Johannes Irgens

Johannes Irgens (31 July 1869 – 29 December 1939) was a Norwegian barrister, diplomat and politician, noted for his service as minister of foreign affairs of Norway from 1910 to 1913.

Personal life Irgens was born into the merchant and civil service family of Irgens, as a son of Marcus Fredrik Irgens (1839–1876) and Julie Martine Nicoline Dyrgreen (1840–1906). In November 1892 he married Lilla Minda Marie Gulbranson (1872–1938), a daughter of Carl August Gulbranson (1831–1910) and Minda Ramm Juell (1844–1913). Through this marriage, Irgens was a brother-in-law of Carl Gulbranson.

Foreign service career Irgens joined the Norwegian-Swedish diplomatic corps upon graduating from university in 1892, his initial posting as a diplomatic fellow in Bordeaux and then Antwerp. His fellowship was revoked in 1895 as a result of tension between Sweden and Norway about the use of consuls. He returned to Kristiania and took up work as an attorney. He advanced to barrister, earning the right to appear before the Supreme Court, in 1900.

When Bratlie's Cabinet did not survive the 1913 election, Irgens accept a post as acting County Governor of Hedmark but asked to be put back into active service as a diplomat. He was made ambassador in Copenhagen in 1913, with accreditation also to The Hague and Brussels. In 1922 he was made ambassador in Rome, Italy with responsibility also for Norway's station in Bern, with accreditation also to Athens from 1927 to 1935 and Bucharest from 1930 to 1931.

He was decorated as a Knight First Class of the Order of St. Olav (1906), upgraded to Commander with Star in 1909. He also received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Grand Cross of the Royal Victoria Order and the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (Japan).