Endre Berner
Encyclopedia
Endre Qvie Berner was a Norwegian chemist.
He was born in Stavanger
as a son of businessperson Endre Qvie Berner, Sr. (1853–1925) and his wife Anna Marie Gjemre (1875–1958). He worked at a workshop after finishing middle school, and enrolled in machinery studies at Bergen Technical School in 1911, but switched to chemistry at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
in 1913. He graduated in 1918, and was then hired as research assistant of his advisor Claus Nissen Riiber. In 1922 he was promoted to docent
. He studied in Munich (with Richard Willstätter
and Heinrich Otto Wieland
) in 1922–1923 and 1928, and in Birmingham (with Walter Haworth
) in 1929. He took the doctorate in 1926 with the thesis A Contribution to the Thermochemistry of Organic Compounds. In 1934 he was appointed as professor at the University of Oslo
. He is well known in the Nordic countries for his textbook Lærebok i organisk kjemi. The first modern Norwegian
textbook in organic chemistry
, it was first released in 1942 and then re-released several times, the last in 1964. The 1958 edition became known for introducing new Norwegian-language names of several chemical elements: hydrogen, nitrogen, karbon (carbon) og oksygen (oxygen).
During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
, his academic career was interrupted. When the Nazi authorities were about to change the rules for admission to the university in autumn 1943, a protest ensued. In retaliation, the authorities arrested 11 staff, 60 male students and 10 female students. The staff Johannes Andenæs
, Eiliv Skard
, Johan Christian Schreiner, Harald Krabbe Schjelderup, Anatol Heintz
, Odd Hassel
, Ragnar Frisch, Carl Jacob Arnholm
, Bjørn Føyn
and Endre Berner were sent to Grini concentration camp. Berner was first incarcerated at Berg concentration camp
from 22 November 1943, then at Grini until 24 December 1944.
After the war Berner continued as professor in Oslo until 1962, except for a stay at the Imperial College from 1954 to 1955. He was also active as a professor emeritus until his death. He was elected as a member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
in 1927, of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
in 1933 and of the Society of Chemical Industry
in 1951. In 1969 he was decorated with the Order of St. Olav. He was the president of the Norwegian Chemical Society
from 1946 to 1950, having co-founded the Trondhjem branch of the society, and ultimately received honorary membership. He was married twice, and died in January 1983 in Oslo.
He was born in Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
as a son of businessperson Endre Qvie Berner, Sr. (1853–1925) and his wife Anna Marie Gjemre (1875–1958). He worked at a workshop after finishing middle school, and enrolled in machinery studies at Bergen Technical School in 1911, but switched to chemistry at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
Norwegian Institute of Technology
The Norwegian Institute of Technology, known by its Norwegian abbrevation NTH was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 85 years, after which it was merged into the University of Trondheim as an independent...
in 1913. He graduated in 1918, and was then hired as research assistant of his advisor Claus Nissen Riiber. In 1922 he was promoted to docent
Docent
Docent is a title at some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks below professor . Docent is also used at some universities generically for a person who has the right to teach...
. He studied in Munich (with Richard Willstätter
Richard Willstätter
Richard Martin Willstätter was a German organic chemist whose study of the structure of plant pigments, chlorophyll included, won him the 1915 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Willstätter invented paper chromatography independently of Mikhail Tsvet.-Biography:Willstätter was born in to a Jewish family...
and Heinrich Otto Wieland
Heinrich Otto Wieland
Heinrich Otto Wieland was a German chemist. He won the 1927 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research into the bile acids. In 1901 Wieland received his doctorate at the University of Munich while studying under Johannes Thiele...
) in 1922–1923 and 1928, and in Birmingham (with Walter Haworth
Walter Haworth
Sir Norman Haworth was a British chemist best known for his groundbreaking work on ascorbic acid while working at the University of Birmingham. He received the 1937 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his investigations on carbohydrates and vitamin C"...
) in 1929. He took the doctorate in 1926 with the thesis A Contribution to the Thermochemistry of Organic Compounds. In 1934 he was appointed as professor at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
. He is well known in the Nordic countries for his textbook Lærebok i organisk kjemi. The first modern Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
textbook in organic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
, it was first released in 1942 and then re-released several times, the last in 1964. The 1958 edition became known for introducing new Norwegian-language names of several chemical elements: hydrogen, nitrogen, karbon (carbon) og oksygen (oxygen).
During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
, his academic career was interrupted. When the Nazi authorities were about to change the rules for admission to the university in autumn 1943, a protest ensued. In retaliation, the authorities arrested 11 staff, 60 male students and 10 female students. The staff Johannes Andenæs
Johannes Andenæs
Johannes Bratt Andenæs, often shortened to Johs. Andenæs was a Norwegian jurist. He was a professor of jurisprudence at the University of Oslo from 1945 to 1982, and served as rector from 1970 to 1972....
, Eiliv Skard
Eiliv Skard
Eiliv Skard was a Norwegian classical philologist.-Personal life:He was born in Levanger as a son of educators Matias Skard and Gyda Christensen . The family moved to Kristiansand in 1901...
, Johan Christian Schreiner, Harald Krabbe Schjelderup, Anatol Heintz
Anatol Heintz
Anatol Heintz was a Norwegian palaeontologist.He was born in Petrograd to the geophysicist Yevgeniy Alfredovich Heintz and Olga Fyodorovna Hoffmann . He had two older siblings. In 1919 the family fled to Norway...
, Odd Hassel
Odd Hassel
Odd Hassel was a Norwegian physical chemist and Nobel Laureate.-Biography:Born in Kristiania, his parents were Ernst Hassel, a gynaecologist, and Mathilde Klaveness. In 1915, he entered the University of Oslo where he studied mathematics, physics and chemistry, and graduated in 1920...
, Ragnar Frisch, Carl Jacob Arnholm
Carl Jacob Arnholm
Carl Jacob Arnholm was a Norwegian jurist.He was born in Oslo as a son of civil servant Carsten Johannes Andersen and Gunvor Henriksen . He finished his secondary education in Kristiania in 1917, and graduated with the cand.jur. degree in 1921. After one year as deputy judge he worked as a junior...
, Bjørn Føyn
Bjørn Føyn
Bjørn Føyn was a Norwegian zoologist, especially known for researching the genetics of algae.He was born in Trondhjem as a son of educator and major Anton Christian Føyn and Olga Barth Nielsen...
and Endre Berner were sent to Grini concentration camp. Berner was first incarcerated at Berg concentration camp
Berg concentration camp
Berg was a concentration camp near Tønsberg in Norway that served as an internment and transit center for political prisoners and Jews during the Nazi occupation of Norway.-Establishment:...
from 22 November 1943, then at Grini until 24 December 1944.
After the war Berner continued as professor in Oslo until 1962, except for a stay at the Imperial College from 1954 to 1955. He was also active as a professor emeritus until his death. He was elected as a member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters is a learned society based in Trondheim, Norway.-History:DKNVS was founded in 1760 by bishop of Nidaros Johan Ernst Gunnerus, headmaster at the Trondheim Cathedral School Gerhard Schøning and Councillor of State Peter Frederik Suhm under the name...
in 1927, of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway.-History:The University of Oslo was established in 1811. The idea of a learned society in Christiania surfaced for the first time in 1841. The city of Throndhjem had no university, but had a learned...
in 1933 and of the Society of Chemical Industry
Society of Chemical Industry
The Society of Chemical Industry is a learned society set up in 1881 "to further the application of chemistry and related sciences for the public benefit". Its purpose is "Promoting the commercial application of science for the benefit of society". Its first president was Henry Enfield Roscoe and...
in 1951. In 1969 he was decorated with the Order of St. Olav. He was the president of the Norwegian Chemical Society
Norwegian Chemical Society
The Norwegian Chemical Society is a professional society for chemists. Formed in 1893, its purpose is to "promote the interest and understanding of chemistry and chemical technology"....
from 1946 to 1950, having co-founded the Trondhjem branch of the society, and ultimately received honorary membership. He was married twice, and died in January 1983 in Oslo.