Carl Christoffer Georg Andræ

Carl Christopher Georg Andræ (14 October 1812 – 2 February 1893) was a Danish politician and mathematician. From 1842 until 1854, he was professor of mathematics and mechanics at the national military college. He was elected to the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters in 1853. Andræ was by royal appointment a member of the 1848 Danish Constituent Assembly. In 1854, he became Finance Minister in the Cabinet of Bang before also becoming Council President of Denmark 1856-1857 as leader of the Cabinet of Andræ. After being replaced as Council President by Carl Christian Hall in 1857 Andræ continued as Finance Minister in the Cabinet of Hall I until 1858. Being an individualist he, after the defeat of the National Liberals, never formally joined any political group but remained for the rest of his life a sceptical de facto conservative spectator of the 'Constitutional Struggle'.

Early life and education Andræ was born in Hjertebjerg Rectory on the island of Møn. His parents were captain at the Third Jutland Infantry Regiment Johann Georg Andræ (1775–1814) Nicoline Christine Holm (1789–1862).

He enrolled at Landkadetakademiet in 1825. In 1829, he was appointed to Second Lieutenant in the Road Corps. He followed a course in mathematics under Hans Christian Ørsted at the College of Applied Sciences before enrolling at the new Militære Højskole in 1830. He graduated with honours in December 1834 and was then made a First Lieutenant in the Engineering Corps. He completed two study trips to Paris in 1835–38, and he made significant contributions to the field of geodesy. This was two years before Thomas Hare published his first description of an STV system, without reference to Andræ.

He died on 2 February 1893. He is buried in Assistens Cemetery in Copenhagen.