Lisbeth Andersen
Lisbeth Andersen | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 2, 1916 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Died | February 3, 1996 |
| NSA member | Scandinavia & Finland 1957 - 1962 Denmark 1962 - ???? |
Agnes Elisabeth 'Lisbeth' Andersen (March 2, 1916 - February 3, 1996) was a Danish Bahá’í who assisted with the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith in Scandinavia and Denmark.
Biography[edit]
Andersen was born in Copenhagen in 1916 and her father was a navy engineer, her mother a housewife, and she had an older sister Gudrun. She learnt about Christianity at school but was not raised in a religious household. She married Asser Nygaard in 1943 and they had two children, Gerd and Tue.[1]
In her professional career Andersen was an artist, having studied at the Danish Royal Academy for Fine Arts, and she worked particularly in the field of planning color schemes for building projects. In the early 1950's she was commissioned to assist with color coordination for the construction of a military hospital in Copenhagen. One of the architects working on the project was Jean Deleuran who was a Bahá’í and introduced Andersen to the Faith. After borrowing a book about the religion Andersen declared on August 19, 1952.[2]
In 1953 Andersen was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Copenhagen and actively taught the Faith hosting firesides in her home and her children also became Bahá’ís. She began translating the Writings producing some of the earliest translations of Bahá’í scripture into Danish including the Kitab-i-Iqan and she was later responsible for translating correspondence from the Custodians and Universal House of Justice to Denmark into Danish.[2]
In 1957 Andersen was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Scandinavia and Finland as an inaugural member. She served until 1962 when the body was dissolved and she was then elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of Denmark and she attended the First International Convention to cast a vote in the establishment of the Universal House of Justice as a member of the body in 1963.[2] While serving on the National Assembly she contributed to Bahá’í children's education teaching children's classes and producing a series of six booklets for children between 1975 and 1978.[3]
Andersen served on the National Spiritual Assembly and National Teaching Committee of Denmark for around two decades and in 1985 she assisted with proclamation efforts to present copies of The Promise of World Peace message by the Universal House of Justice to prominent people across Denmark. She retired from the National Assembly and Teaching Committee in the late 1980's due to ill health but continued to serve on the Copenhagen Local Spiritual Assembly into old age.[2]
After a period of illness Andersen passed away in February 1996.[3] The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after her passing:
"The Universal House of Justice shares your sadness on learning of the passing of Mrs. Lisbeth Andersen, whose notable contributions to the upbuilding of the Cause in Scandinavia, from the early days of its establishment in that region, are gratefully recalled. Kindly extend to her relatives and friends the loving sympathy of the House of Justice at their loss and assure them of its prayers in the Holy Shrines for the progress ofher radiant soul through all the worlds of God."[1]
