Oluf Nicolai Roll
Encyclopedia
Oluf Nicolai Roll was a Norwegian engineer, architect and politician. He was responsible for the industrial development of the area around the river Akerselva
in Christiania
, and served as Director General of Statens Havnevesen
from 1861 to 1896.
, the son of Jacob Roll
(1783–1870) and Emilie Pihl (1797–1822). He was a maternal grandnephew of Abraham Pihl. On the paternal side he was a half-brother of Ferdinand Nicolai Roll
, Karl Jacob Roll and Selma Roll, Through them he was an uncle of Karl Roll
and Arthur
and Jacob Roll Knagenhjelm
.
In May 1847 in Aker
he married Hanna Christine Schou (1825–1867), a daughter of brewer Christian Schou
and sister of Halvor Schou
. They adopted the engineer Thomas Pihlfeldt.
his secondary education in 1938, and then studied at the Royal Frederick University in Christiania
, at the Polytechnische Hochschule in Hannover, and at the École des Arts et Métiers
in Paris. Back in Norway he was manager at the paper mill
at Bentse Brug
.
In 1845 he founded the company Nydalens Compagnie
together with Adam Hiorth
, Hans Gulbranson
and Ole Gjerdrum
. He was a board member from 1845 to 1868. He contributed by designing all the buildings for the first spinning mill (1845–1847), and also at a later expansion in 1856 and the construction of a weaving mill in 1864. Nydalens Compagnie developed into the largest textile company in Norway from the 1890s. Roll has been called "Norway's first civil engineer", and also "a sort of a godfather to industrialism in Christiania". The founding of Nydalens Companie has been said to signal the start of industrialization in Norway.
Roll also founded Christiania Mekaniske Væveri in 1847 together with Hiorth, Gulbranson, Peter J. K. Petersen and Iver Olsen. He designed new buildings for the companies Bentse Brug (1850), Hjula Væveri (1854–1856; this company was owned by Halvor Schou), and Nedre Vøien Spinderi from 1860. He also acted as a consultant for Myrens Verksted
and Kværner Brug.
In 1861 he was appointed Director General of Statens Havnevesen
, a position he held until 1896. He was a member of the executive committee of the City Council of Christiania from 1856 to 1868. He was decorated Commander, Second Class of the Order of St. Olav in 1894, and was a Knight of the Order of Vasa
.
Akerselva
Akerselva, or Akerselven, is a river which flows through Oslo. It starts at Maridalsvannet in Oslomarka, and follows the urban areas Nordre Aker, Sagene, Grünerløkka, Oslo centre and Grønland, whereby it finally ends at Paulsenkaien and Oset in Bjørvika. The river is considered to be a part of the...
in Christiania
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, and served as Director General of Statens Havnevesen
Norwegian Coastal Administration
Norwegian Coastal Administration is a Norwegian government agency responsible for the water transport infrastructure along the 92,000 km Coast of Norway. It is responsible for coastal navigation infrastructure, pilotage and harbour and port infrastructure, including lighthouses...
from 1861 to 1896.
Personal life
Roll was born in TrondhjemTrondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, the son of Jacob Roll
Jacob Roll (born 1783)
Jacob Roll was a Norwegian judge and politician.He was born in Spydeberg. He was the Chief Justice of Trondhjem Diocesal Court from 1828 to 1855. He was also the first Mayor of Trondhjem. He was elected to the Parliament of Norway in 1833, 1836 and 1842, representing his city...
(1783–1870) and Emilie Pihl (1797–1822). He was a maternal grandnephew of Abraham Pihl. On the paternal side he was a half-brother of Ferdinand Nicolai Roll
Ferdinand Nicolai Roll
Ferdinand Nicolai Roll was a Norwegian jurist and politician for the Conservative Party.He was born in Trondhjem as the son of judge and politician Jacob Roll and his third wife Nicoline Selmer. He had three siblings. Like his father, he took a law education, enrolling as a student in 1847 and...
, Karl Jacob Roll and Selma Roll, Through them he was an uncle of Karl Roll
Karl Roll
Karl Nikolai Roll was a Norwegian sports official, skier and military officer.-Personal life:Roll was born in Trondhjem as a son of vicar Karl Jakob Roll and Anne Johanne Parelius . On the maternal side he was a great-grandson of Jacob von der Lippe Parelius...
and Arthur
Arthur Knagenhjelm
-Personal life:He was born in Trondhjem as the son of Ludvig Wiese Knagenhjelm and Selma Angelique Lousie Roll. The Knagenhjelm family had resided in Sogndal in recent times, and had been ennobled in 1721, then under the name Knagenhielm. He was a brother of Lord Chamberlain Jacob Roll Knagenhjelm...
and Jacob Roll Knagenhjelm
Jacob Roll Knagenhjelm
Jacob Roll Knagenhjelm was a Norwegian royal servant. He served as the Lord Chamberlain of Norway from 1925 to 1931.-Personal life:He was born in Trondhjem as the son of Ludvig Wiese Knagenhjelm and Selma Angelique Lousie Roll....
.
In May 1847 in Aker
Aker, Norway
Aker is a former municipality in Akershus, which lends its name to a municipality and a county in Norway. The name originally belonged to a farm which was located near the current Old Aker Church...
he married Hanna Christine Schou (1825–1867), a daughter of brewer Christian Schou
Christian Schou
Christian Schou was a Norwegian merchant, farmer, brewer and politician.He was born in Christiania. After receiving trading licence in 1922, Schou was running a farmers' shop at Grønland. He acquired the farm Sinsen in 1934, and was running a dairy and several factories. He was the owner of the...
and sister of Halvor Schou
Halvor Schou
Halvor Arntzen Schou was a Norwegian industrialist. He was born in Christiania, a son of brewer Christian Schou.He founded the weaving mill Hjula Væveri , which exploited the waterfall Hjulafossen in Akerselva. He was decorated Commander, First Class of the Order of St. Olav in 1877...
. They adopted the engineer Thomas Pihlfeldt.
Career
Roll finishedExamen artium
Examen artium was the name of the academic certification conferred in Denmark and Norway, qualifying the student for admission to university studies. Examen artium was originally introduced as the entrance exam of the University of Copenhagen in 1630...
his secondary education in 1938, and then studied at the Royal Frederick University in Christiania
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, at the Polytechnische Hochschule in Hannover, and at the École des Arts et Métiers
École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers
Arts et Métiers ParisTech is the French leading engineering school in the fields of mechanics and industrialization.The school trained 85,000 engineers since its foundation in 1780 by the Duke of La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt....
in Paris. Back in Norway he was manager at the paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
at Bentse Brug
Bentse Brug
Bentse Brug is a former industrial installation in Oslo, Norway, near the river Akerselva. At the site was originally a corn mill, and from 1696 the first paper mill in Norway started its operation. In 1838 Norway's first paper machine was installed, delivered from England. Benste Brug went...
.
In 1845 he founded the company Nydalens Compagnie
Nydalens Compagnie
Nydalens Compagnie was a company in Nydalen, Oslo, Norway. It was founded in 1845 as a textile manufacturer, and from 1963 to 1998 it was a real estate company.-History:...
together with Adam Hiorth
Adam Hiorth
Adam Hiorth was a Norwegian merchant and industrial pioneer.-Personal life:Hiorth was born in Drøbak, as the son of shipper Fredrik Wilhelm Hiorth and Louise Caroline Brodersen. He married Anne Sofie Sommerfelt in 1849. He was an uncle of engineer Fredrik Hiorth and the grandfather of painter...
, Hans Gulbranson
Hans Gulbranson
Hans Gulbranson was a Norwegian businessperson.He hailed from Modum. He was a wholesaler in Christiania, and was one of the wealthiest persons in Norway's capital. He is best known as a founder of Nydalens Compagnie in 1845 together with Adam Hiorth, Ole Gjerdrum and Oluf N. Roll. Gulbranson was...
and Ole Gjerdrum
Ole Gjerdrum
Ole Eliassøn Gjerdrum was a Norwegian jurist, civil servant and businessperson.-Career:He was born in Stange. He was a clerk for the district stipendiary magistrate until 1811. He then worked in Copenhagen and studied law, but when Norway achieved independence in 1814 he returned to his country of...
. He was a board member from 1845 to 1868. He contributed by designing all the buildings for the first spinning mill (1845–1847), and also at a later expansion in 1856 and the construction of a weaving mill in 1864. Nydalens Compagnie developed into the largest textile company in Norway from the 1890s. Roll has been called "Norway's first civil engineer", and also "a sort of a godfather to industrialism in Christiania". The founding of Nydalens Companie has been said to signal the start of industrialization in Norway.
Roll also founded Christiania Mekaniske Væveri in 1847 together with Hiorth, Gulbranson, Peter J. K. Petersen and Iver Olsen. He designed new buildings for the companies Bentse Brug (1850), Hjula Væveri (1854–1856; this company was owned by Halvor Schou), and Nedre Vøien Spinderi from 1860. He also acted as a consultant for Myrens Verksted
Myrens Verksted
Myrens Verksted is a industrial area in Norway on the east side of the Akerselva river, situated between the bridges Bentsebrua and Vøyenbrua in the southwest part of Torshov, in what is today the Sagene Borough of Oslo. Production started in this area in 1854 based on Øvre Foss Mekaniske verksted...
and Kværner Brug.
In 1861 he was appointed Director General of Statens Havnevesen
Norwegian Coastal Administration
Norwegian Coastal Administration is a Norwegian government agency responsible for the water transport infrastructure along the 92,000 km Coast of Norway. It is responsible for coastal navigation infrastructure, pilotage and harbour and port infrastructure, including lighthouses...
, a position he held until 1896. He was a member of the executive committee of the City Council of Christiania from 1856 to 1868. He was decorated Commander, Second Class of the Order of St. Olav in 1894, and was a Knight of the Order of Vasa
Order of Vasa
The Royal Order of Vasa was a Swedish Royal order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III of Sweden...
.