Marie Heiberg

Marie Heiberg (10 September 1890 – 15 February 1942) was an Estonian poet. When she was only about 15 years old she wrote her first poems, which were acclaimed for their youthful freshness. Heiberg spent the last twenty years of her life in a mental institution. There is a memorial to her in Urvaste.

Biography Heiberg was born on the Siimu farm near Lake Uhtjärv in southern Estonia in September 1890 Heiberg was brought up in a poor family environment. After attending local schools in the small village of Urvaste and the larger borough of Sangaste in 1905, Heiberg began to write poetry when she was sixteen.

Her first poems appeared in an anthology published by the Estonian writer and critic Friedebert Tuglas. She and Tuglas exchanged letters for the next twelve years. (Songs of a Problem Child), followed in 1913 by her second and last collection, Luule (Poems).

Around 1919, Heiberg began to suffer from a mental illness, possibly schizophrenia, and spent some time in Tallinn's mental hospital. She returned home, but her condition deteriorated with the result that she spent the last 20 years of her life in a psychiatric institution until she died in February 1942. A memorial to Marie Heiberg which includes a bust of her has been erected beside the church in Urvaste.

Works 1906: (poetry) 1910: Elukevade (short stories) 1913: Luule (poetry) 1988: Käisin üksi tähte valgel (selected poetry)