- Christian Magnus Falsen
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Christian Magnus Falsen (14 September 1782 – 13 January 1830) was a Norwegian constitutional father, statesman, jurist, and historian. He was an important member of the constitutional assembly and was one of the writers of the constitutional laws.
Christian Magnus Falsen was born at Christiania. He was the son of Enevold de Falsen (1755–1808), a dramatist and author of a famous war song "Til vaaben". In 1808 he became circuit judge at Follo, and after Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden in 1814 he played an important part in politics. He upheld King Christian Frederick and, after the separation of Norway from Denmark, assisted in drafting a constitution for Norway, which was modeled upon that adopted by France in 1791 and which was approved on 17 May 1814 by the Eidsvold. He was also strongly inspired by Thomas Jefferson and the Constitution of the United States of America. He is often called The Father of the Norwegian Constitution - "Grunnlovens far". In 1822 he was appointed Attorney General of the Kingdom, a post which he held for three years. In 1825 he became bailiff for Bergen, and in 1827 president of the Supreme Court. In 1828 he suffered from a stroke and did not return to the office. Christian Magnus Falsen is buried at Gamlebyen Churchyard. Next to his gravestone is the gravestone of his second wife.
In 1804 he married Anna Birgitte Munch (1787-1810), with whom he had the son Enevold Munch Falsen (1810–80). In 1811, after her death, he married Elisabeth Severine Böckmann (1782-1848). She was the widow of Brede Stoltenberg, a brother of the tradesman Gregers Stoltenberg. With her he had the children Henrik Anton Falsen (1813–66) and Elisabeth Christine Falsen (1820–76).
His principal work is Norges Historie (1823–24), a history of Norway to 1319 AD.
From 1825 to 1827 he was County Governor of Hordaland.[1]
Publications
- Daa, (Biography of C. M. Falsen) (Christiana, 1860)
- Vullum, (Biography of C. M. Falsen) (Christiana, 1881)
References
This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.
Legal offices Preceded by
Johan Randulf BullChief Justice of the Supreme Court of Norway
1827–1830Succeeded by
Jørgen MandixCounty Governors of Hordaland 1815–1825 Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie · 1825–1827 Christian Magnus Falsen · 1829–1834 Georg Jacob Bull · 1834–1852 Edvard Hagerup · 1852–1859 Jens Schydtz · 1859–1875 Paul Meyer Smit · 1875–1884 Nicolai Ditlev Ammon Ræder · 1884–1907 Justin Gottfried Andreas Hoffmann · 1907–1918 Hroar Olsen · 1918–1929 Kristian Friis Petersen · 1929–1933 Ernst Andreas Johannesen · 1934–1949 Gjert Lindebrække · 1949–1966 Mons Lid · 1966–1984 Lars Leiro · 1984–1998 Håkon Randal · 19982010 Svein Alsaker · 2010– Lars Sponheim
Categories:- Norwegian historians
- 1782 births
- 1830 deaths
- Fathers of the Constitution of Norway
- Chief Justices of Norway
- 19th-century Norwegian people
- Norwegian historian stubs
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