A Danish Olympian in Los Angeles: Recollections from the Life of Sigrid Lassen, 1900-1991

Authors

Karen Lassen

Keywords

1920 Olymics, Denmark, travel

Abstract

I was born Sigrid Nielsen in Denmark at the tum of the century, November of 1900, in the little town of Roskilde. At that time, Roskilde was a thriving commercial town about two hours south of Copenhagen. My family lived in a large house in the center of town on the edge of the square surrounding the big cathedral. This church has special importance because it is the place all the Danish kings and queens are buried. From my bedroom window I could look out and see its tall, twin copper-covered spires . I can still remember walking across the cobblestone square in front of the cathedral on my way to school in the mornings. Sometimes, when the big door was open, I would stop in to look at the great clock that sat high up on the wall of the nave. It was very ornate, decorated with the figure of Saint George slaying the dragon. When the hour struck, St. George would pierce the dragon's heart with his spear and the dragon would let out a terrible bellow. I loved that.

Recommended Citation

Lassen, Karen (1999) "A Danish Olympian in Los Angeles: Recollections from the Life of Sigrid Lassen, 1900-1991," The Bridge: Vol. 22: No. 1, Article 11.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/thebridge/vol22/iss1/11