Regine Olsen

Regine Schlegel (née Olsen; January 23, 1822 – March 18, 1904) was a Danish woman who was engaged to the philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard from September 1840 to October 1841. Regine's relationship with Kierkegaard exerted a crucial influence over his intellectual development, philosophy, and theology, and the legacy of their engagement figures prominently in his writings.

Regine was born on January 23, 1822, in Frederiksberg, a district of Copenhagen, Denmark. She first met Kierkegaard on a spring day in 1837 when she was 15 and he 24. Regine later recalled that upon this first meeting Kierkegaard had made "a very strong impression" upon her. A mutual infatuation developed between the two while Regine was being tutored by Johan Frederik Schlegel, her future husband.

Regine had also made a strong impression on Kierkegaard, who began to pursue her over a long period of time, ingratiating himself first as a friend and later attempting to court her. On 8 September 1840, Kierkegaard finally revealed his feelings to Regine when she was playing the piano for him at her family's house. He recounted the events years later in his journal: "'Oh! What do I care for music, it's you I want, I have wanted you for two years.' She kept silent." Kierkegaard proceeded to plead his case to Etatsraad (Councilman) Olsen, Regine's father, immediately. Her father granted Kierkegaard his blessing, and the two became engaged to be married.

Almost immediately, however, Kierkegaard began to have doubts about his ability to be a husband. Throughout the following year, Kierkegaard threw himself into his work. He began his seminarian studies, preached his first sermon, and wrote his dissertation for his magister degree. Regine sensed that Kierkegaard's ostensibly busy schedule was a pretence for avoiding her. They did maintain a voluminous correspondence; for a time he wrote her cryptic letters every Wednesday. Kierkegaard's letters have survived, but, aside from a few lines, Regine's letters seem to have been destroyed.

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