Vang kirke ved Hamar på Hedemarken i Hedmark - Norway 2

Abraham Pihl (3 October 1756 – 20 May 1821) was a Norwegian clergyman, astronomer, and architect.

Biography

Abraham Pihl was born in Gausdal, in Oppland county, Norway. He completed priest study at the University of Copenhagen in 1783 where he had also studied mathematics, mechanics and astronomy. In 1784, Pihl became vicar at Flekkefjord in the county of Vest-Agder. From 1785 he was appointed as Denmark-Norway astronomical observer in Norway. In 1789, he was appointed to serve as priest in the parish of Vang in Hedmark (''Vang kirke, Hamar'') where he would serve until his death in 1821. When Vang church burned down in 1804, Pihl designed the new church and oversaw construction work. The church has an octagonal shape and is with 1000 seats the second largest of Norway's octagonal churches. The building later served as a model for octagonal churches the western side of

Mjøsa Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe. It is the fourth-deepest lake in Norway. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about north of the city of Oslo. Its main tributary is the rive ...

. Pihl developed a large collection of self-made astronomical instruments, and also made telescopes and sextants for others. He designed Vang church which had burned down and was rebuilt between 1804 and 1810. He started large-scale production of pendulum clocks. The rectory became the largest employer in Vang, with up to 140 persons employed. His interest in practical matters categorized him as a so-called "

potato priest A potato priest ( no, potetprest) is a Norwegian term used for priests in the 18th century that, partly following royal orders, encouraged the cultivation of potatoes in Norway. The term is also used for priests that were as equally interested in ...

" ( no, potetprest).

Honors

He was decorated Knight of the Order of Dannebrog in 1809 for his scientific efforts.

Personal life

His father Andreas Pihl (1726–1781) was vicar of Gausdal. His grandfather Joachim Pihl (1689–1762) was provost for Gudbrandsdalen. In 1784, he married Anna Cathrine Neumann (1764–1850), daughter of Jacob Neumann, who operated the

Hassel Iron Works Hassel Iron Works ( no, Hassel Jernværk) was a former mining and iron works company located near the village of Skotselv in Øvre Eiker, Buskerud, Norway. Hassel Iron Works was established in the 17th century and received a royal privilege from ...

Modum Modum is a municipality in Buskerud in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Vikersund. The municipality of Modum was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The area has a long tr ...

. They were the parents of eight children and were the grandparents of engineers

Oluf Pihl Olaf of Denmark – Danish: ''Oluf'' - may refer to: * Olaf I of Denmark * Olaf II of Denmark no, Olav Håkonsson , house = Bjelbo , father = Haakon VI of Norway , mother = Margaret I of Denmark , birth_date = , ...

and Carl Abraham Pihl.Gunnar Nerheim: ''Oluf Pihl, Ingeniør og Kraftutbygger'' (Norsk biografisk leksikon)
/ref>

References

Other sources

*Imerslund, Knut (2010) ''Abraham Pihl - prest, prost og tusenkunstner'' (Oplandske Bokforlag)

External links

''Vang kirke, Hamar''
1756 births 1821 deaths People from Gausdal 19th-century Norwegian Lutheran clergy Norwegian astronomers 18th-century Norwegian architects University of Copenhagen alumni Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog 18th-century Norwegian Lutheran clergy 19th-century Norwegian architects Norwegian ecclesiastical architects {{norway-reli-bio-stub