor 7—8 af de rejsende blev saaret. To Læger blandt Passagererne ydede de saarede en Førstehjælp.

Besætningen paa S. gik straks i Gang med at bekæmpe Ilden med Færgens eget Ildslukningsmateriel. Da det ved Eftersyn af Skibsskroget viste sig, at det ikke havde taget Skade ved Eksplosionen, fortsattes Rejsen mod Korsør, medens man gennem Radioanlæget rekvirerede Læger, Ambulancer, Brandvæsen og Falcks Redningskorps.

Ved Ankomsten til Korsør blev de saarede straks kørt paa Hospitalet, og Færgen blev rømmet for rejsende og Jernbanevogne. Falcks Redningskorps, Brandvæsenet, D/Fg. »Odin«, et tysk Skib og Færgens egen Besætning bekæmpede nu Ilden, ligesom et Lokomotiv blev kørt op paa Kajen for at hjælpe til at slukke med Damp.

Kl. ca. 1615 var Ilden under Kontrol. Kl. ca. 1630 skete en ny Eksplosion i Forskibet om Bb., antagelig i Kosteskabet under Trappen, der fører op til Vingedækket. Ved denne Eksplosion dræbtes 3 af Redningsmandskabet, og 10—12 Mand saaredes.

Da man frygtede flere Eksplosioner, blev Færgen nu rømmet, slæbt ud af Havnen og sat paa Grand paa Badstuerevet udenfor Korsør Havn.S., der ved Branden blev stærkt beskadiget, er senere taget af Grunden.

Anm. 1. De omkomne er: Stationsleder de Neergaard af Skelskør, Redder Johannes Nielsen af Slagelse og Brandassistent Regnar Nielsen af Korsør.

Anm. 2. Ministeriet maa antage, at Eksplosionerne skyldes Sabotage udført med tidsindstillede Sprængladninger."

1956 - 44 år gammel

Fra 1956 var han fast gæst i Skagen om sommeren, hvor alle kendte den langskæggede mand med budcykel, ravkæder og mange historier som han kunne levere på flere forskellige sprog - fransk, svensk, norsk, tysk, engelsk og modersmålet dansk.

Den 14. juni 1956 kom Rav-Larsen for første gang til Gammel Skagen med ravsmykker. Han solgte smykker indtil 1960, da blev ravet for dyrt og han begyndte i stedet at male og fortsatte med det indtil 1964.

1964 - 52 år gammel

Svend Børge Larsen tager til Norge, hvor han camperede ude sommer og vinter i 20-30 graders frost på en slæde.

1968 - 56 år gammel

Rav-Larsen kommer tilbage til Skagen efter ophold i Norge siden 1964. Her malede han indtil den 26. september, hvorefter han tog til Struer og solgte 73 malerier. (Fortælle han selv i "Landevejens farende svende")

Samme år deltager Rav-Larsen som statist i filmen "King Lear" som indspilles på Råbjerg Mile.

1970 - 58 år gammel og på landevejen igen

Svend Børge Larsen omtales i Svend Aage Carstens bog: Landevejenes farende svende.

"Der går rygter om, at du skulle have penge i banken!"
"Nåh ja. Det drejer sig ikke om mere end nogle få hundrede kroner, som jeg fik tilovers, når jeg før i tiden havde købt min daglige halve flaske brændevin. Jeg er holdt helt om med at drikke brændevin nu, for jeg er alligevel så meget sundhedsprofet, at jeg ikke mener, at man skal overanstrenge organismen", svarede Rav-Larsen

1972 - 60 år gammel i Skagen

Artikel i Skagens Avis i anledningen af Rav-Larsens 60 års fødselsdag:

Københavner-drengen, hvis oldefar var hovedstadens mest præcise fotokassetterammesnedker, lever nu som et herligt element i den nutidige Skagen-kunst. Svend Børge Larsen hedder han, nok bedre kendt som "Rav_Larsen". Han fylder 60 år i dag, hvor han kan sidde i sin stue, der også er atelier, på Kroghsvej 7, og tænker tilbage på et broget liv.

før 1979 - Rav-Larsen tager til Gøteborg

For også at have noget at lave om vinteren tog Rav-Larsen færgen over til Gøteborg et par gange. Der stod han på gaden i snevejr med sine varer, men det svenske politi havde ikke rigtig nogen humoristisk sans. Det var nemlig strengt forbudt med den slags gadehandel. Det tog Rav-Larsen dog ikke så alvorligt - "vi skal oj alle sammen leve, ikke" Altså dukker han endnu en gang op på gaden og et stykke derfra stod nogle fremmedarbejder som forsøgte at sælge balloner, samtidig med at de havde en transistorradio kørende med Beatles-musik. Larsen havde købt et stykke wienerbrød og stod nu med den tomme papirspose, som han pustede op og sprang med et ordentligt knald!

Fremmedarbejderne blev så forskrækkede, at de pillede alt deres grej sammen og forsvandt. Kort efter stod 3 svenske betjente foran Larsen. "Nå, jeg må vist hellere pakke sammen og skynde mig ned til færgen, ikke?" "Jo, mon ikke, sagde den ene af betjentene, og det hurtigst muligt!" En ældre mand som havde overværet optrinet, ville købe et maleri, men det turde Larsen dog ikke sælge ham, for betjentene holdt stadig øje med ham.

1979 Interview til Hjemmet

Folk langs vestkysten og i Skagen i særdeleshed er Rav-Larsen kendt for at rulle rundt med sin budcykel og sælge flaskeskibe og ravkæder. Nu er han også begyndt at male - små søde og naive malerier af hav, skibe, landskaber og huse.

"Jeg plejer at skilte med, at jeg er født i Frederik den VIII's regeringstid" fortæller Rav-Larsen til Hjemmet. "Det lyder oldnordisk, men jeg nåede at blive født i 1912 inden Frederik døde.

Har slået sig fast ned i pensionistboligerne på Chr. X.'s Vej 54, 1. sal i Skagen, hvor han boede indtil sin død, bortset fra en kort periode, hvor lejlighederne blev renoveret. Herfra solgte han stadig malerier og ravkæder på havnen. Dem tager han 70 kroner for.

Som maler har han produceret mere end 10.000 malerier, hvor mange hænger i de små hjem i Skagen og andre steder.

Han har udstillet på Grenen Kunstmuseum, hvor Axel Lind åbnede sit museum for en Rav-Larsen udstilling.

1994 - inviteret til udstilling

I 1994 blev Rav-Larsen inviteret til åbning af en udstilling af fotograf Mary Willumsen - Svend Børges moder!

Der blev afholdt en udstilling af MWs badebilleder på Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek fra den 4. oktober til 20. november. 1994. Hendes postkort og en del af de originale fotografier og negativer befinder sig i dag bl.a. i Det Kgl. Bibliotek og i Statsbiblioteket, men kan også købes på www.nlg.dk - Northern Light Gallery

Det unikke i MWs fotografier ligger i hendes betragtning og præsentation af kvindekroppen. Postkortene tiltrækker såvel kvinder som mænd, og der er noget i deres enkelhed og ligefremhed, der fanger opmærksomheden og får beskueren til at kigge, undre sig og smile.

Fotografen var tidligere anset som Marie Villumsen, der var højskolefotograf i Vestbirk, og først i 1994 er hendes sande identitet blevet afdækket.

Rav-Larsen solgte rettighederne til fotografierne til Andrew Daneman, Northern Light Gallery, som tilfældigt fandt frem til sønnen gennem en nevø til Mary.

Andrew Daneman besøgte Rav-Larsen i Skagen, hvor de spiste aspargessuppe med rejer på Brøndums Hotel og efterfølgende korresponderede en del.

En betingelse for salget af rettighederne var at Daneman skulle love at gøre Larsens moder berømt.

2002 - dør som 90 årig i Skagen

Rav-Larsen døde som 90-årig i 2002 i Skagen. Læs nekrologen i Nordjyske her (se også nedenfor)

Begravelsesceremoni blev holdt fra Skagen Kirkegårds Kapel ved pastor Henrik Bang-Møller, hvorefter Rav-Larsen blev kremeret og bisat på Brønshøj Kirkegaard. Gravstedets synlige effekter er nu slettet, men de jordiske rester er stadig i graven, det ingen har købt gravstedet endnu.

kilde: Københavns Kirkegårde pr telefon

Efter 2005 - Skagen Bryghus opkalder en øl efter ham

Skagen Bryghus laver en Rav Larsen rød hvede (øl opkaldt efter Rav Larsen)

2021

”Genoplev” Rav Larsen i Virkelyst. Kunstgruppen ”Oculus” har besluttet at opsætte en lille udstilling med malerier af Svend Børge Larsen – bedre kendt som ”Rav Larsen.” Det sker i gruppens foreningslokale, Virkelyst.

Alle artiklerne fra de danske ugeblade kan læses i
Lokalhistorisk Arkiv, Tinghuset i Skagen.

Much information about Rav-Larsen is based on his own words in interviews for magazines, books, etc. There may be contradictory information in Larsen's statements, despite his good memory.

I have taken the stories and put them together with what can be documented, so perhaps not all years fit exactly.

1912 - born in Copenhagen

Born in Copenhagen during the reign of Frederik VIII. He knew only his mother, and "we soon came to blows, so I was sent to an orphanage for several periods," Rav-Larsen told Hjemmet in 1979.

However, he also knew his grandmother and her daughter, his aunt, with whom he lived. In addition, he has stated in interviews that his great-grandfather was a photocassette carpenter in Copenhagen (Conrad Larsen, his grandfather is listed as a carpenter at his aunt's baptism) and then his great-grandfather is mentioned as a master weaver in Copenhagen.

1917 - 5 years old - conflict between mother and grandmother

At the age of 5, his grandmother and his mother fought a regular battle over him on Trianglen in Copenhagen, until the police came and interfered. His grandmother, Maren Johanne Larsen, wanted to take him home to Asger Rygs Gade, where he had lived for some years. The mother, on the other hand, was prepared to take him back to Viborggade, where she lived.

-" and I never understood it, because the end of it all was that I was sent to a home - I got hurt calling her a "sloth"

Presumably the mother wanted him back after she had married again - this time to Ludvig Villumsen.

1918-20 The Spanish Flu - 6-8 years old

Rav-Larsen tells Ude og Hjemme that there were 36 boys in the class and 18 had the Spanish disease, and 18 were healthy - he belonged to the healthy ones. But he remembers that the hearse often visited Asger Rygs Gade. "The hearse's horse bucket was nice. Although it made a deep impression on us children when the Spanish disease had claimed another victim, we couldn't help admiring the horses."

1921 - 9 years old and drowning

Rav Larsen tells Familie Journalen that his life was in danger at the age of nine when he went under for the third time off Bandholm and someone accidentally grabbed his hair! (Note that the aunt he lives with in Asger Rygs Gade 13 is listed as born in Bandholm (FT 1921)

Teenager - Struer Admission Home

Børge's "happy" childhood was over, when he had to leave his grandmother and return to his mother and stepfather (Ludvig Georg Villumsen). He made up pranks and called his mother a sloth and was soon sent on a 14-hour journey by train and ferry to Struer Opdragelseshjem.

1928 - 16 years old

At the age of 16, Svend Børge ran away from home and ended up in Struer, where he made a living selling small items at the doors.

1929 - 17 years old - ordinary work? No, thanks!

Larsen says that he took a pre-milinary examination at a boarding school in Frederiksværk, after which he cycled to Leipzig. Later, he spent a short time at a business school and was an office apprentice at Berlingske Tidende. for 70 kroner a month. Good pay, but the pressure was too great. He also worked in agriculture, but it was too hard, he thought.

1931 - 19 years old - on the road through Germany

At 19, he wanted to get out and look around. In six-degree frost he travelled on his thumb through Denmark and crossed the border at Kruså without a penny in his pocket. In Germany, he helped truck drivers carry orange boxes for Christmas and earned a shilling or a lift that way. At one point he jumped on a truck with a trailer as it drove slowly up a hill - Svend Børge settled in between bottles and crates and came along to Cologne, where he stayed for a while.

He picked up some work with a baker in Germany, who he imagined was a trained baker's assistant. But when the baker saw how all the jam ran out through Sweyn's fingers when he was making Berliner Pfannkuchen, he was put to chopping firewood instead.

before heading for Koblenz and the border crossing to France at Perl. Here he was turned away for lack of a visa, so he had to return to Germany after one. The German border guard said: "You just go through - and good luck". Then Svend Børge was in France.

In France, Sweyn praises a car that gives him a lift. The driver, who had been an orderly for General Joffre during World War I, was going 105 kilometres an hour and, to Larsen's horror, let the steering wheel slip in the turns. Perhaps for this reason, Rav-Larsen was terrified of cars for the rest of his life.

1932 Foreign Legion - barely 20 years old

In France Svend Børge meets a man from Alsace-Lorraine who persuades him to join the Foreign Legion. The young man, who could not bear to see a mouse die and had been a pacifist all his life, now signed in Nancy - hungry as he was - that for the next five years he would kill as many Arabs as he could out of an honest will!

Svend Børge was not old enough, so he corrected the date of birth in his passport to make him 3 months older - just enough to pass the limit.

Larsen enlisted in the Foreign Legion on 25 January 1932.

Rav-Larsen tells in the many interviews about the miserable conditions, the baking sun, the bedbugs and about his attempts to desert, each time thwarted and punished with 60 days in the can. Read especially the article in Hjemmet, 1984 "I lied my way into the Foreign Legion".

Prince Aage

Prince Aage of Denmark, son of Prince Valdemar and Princess Marie of Ordrup Castle, was also in the Foreign Legion at the same time as Rav-Larsen. Prince Aage was apparently a good-natured soul who was a bit taken advantage of by the Scandinavian legionaries who blocked him for money. Svend Børge never borrowed money from him, however - he says.

Larsen politely declines an offer to renew his contract for three years in Syria, despite a promise of three times the salary.

"I don't regret the five years in the legion, but I wouldn't exactly recommend it to anyone else"

1937 - back to Copenhagen for a short visit

Having served out his time in the Legion, he was able to knock on the door of his beloved grandmother in Copenhagen, who gave him shelter for the first while. But soon he took to the road with coffee bags.

1938 - 26 years old and in a relationship

Rav-Larsen tells Svend Aage Carstens in the book "Landevejens farende svende" that after being in the Foreign Legion for five years, he came back to Denmark in January 1937, where he met a lady he lived with in Svendborg. "It was an older vintage. She was born in 1884."

"Then it happened that I went out and sold coffee bags from Ikast and came to Skagen for the first time in 1938," Larsen continues.

Rav-Larsen says he was engaged - for the first and last time. She lived in Svendborg, and they were engaged for 10 years. She was a wealthy lady. But Svend Børge did not want children, so it was not more.

Rav-Larsen stands out from the rest of the journeymen. He only drinks beer, and that only for household needs. He has never begged a penny, but supported himself by regular work or as a travelling salesman.

During the war

During the war, Svend Børge walks through Glostrup with a rucksack on his neck, which was completely filled with coffee bags made of cellophane. Four German soldiers, coming out of a house and crossing the road, shouted at him to throw all that crap away. It was cellophane. Svend Børge thought it was typical of the German mentality, because they only have these waterfowl - "I just wanted to act as a wool merchant, which I started to do even before there was cellulose"

Another time, when he was selling women's underwear, Larsen snuck onto a train, which turned out to be loaded with a large amount of ammunition. The Germans fired at him. They thought he was a saboteur. It took a while before they believed the one about the women's underpants!

1943 - 31 years old - Sabotage against the ferry "Sjælland"

On 3 November 1943 (note the date is after 29 August 43, when cooperation with the Germans ended) Svend Børge Larsen was to sail on the ferry "SJælland" between Nyborg and Korsør. He says: "Already on the way to the ferry from Nyborg local station there were some guys with some heavy suitcases. The men with the suitcases were just about to kill themselves out of sheer eagerness to carry their heavy luggage on board. "It's no use you mashing like that, you won't get up to the saloon before me anyway," I said to them. "We'll give you the damn saloon," was the reply. It turned out that they had put the suitcases containing large bombs on a wagon just below the saloon."

Fortunately, Svend Børge had gone to the toilet when the bombs exploded.

Ferry "Sjælland" of Korsør, 2593 Reg. T. Br. Built 1933 of steel. On voyage from Nyborg to Korsør.

Wrecked by explosion and burnt on 8/11 43 in Storebælt; 3 killed.Sea trial and hearing in Korsør on 5/11 43.

At 1447, when the S. was on an E'ly course about 3 nm from Korsør. from Korsør, a violent explosion occurred in the unused, unloaded III Kl. saloon below the wagon deck

A heavy fire broke out in this saloon, and flames from the explosion set fire to some life-jackets on the promenade deck, where 7-8 of the passengers were killed. Two doctors among the passengers gave first aid to the injured.

The crew of the S. immediately started to fight the fire with the ferry's own fire-fighting equipment. When the hull was found to be undamaged by the explosion, the voyage was continued towards Korsør, while doctors, ambulances, fire brigade and Falck's rescue corps were summoned by radio.

On arrival at Korsør the injured were immediately taken to hospital, and the ferry was cleared of passengers and railway carriages. Falck Rescue Corps, Fire Brigade, D/Fg. "Odin", a German ship and the ferry's own crew now fought the fire, and a locomotive was brought up on the quay to help extinguish it with steam.

At about 1615 the fire was under control.
At about 1630 another explosion occurred in the forecastle about the bow, presumably in the broom cupboard under the stairs leading up to the wing deck. In this explosion 3 of the rescue party were killed, and 10-12 men were injured.

As more explosions were feared, the ferry was now evacuated, towed out of the harbour, and placed on the Grand at Badstuerevet outside Korsør harbour.The S., which was badly damaged by the fire, was later taken off the ground.

Note 1. The deceased are: Station Master de Neergaard of Skelskør, Rescuer Johannes Nielsen of Slagelse and Fireman Regnar Nielsen of Korsør.

Note 2. The Ministry must assume that the explosions were caused by sabotage with timed explosive charges."

1956 - 44 years old

From 1956 he was a regular guest in Skagen in the summer, where everyone knew the long-bearded man with a messenger bike, amber chains and many stories that he could deliver in several languages - French, Swedish, Norwegian, German, English and his native Danish.

On 14 June 1956, Rav-Larsen came to Gammel Skagen for the first time with amber jewellery. He sold jewellery until 1960, when the amber became too expensive and he began painting instead, continuing until 1964.

1964 - 52 years old

Svend Børge Larsen goes to Norway, where he camped out summer and winter in 20-30 degree frost on a sledge.

1968 - 56 years old

Rav-Larsen returns to Skagen after living in Norway since 1964. Here he painted until 26 September, after which he went to Struer and sold 73 paintings. (He tells the story himself in "Landevejens farende svende")

The same year Rav-Larsen participates as an extra in the film "King Lear" which is filmed at Råbjerg Mile.

1970 - 58 years old and on the road again

Svend Børge Larsen is mentioned in Svend Aage Carsten's book: The road's travelling journeymen.

"There are rumours that you have money in the bank!""Oh yes. It's not more than a few hundred kroner that I had left over when I used to buy my daily half bottle of brandy. I've stopped drinking brandy altogether now, for I'm such a health prophet anyway that I don't think you should overwork the organism," Rav-Larsen replied.

1972 - 60 years old in Skagen

Article in Skagens Avis on the occasion of Rav-Larsen's 60th birthday:

The Copenhagen boy, whose great-grandfather was the capital's most precise photocassette carver, now lives as a glorious element in contemporary Skagen art. Svend Børge Larsen is his name, probably better known as "Rav_Larsen". He turns 60 today, where he can sit in his living room, which is also a studio, at Kroghsvej 7, and think back on a colourful life.

before 1979 - Rav-Larsen goes to Gothenburg

In order to have something to do in the winter, Rav-Larsen took the ferry to Gothenburg a few times. There he stood on the street in the snow with his wares, but the Swedish police didn't really have a sense of humour. Street trading of this kind was strictly forbidden. Rav-Larsen didn't take it too seriously, though - "we all have to live, don't we?" So he turned up on the street once more and a short distance away there were some foreign workers trying to sell balloons, while at the same time they had a transistor radio playing Beatles music. Larsen had bought a piece of pastry and was now standing with the empty paper bag, which he blew open and popped with a bang!

The foreign workers were so frightened that they picked up all their stuff and disappeared. Shortly after, 3 Swedish policemen stood in front of Larsen. "Well, I'd better pack up and hurry down to the ferry, hadn't I?" "Yes, I suppose so," said one of the policemen, "and as soon as possible!" An elderly man who had witnessed the scene wanted to buy a painting, but Larsen didn't dare sell it to him, because the cops were still watching him.

1979 Interview for Hjemmet

People along the west coast, and in Skagen in particular, Rav-Larsen is known for rolling around on his messenger bike selling bottle boats and amber necklaces. Now he's started painting too - cute, naive little paintings of the sea, ships, landscapes and houses.

"I usually advertise that I was born in the reign of Frederik VIII," Rav-Larsen tells Hjemmet. "It sounds old-fashioned, but I managed to be born in 1912 before Frederik died.

Settled down in the retirement apartments at Chr. X.'s Vej 54, 1st floor in Skagen, where he lived until his death, except for a short period when the apartments were renovated. From here he still sold paintings and amber necklaces on the harbour. He charges 70 kroner for them.

As a painter, he produced more than 10,000 paintings, many of which hang in small homes in Skagen and elsewhere.

He has exhibited at Grenen Art Museum, where Axel Lind opened his museum for a Rav-Larsen exhibition.

1994 - invited to an exhibition

In 1994 Rav-Larsen was invited to the opening of an exhibition by photographer Mary Willumsen, his mother.

In the same year, an exhibition of MW's bathing pictures was held at the Glyptotek. Her postcards and some of the original photographs and negatives are now in the Royal Danish Museum, among other places. Library and in the State Library.

The uniqueness of MW's photographs lies in her view and presentation of the female body. The postcards attract both women and men, and there is something in their simplicity and straightforwardness that captures the attention and makes the viewer look, wonder and smile.

The photographer was previously known as Marie Villumsen, who was a high school photographer in Vestbirk, and it was not until 1994 that her true identity was uncovered.

Rav-Larsen sold the rights to the photographs to Andrew Daneman, Northern Light Gallery, who found out about her son by chance through a nephew of Mary.

Andrew Daneman visited Rav-Larsen in Skagen, where they had asparagus soup with prawns at the Brøndums Hotel and subsequently corresponded a great deal.

A condition of the sale of the rights was that Daneman should promise to make Larsen's mother famous

2002 - Dies at the age of 90 in Skagen

Rav-Larsen died at the age of 90 in 2002 in Skagen. Read the obituary in Nordjyske here (see also below)

Funeral ceremony was held from Skagen Cemetery's Chapel by Pastor Henrik Bang-Møller, after which Rav-Larsen was cremated and laid to rest at Brønshøj Kirkegaard. The visible effects of the grave have now been erased, but the remains are still in the grave, as no one has bought the grave yet.

source: Copenhagen Cemeteries by phone

After 2005 - Skagen Bryghus names a beer after him

Skagen Bryghus makes a Rav Larsen red wheat (beer named after Rav Larsen)

2021

"Relive" Rav Larsen in Virkelyst. The art group "Oculus" has decided to set up a small exhibition of paintings by Svend Børge Larsen - better known as "Rav Larsen." It will take place in the group's association room, Virkelyst.

All the articles from the Danish magazines can be read in the Local History Archive, Tinghuset in Skagen.