Iconic Buildings – Karen Blixen, Nairobi

Located about 15km from the Nairobi Central Business District in the affluent Karen neighborhood of Nairobi, lies the historical and majestic Karen Blixen. This property was first owned by famous Danish author Karen Bror and Baron Bror, her Swedish husband. Sitting at the foot of the famous Ngong Hills, this ancient farmhouse is now a national museum and has a history that spans over 100 years.

Karen Blixen was built in 1912 by a Swedish engineer named Ake Sjogren. Karen moved to Kenya in 1914, which was then a British colony, and married her half cousin. The initial plan was to pursue dairy farming, but Karen’s husband preferred coffee farming instead. In 1917, Karen and her husband purchased the farmhouse which sat on their 4,500 acre farm, 600 acres of which went into coffee farming. Unfortunately, their coffee farm faced one tragedy after another. Along with the struggling coffee farm, Karen and her husband got divorced after eight years of marriage. Baron left while Karen continued to manage the farm.

After divorcing her husband, Karen met and fell in love with an Englishman by the name of Denys Finch Hatton; however, the aftermath of his untimely death in Tsavo in 1930 and the failed farming business forced Karen to leave Africa. Karen remained at the property until 1931 when she returned to her home country of Denmark.

Karen Blixen was later purchased by Remy Marin, who further subdivided the land into 20 acre pieces. This action paved the way for the current Karen suburb named after her. British Army Officer Lt. Col.G. Lloyd purchased the house in 1935 and lived there until he died in 1954. The property was then transferred to his daughters, Lavender Lloyd and Mrs. G Robersts. The house continued to change ownership until 1964 when the Danish government purchased it and offered it to the Kenyan government as a gift for Kenya’s independence.

After the Kenyan government received the house, it was initially used as a nutrition college and served as the Principal’s residence. In 1985, Karen Blixen became globally famous when the Oscar winning film “Out of Africa”, based on Karen’s autobiography, was filmed on the property. As a result of this new development, the National Museums of Kenya acquired the house and transformed it into a museum. The museum opened its doors to the public in 1986.

Today, Karen Blixen Museum is one of Kenya’s famous museums that receives many visitors. People visit the museum to see handicrafts, books, postcards, posters, ‘Out of Africa’ the movie, and a wide array of Kenyan souvenirs. Karen Blixen grounds are also famous for wedding receptions and corporate events.

Karen is known for her works such as Seven Gothic Tales, Out of Africa, which later became the Oscar award winning film, and Babette’s Feast. The Karen Blixen house also outlines historical significance of the trends of European settlement in East Africa. Karen was born on April 17th,1885 in Rungstedlund, Denmark and was the second-born in a family of five. She died at their family estate in 1962 at the age of 77.

The architecture of the house is a typical representation of 19th century bungalows that include spacious rooms, large verandas, and tiled roofs. This was a common system of buildings associated with European suburbs of Nairobi.