Halvor Heyerdahl Rasch (8 January 1805 – 26 August 1883) was a Norwegian

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

and educator. He was born at

Eidsberg Eidsberg was a Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Østfold Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality was the List of cities in Norway, town of Mysen. In 2020, Eidsberg was absorbed into the Indre Øst ...

Østfold Østfold () is a county in Eastern Norway, which from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2023 was part of Viken. Østfold borders Akershus and southwestern Sweden (Västra Götaland County and Värmland), while Buskerud and Vestfold are on the other ...

, Norway. Rasch studied botany and zoology at the

University of Christiania The University of Oslo (; ) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the oldest university in Norway. Originally named the Royal Frederick University, the university was established in 1811 as the de facto Norwegian conti ...

(now University of Oslo). He was a professor of zoology and natural science at the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo (; ) is a public university, public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation#Europe, oldest university in Norway. Originally named the Royal Frederick Univ ...

from 1852 to 1874, having previously been a lector since 1847. An avid hunter and sportsman, he published the book ''Jagten i Norge'' (1845) as well as works about livestock, oyster cultivation and

beekeeping Beekeeping (or apiculture, from ) is the maintenance of bee colonies, commonly in artificial beehives. Honey bees in the genus '' Apis'' are the most commonly kept species but other honey producing bees such as '' Melipona'' stingless bees are ...

. He was among the founders of the ''Centralforeningen for Udbredelse af Legemsøvelser og Vaabenbrug'', a precursor to the Norwegian Confederation of Sports, in 1861. Rasch was decorated as a Knight of the

Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav. Just be ...

in 1863 and received the Silver Medal of the Société Impériale Zoologique d'Acclimatation at Paris in 1866.

References

1805 births 1883 deaths People from Eidsberg University of Oslo alumni 19th-century Norwegian zoologists Norwegian non-fiction writers Academic staff of the University of Oslo 19th-century Norwegian writers Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal {{Zoologist-stub