Frederik Stang

Frederik Stang (4 March 1808 – 8 June 1884) was a Norwegian lawyer, public servant, and politician who served as Norway's first prime minister in Christiana.

Law career In 1830, he accepted a position as lecturer of law at the University of Oslo. During this time, he published a seminal text on Norwegian constitutional law. He went over to private practice in 1834, where he distinguished himself as a trial attorney, especially in supreme court cases.

In 1846, Stang became minister of the newly formed Department of the Interior. He served in this position until 1856, and his tenure was characterized by tireless efforts to modernize Norway's economic infrastructure. In addition to improving the road network, harbors, canals, and lighthouses, he was in great measure responsible for Norway and Scandinavia's first railroad, from Oslo to Eidsvoll. He also worked hard to elevate the importance and function of agriculture in Norway, initiating the formation of a university-level school of agriculture, commissioned travelling agrarians, and encouraged better breeding among Norwegian farm animals.

According to one biography, Stange was an economic liberal, but not an adherent of laissez-faire, believing that Liberalism ‘had to include a moral element and, in combination with a dynamic state power, serve "the welfare, health and education of the people".’

Early life and family

Stang was born on the Nordre Rostad farm at Stokke in Vestfold, Norway. He was the son of Lauritz Leganger Stang (1775–1836) and Johanne Margrethe Conradi (1780–1820). His father was a procurator and later a magistrate. At age 13, he entered the Bergen Cathedral School. Stang, known as Friederich until the 1830s, entered the study of law at the age of 16 and passed the bar exam in 1828.

He was married in 1833 with Augusta Julie Georgine von Munthe af Morgenstierne (1812–1885), the daughter of Magistrate Bredo von Munthe af Morgenstierne (1774–1835) and Cathrine Elisabeth Fries (1781–1840). They were the parents of Emil Stang (1834–1912). Frederik Stang's name is often misspelled as Fredrik Stang, which was the name of his grandson Fredrik Stang (1867–1941) who was a noted jurist. He was also the grandfather of Emil Stang (1882–1964) and Fredrik Stang Lund (1859–1922).

Honours and awards Frederik Stang became a member of The Royal Norwegian Scientific Society in 1846, the Videnskabs-Selskabet in Christiania at its founding in 1857 and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. He was appointed Commander of the Order of St. Olav at its founding in 1847 and was awarded the Grand Cross in 1853. Four years later, he received the highest award in the country, Bürgerverdienstmedallie in gold. He was a Knight of the Swedish Royal Order of the Seraphim and had the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog and held other foreign orders.