Sofus Anton Birger Arctander (22 January 1845 – 20 August 1924) was a politician with the Liberal Party who served as acting Prime Minister of Norway during 1905.[1]

Sofus Arctander
Minister of Trade
In office
2 February 1910 – 11 June 1910
Prime MinisterWollert Konow
Preceded byLars Abrahamsen
Succeeded byBernhard Brænne
In office
11 March 1905 – 19 March 1908
Prime MinisterChristian Michelsen
Jørgen Løvland
Preceded byPaul B. Vogt
Succeeded byLars Abrahamsen
Prime Minister of Norway
Acting
In office
31 August 1905 – 23 September 1905
Prime MinisterChristian Michelsen
Preceded byChristian Michelsen
Succeeded byChristian Michelsen
Minister of the Interior
In office
15 August 1886 – 17 February 1888
Prime MinisterJohan Sverdrup
Preceded byJacob Stang
Succeeded byWalter Scott Dahl
In office
26 June 1884 – 15 August 1885
Prime MinisterJohan Sverdrup
Preceded byThomas Cathinco Bang
Succeeded byJacob Stang
Personal details
Born
Sofus Anton Birger Arctander

(1845-01-22)22 January 1845
Christiania, United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway
Died20 August 1924(1924-08-20) (aged 79)
Lifjell, Telemark, Norway
Political partyLiberal
Free-minded Liberal
SpouseMaren Sophie Aars (m. 1881)
ChildrenSigny Arctander

Background

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Sofus Arctander was born in Christiania (now Oslo), Norway. He was the son of Hans Steenbuch Arctander (1801-1885) and Martha Dahll Nielsen (1804-1896). When he was eight years old, his family moved to Kristiansand in Lister og Mandal county. He was a teacher and librarian in Selje Municipality and Eid Municipality. He received a law degree from the University of Christiania in 1870, then studied economy and philosophy at the University of Lund in 1871.

Arctander lived at Hadsel Municipality in Nordland county (1872-1884). He was deputy judge and then acting district stipendiary magistrate before establishing himself as a lawyer in 1875. In 1880 he became bailiff in Hadsel.[2]

Political career

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In 1877, Arctander was elected deputy Member of the Parliament of Norway for the County of Nordland. From 1880 to 1884 he was a permanent member. He participated actively in the founding of the Liberal Party in 1882. Arctander was re-elected to Parliament for the period 1889-1891 and 1900-1906. He subsequently become mayor of Kristiania 1908-1920.

He was Minister of the Interior 1884–1885, Norwegian state secretary in Stockholm 1885–1886, Minister of the Interior 1886-1888, Norwegian Minister of Trade 1905–1907, acting Prime Minister 1905 and Minister of Trade 1907–1908 and 1910.[3]

Personal life

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In 1887, he was promoted to Commander with Star (Commander 1st Class) of the Order of St. Olav. Arctander also was appointed a Grand Cross of the Order of Dannebrog (Denmark) and a Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star (Sweden). He was an honorary member and co-founder of the Nordlendingenes Forening, an association of people who have emigrated from the counties in Northern Norway. In 1912 he was awarded the Petter Dass Medal (Petter Dass-medaljen). Arctander died in the Lifjell Mountains of Telemark one day in August 1924, the exact date uncertain. He had been missing for some days when he was found dead.[4]

He was married in 1881 with Maren Sophie Aars (1849-1940), daughter of Jens Ludvig Aars (1808-1855) and Annette Lund (1818-1855). They were the parents of Signy Arctander.[5][6]

References

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  1. ^ Knut Dørum. "Sofus Anton Birger Arctander". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  2. ^ Per Fuglum. "Sofus Arctander". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  3. ^ "Sofus Arctander, Acting Prime Minister 1905". regjeringen.no. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  4. ^ "Petter Dass medaljen". Nordlendingenes Forening. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  5. ^ Fuglum, Per. "Sofus Arctander". In Helle, Knut (ed.). Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  6. ^ Godal, Anne Marit (ed.). "Signy Arctander". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved July 5, 2016.

Other sources

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