Axel Heiberg

Axel Heiberg ( born March 16, 1848 in Christiania, † September 4, 1932 in Oslo) was a Norwegian businessman and patron. He is known primarily for its financial support of the polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup and Roald Amundsen.

Life

Axel Heiberg in 1848, the son of General Surgeons Johan Fritz former gate Heiberg ( 1805-1883 ) and his wife Emma Wilhelmine born Munch ( 1818-1888 ). He was a nephew Christian Heiberg (1799-1872), a medical professor at the Royal Frederick University in Christiania.

Heiberg began his professional career in 1867 in the cotton company Wm M. Tunne & Co. in Savannah in the U.S. state of Georgia, went for Russell & Company in Hong Kong and was from 1870 to 1872 Norwegian- Swedish vice-consul and consular secretary in Shanghai. In the autumn of 1872 he returned to Norway and was co-owner of several industrial companies. In 1877 he founded with his brothers Amund Ringnes ( 1840-1907 ) and Ellef Ringnes ( 1842-1929 ), the Ringnes brewery. Even active rowers, sailors and skiers, he promoted the Norwegian sport through donations. He was 1882-1884 President of the Rowing Club in Christiania, and founded the first Norwegian Kennel Club.

When Fridtjof Nansen crossed Greenland on skis, Heiberg was deeply impressed. Together with Ellef Ringnes and the shipowner Thomas Fearnley (1841-1927) he collected private donations for Nansen's Fram expedition 1893-1896. Heiberg himself gave 17,000 crowns. After Nansen's return to Heiberg involved in 1897 with 50,000 crowns at the Fridtjof Nansen Foundation for the Advancement of Science. Together with the brothers Ringnes he financed the Second Fram Expedition 1898-1902 under Otto Sverdrup, which led to extensive geographical discoveries in the Canadian Arctic. He also supported Roald Amundsen in his conquest of the Northwest Passage with the Gjoa 1903-1906 and at the South Pole Expedition 1910-1912. The polar explorer it thanked him by named some of their geographical discoveries after the patron, as the Heiberg islands in the Kara Sea ( Nansen ), Axel Heiberg Island in the Canadian Arctic ( Sverdrup ) and the Axel Heiberg Glacier in Antarctica ( Amundsen ).

Heiberg is also known as a promoter of Norwegian art and intellectual life. The Norwegian National Theatre in 1899, he donated the now standing in front of the entrance of the sculptor Stephan Sinding statues representing Henrik Ibsen and Bjørnson Bjørnstjerne. In 1898, on his initiative founded the Norwegian Forest Society (Norwegian Det norske Skogselskap ), which he chaired for 25 years.

For his services Heiberg was with the St. Olav Medal decorated ( Knight's Cross in 1896, commander in 1900, Grand Cross 1908). In 1923 he was awarded Norway's highest civilian honor, the Borgerdådsmedaille in gold.

Axel Heiberg was married since October 28, 1873 Ragnhild Meyer ( 1849-1937 ), the daughter of the merchant Thorvald Meyer ( 1818-1909 ) and his wife Mathea Annichen ( " Thea " ) Tofte ( 1820-1900).