Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie ( 7. December 1778 - 10. October 1849 ) was a Norwegian constitutional father, known for being the constitutional assembly's writer.
, Møre and Romsdal, Wilhelm F. K. Christie spent several childhood years in Bergen
. He was the son of postmaster Johan Koren Christie (1745–1823) and Anne Thue Brodtkorb (1753–1834). His family can be traced back to Andrew Davidson Christie (ca. 1620-1694), born in Montrose, Scotland, who became a citizen of Bergen in 1654. At 10 years old, he was sent to Bergen to attend Latin School. At 16 years old, he was a student in Copenhagen
. In 1799 he became candidat juridicum
.
In 1814, he was a representative for Bergen at the Norwegian Constituent Assembly. He was chosen as the secretary during the whole period. Hence he did not play a very important role in the debates. Then he participated in sending a message to Great Britain
from Christian Frederik in order to win support for Norway's independence. However, this message never was answered. In October he became the president of the parliament and made an important contribution to the process of discussion the union with Sweden
. He stayed a representative in the parliament until 1825.
, which he founded in 1825 and worked for more than 20 years. A statue of him by Norwegian sculptor Kristian Blystad was erected during 1989 in front of the Parliament of Norway (Stortinget) on the occasion of the Constitution's 175-year anniversary.
Background
Born in KristiansundKristiansund
Kristiansund is a city and municipality on the western coast of Norway, in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. It was officially awarded township status in 1742, and it is still the major town for the region. The administrative center of the municipality is the city of Kristiansund...
, Møre and Romsdal, Wilhelm F. K. Christie spent several childhood years in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. He was the son of postmaster Johan Koren Christie (1745–1823) and Anne Thue Brodtkorb (1753–1834). His family can be traced back to Andrew Davidson Christie (ca. 1620-1694), born in Montrose, Scotland, who became a citizen of Bergen in 1654. At 10 years old, he was sent to Bergen to attend Latin School. At 16 years old, he was a student in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. In 1799 he became candidat juridicum
Candidate of Law
Candidate of Law is the degree awarded to jurists who have passed the law exam in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland after studying law for about 5–6 years....
.
Career
Wilhelm F. K. Christie was executive officer (kansellisekretær) and head of a government office in Copenhagen. In 1809, at 30 years old, he became a judge (sorenskriver) in Hordaland. From 1815 to 1825 he was County Governor of Hordaland.In 1814, he was a representative for Bergen at the Norwegian Constituent Assembly. He was chosen as the secretary during the whole period. Hence he did not play a very important role in the debates. Then he participated in sending a message to Great Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
from Christian Frederik in order to win support for Norway's independence. However, this message never was answered. In October he became the president of the parliament and made an important contribution to the process of discussion the union with Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. He stayed a representative in the parliament until 1825.
Later years
From 1828 until his death he was a customs inspector in Bergen. He was also a member of Bergen city council from 1837 to 1841, and participated in the founding of Bergen Savings Banks, where he was chairman for several years.Legacy
His statue now stands in front of the Bergen MuseumBergen Museum
The Bergen Museum is a university museum in Bergen, Norway. Founded in 1825 with the intent of building large collections in the fields of culture and natural history, it became the grounds for most of the academic activity in the city, a tradition which has prevailed since the museum became part...
, which he founded in 1825 and worked for more than 20 years. A statue of him by Norwegian sculptor Kristian Blystad was erected during 1989 in front of the Parliament of Norway (Stortinget) on the occasion of the Constitution's 175-year anniversary.