Claus Pavels

Claus Pavels.

Claus Pavels (8 January 1769 – 16 February 1822) was a Norwegian priest and diarist. His diaries from 1812–1822^[1] are an important source for cultural and biographical history.^[2]

Biography

He was born in Vanse.^[3] His father, a priest at Lista, died four months before Pavel's birth, and the boy grew up at his uncle's farm on Lista.^[4] He graduated from Christanssand school in 1785. He was a student in Copenhagen and member of The Norwegian Society there. He was a chaplain in Brevig from 1793 to 1796,^[5] priest in Copenhagen from 1799, a vicar at Aker and a priest at the Akershus Fortress from 1805, and became bishop of the diocese of Bjørgvin in 1817.

In 1799 he married Maren Fasland. The couple had two daughters. Their daughter Karen married Johan Lyder Brun, Sr.,^[3] a grandson of Johan Nordahl Brun,^[6] who preceded Pavels as bishop of Bjørgvin.^[7]

University

Pavels was host of the ceremony when the first Norwegian university, the Royal Frederick University of Christiania, was founded in 1811.^[4] The ceremony took place at Akershus Fortress 11 November 1811, with music, military parades, bell ringing and guns salute, and people gathering in the Fortress Church.^[4]

Pavels was also present at the first defence of a doctorate thesis in Norway, at the University 18 June 1817, when Frederik Holst defended his thesis, "Morbus, quem Radesyge vocant, quinam sit, quanamque ratione e Scandinavia tollendus".^[1][8] Pavel's diary contains a detailed report from the ceremonious event. There were 13 opponents, and the language used was Latin. The thesis was not translated into Norwegian until 188 years later, and the book from 2005 contains also Pavel's diary comments.^[8]

Politics in 1814

From his position at Akershus Fortress, Pavels followed closely the political turbulence in 1814, with the Treaty of Kiel, the gathering of the Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll, the clash between Sweden and Norway, and the subsequent Union between Sweden and Norway. He wrote detailed reports from this period in his diaries.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Claus Pavels (1812-1822). "Dagbøker 1812 - 1822" (in Norwegian). http://www.dokpro.uio.no/litteratur/pavels/frames.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-29. 
2. ^ "Pavels, Claus" (in Norwegian). Store Norske Leksikon. http://www.snl.no/Claus_Pavels. Retrieved 11 november 2009. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Genealogy
4. ^ ^{a b c} Vidar Vik. "Akershus slottskirke i unionstiden" (in Norwegian). www.pacem.no. http://www.pacem.no/2006/2/annet/08vik/. Retrieved 2008-11-29. 
5. ^ Coll, A. L. (1902). Skiensfjordens industri i tekst og billeder. 2. hovedafdeling. Kristiania: Hanche. http://www.porsgrunn.folkebibl.no/bok/coll/coll5a.html. 
6. ^ Genealogy for Johan Lyder Brun, Sr.
7. ^ Biskopar i Bjørgvin bispedømme etter Reformasjonen
8. ^ ^{a b} Steinar Qvenild Andersen (2005). "Norges første doktorgrad" (in Norwegian). Forskning.no. http://www.forskning.no/artikler/2005/desember/1134382244.74. Retrieved 2008-11-29. 

Preceded by Johan Nordahl Brun

Bishop of the Diocese of Bjørgvin 1817–1822

Succeeded by Jacob Neumann

Persondata
Name	Pavels, Claus
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	8 January 1769
Place of birth
Date of death	16 February 1822
Place of death