Ernst Sars

Johan Ernst Welhaven Sars (11 October 1835 – 27 January 1917) was a Norwegian professor, historian, author and editor. Assuming perspectives from the positivism philosophical school, his main work was Udsigt over den norske Historie, four volumes issued from 1873 to 1891. He co-edited the magazines Nyt norsk Tidskrift from 1877 to 1878, and Nyt Tidsskrift from 1882 to 1887. He was politically active for the Liberal Party of Norway and among the party's most central theoreticians.

Biography

Personal life Sars was born in the parish of Kinn (now Kinn Municipality) in Nordre Bergenhus Amt (now part of Vestland county), Norway. He was the son of Michael Sars (1805–1869) and Maren Cathrine Welhaven (1811–1898).

He was a brother of singer Eva Sars and zoologist Georg Ossian Sars. He was a cousin of architect Hjalmar Welhaven as well as a brother-in-law of explorer and scientist Fridtjof Nansen and musician Thorvald Lammers. He was not married, and lived along with his brother at their mother's residence until she died in 1898. He died at Aker Municipality in 1917.

Sars co-edited the magazines Nyt norsk Tidskrift (with Jens Lieblein) from 1877 to 1878, and Nyt Tidsskrift (with Olaf Skavlan) from 1882 to 1887. He took part in politics, and was active for the Liberal Party, along with Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.

Selected works Udsigt over den norske historie, 4 volumes, 1873-1891 Historisk Indledning til Grundloven, 1882 Norges politiske historie 1815-1885, 1904 Samlede værker, 4 volumes, 1911-1912