Nicolai Wergeland
Nicolai Wergeland, baptismal name " Niels Vergeland Wergeland " ( born November 9, 1780 in Mjøs ( MoES ) in Hosanger (now Osterøy ), Hordaland, † March 25, 1848 in Eidsvoll ) was a Norwegian theologian and politician.
Origin
His parents were teachers and clerk Halvor Lassesen Beraas, later Vergeland ( 1755 to 1790), and his wife Augusta Antonette Jonsdatter Nedervold ( 1759-1810 ). His name Wergeland, he received the farm his great-grandfather in Ytre Sogn ( the coastal area of Sogn og Fjordane ). The father came with the dänischgebürtigen local pastor in conflict and moved to Bergen in 1784, where he opened a general store. The business went bankrupt, and he got a job on a ship abroad at. Thus, the trace is lost. The mother was left with three small children.
Early years and studies
Niels was thanks to his talent and a little support from his great-uncle Niels Wergeland, a retired officer, attend school in Bergen. At the Cathedral he had a free place. In 1799 he was sent to the University of Copenhagen.
He joined the prevailing rationalistic theology of time and put 1803, the theological state exam with distinction. In 1805 he won the gold medal for the prize essay on the dogma of the last judgment. He then attended the educational seminar. In 1806 he was an adjunct at the cathedral of Kristiansand, where he was an excellent teacher.
Work, career, conflicts
Nicolai Wergeland worked long in one unfinished description of the city Kristiansand ( which was only published in 1963 ) and was in 1812 appointed " resident chaplain ." His breakthrough as a writer came with his work Mnemosyne, the 1811 from the Royal. Norges Vel Selskab for ( The Royal Society for the welfare of Norway ) exposed prize for the best essay on the benefits of a Norwegian university. In this writing, he underlined the right of every nation to have its own university, also laid equal a plan for their organization in six faculties and beat Christiania as a university town before. This prize essay made him by his patriotic language as a national hero and predestined him to be representative of Kristiansand in 1814 in the Assembly of Eidsvoll. There, he performed with a separate constitutional proposal, in which he introduced the term " Storting ", which was then included in the final Constitution. He was elected to the Constitutional Committee. He came here committed to prevent a new union with Denmark in the future, and joined Count Wedel. His lecturing nature irritated the independence party. With his distrust of the very popular Danish King Christian Frederik openly shown he forfeited his popularity so that he would have received almost a public reprimand at the end.
In 1814 he was accused of having Christian Frederik slandered, and was convicted. 1815 Wergeland was at the instigation of Count Wedel, due to its anti- spiritual attitude Danish member of the Nordstjärneordens and court preacher and has held the reputation of being a friend Sweden. Even worse he was doing when he anonymously Scripture Danmarks politiske Forbrydelser imod Kongeriget Norge (Denmark's political crimes against the Kingdom of Norway) wrote that was based in part on pure inventions. In Scripture which he attacked the Danish -speaking officials and tax collectors to sharp and polemics against the Danish criticism of his writing Mnemosyne. It quickly became known that Wergeland was the author, and a series of counter-statements ended his future as a historical- political writer. The hate speech in the clashes undid his hopes for a later bishop. His desire, a professor at the newly founded University of Christiania was to be inaccessible due to its anti- Danish agitation. But he was financially supported by King Karl Johan and stood in 1816 at the top of the candidates for the coveted parish in Eidsvoll. In 1817 he got the job.
In 1822 he was provost in Øvre Romerike. His goal was a bishop. But as the bishopric of Kristiansand in 1832 was free, he was passed over. As the diocese in 1841 again became vacant, he was again passed over. He gradually became depressed after the memories of his daughter Camilla. He now devoted himself to the advancement of his children. He had 1832 vedkommende through his writing Fjorten Para Graffer Kirke -og Undervisningsvæsenet (14 paragraphs the church and university issues concerning ) showed his interest in the church, the last major writing in the old rationalistic spirit in Norway. As the source is still valuable: Fortrolige Breve til en Ven, skrevne fra Eidsvold i Aaret 1814 af af et Medlem Rigsforsamlingen ( Confidential letters to a friend, written by Eidsvoll in 1814 by a member of the national assembly ).
The defense of his son Henrik against the uncomprehending attack Johan Sebastian Welhavens against the seal and against the person of his Son into Norges Dæmring with the writings Retfærdig Bedømmelse af Henrik Wergeland poetry became famous above Karakteer ( Justifying the end evaluation of the assessment of the poetry and character of Henrik Wergeland ) ( 1833) with an invitation to burn this book in public, and in 1835 with Forsvar for det norske og Folk udførlig criticism over det beryktede Skrift Norges Dæmring ( defense of the Norwegian people and detailed criticism of the infamous font, twilight of Norway '. ).
Family
In order to successfully compete for one of the Thaulowtöchter to Wergeland went to the fine company of Kristiansand, showed talent on the violin, was a teacher of drawing and occasional poet. He married in Kristiansand on August 19, 1807 Alette Thaulow Dorothea (* December 10, 1780; † August 14, 1843 ), daughter of the city and City Hall writer Henrich Arnold Thaulow ( 1722-1799 ) and the Chrystie Jacobine ( 1746-1818 ). The couple had five children, including Henrik and Camilla, both of which have become famous, and Joseph Frants Oscar Wergeland ( later General ).
Works
- Sandfærdig Beretning om Danmarks politiske Forbrydelser imod Kongeriket Norge ( 1816)
- Tanker og Bekjendelse (1848 )