About Nordal Wille
Lived 1858 – 1924 (aged 65). Nordal Wille was a Norwegian botanist, politician, professor, botanical collector and scientific collector.
Johan Nordal Fischer Wille (28 October 1858 – 4 February 1924) was a Norwegian botanist. He was a professor at the Royal Frederick University from 1893 to his death, founded the laboratory at the University Botanical Garden and co-founded the Natural History Museum.
Personal life Wille was born in Hobøl as the son of physician Hans Georg Wille (1803–1879) and his wife Ingeborg Fischer (1811–1875). He was a grandnephew of priest and writer Hans Jacob Wille.
He married three times. The first marriage with Anne Koller, a daughter of Carl Theodor Fredrik Koller, lasted from September 1891 to her death in March 1908. During this period he was a brother-in-law of Rasmus Meyer and Gustav Guldberg, who were married to two of Anne's sisters. The second marriage with Ragna Margrethe Knudsen lasted from September 1911 to her death in July 1917, and finally he married Swedish-born school teacher Ester Victoria Svensson in October 1918. and, in turn, Gran's assistant Trygve Braarud.
After the death of professor Axel Blytt in 1898, Wille was also given responsibility of the Botanical Museum. The collections of natural history items were located at the university campus in downtown Kristiania, but this locality had become too small. Later, a larger expansion of the university as a whole became necessary. The locality in downtown Kristiania provided little room for spreading out, so a more peripheral location was debated. Wille lobbied for Tøyen, but the site at Blindern further west was chosen. According to the encyclopedia Norsk biografisk leksikon, Wille became "bitter" due to this decision.
Wille was also involved in politics, serving as the Conservative Party chairman of the local chapter in Grünerløkken from 1911 to 1913. He subscribed to the idea of philanthropy.
He was a Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav and a Commander, Second Class of the Swedish Order of the Polar Star. He died in Kristiania in 1924, one year before the name of the city was changed to Oslo.
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Important facts
People in Nordal Wille's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Nordal Wille's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Nordal Wille?
Norwegian botanist (1858–1924)
When was Nordal Wille born?
Nordal Wille was born on 28 October 1858 in Hobøl.
When did Nordal Wille die?
Nordal Wille died on 4 February 1924 in Oslo.
What was Nordal Wille's occupation?
Nordal Wille was a botanist, politician, professor, botanical collector and scientific collector.
What nationality was Nordal Wille?
Nordal Wille was Norwegian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Nordal Wille. https://biography.guide/nordal-wille/
MLA: "Nordal Wille." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/nordal-wille/.
Chicago: "Nordal Wille." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/nordal-wille/.
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