Jakob Sverdrup (politician)
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Jakob Liv Rosted Sverdrup (27 March 1845 – 11 June 1899) was a Norwegian bishop and politician. Born into a prominent local family and well-educated, Jakob followed in the footsteps of his father Harald Ulrik Sverdrup and his uncle
Johan Sverdrup Johan Sverdrup (30 July 1816 – 17 February 1892) was a Norwegian politician from the Liberal Party. He was the first prime minister of Norway after the introduction of parliamentarism. Sverdrup was prime minister from 1884 to 1889. Early year ...
by pursuing both a theological and political life. He served five terms in the
Norwegian Parliament The Storting ( ; ) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years based on party-list proportional represe ...
between 1877 and 1898, and was a cabinet member on several occasions. Originally a member of the
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
, he later joined the
Moderate Liberal Party The Moderate Liberal Party (, literally "Moderate Left") was a List of political parties in Norway, political party in Norway that emerged from the moderate and religious branches of the Liberal Party (Norway), Liberal Party in 1888. The party's t ...
, having partially been the cause of the split that formed the Moderate Liberal Party. He has been referred to as "one of the most controversial figures in modern Norwegian history".


Personal life

Sverdrup, born in Christiania, was the first of Harald Ulrik Sverdrup and Caroline Suur's eight children, one of five sons. Raised in
Balestrand Balestrand is a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It was located on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center was the village of Balestrand. Other villages i ...
in the county of Nordre Bergenhus Amt, his father was a prominent local figure in ecclesiastical and political affairs, as a priest, mayor and member of the
Norwegian Parliament The Storting ( ; ) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years based on party-list proportional represe ...
. Johan Sverdrup, his uncle, was
Prime Minister of Norway The prime minister of Norway (, which directly translates to "minister of state") is the head of government and chief executive of Norway. The prime minister and Cabinet of Norway, Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government departme ...
from 1884 to 1889. Jakob Sverdrup was close to his brother
Georg Sverdrup Georg Sverdrup (born Jørgen Sverdrup; 25 April 1770 – 8 December 1850) was a Norwegian statesman, best known as one of the presidents of the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll Manor in 1814. He was a member of the Norwegian Parlia ...
, who emigrated to the United States in 1874 and later became the President of the
Augsburg Seminary Augsburg University is a private university in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It was founded in 1869 as a Norwegian-American Lutheran seminary known as Augsburg Seminariu ...
. His youngest brother
Edvard Sverdrup Johan Edvard Sverdrup (22 June 1861 – 21 January 1923) was a Norwegian educator, author and church leader. Sverdrup was one of the key theologians in the Church of Norway in the first few decades of the 1900s. Biography Sverdrup was born in Ba ...
became a professor of the
MF Norwegian School of Theology MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society (MF for short) is a Norwegian private specialized university. MF focuses on education, research and dissemination of their fields of expertise. The specialized university is located at Majorstu ...
in Oslo. Jakob Sverdrup fathered the academics Jakob Sverdrup, Jr. and
Georg Johan Sverdrup Georg Johan Sverdrup (January 26, 1885 – November 4, 1951) was a professor of the history of religion. Life and family Sverdrup was born in Stockholm; he was the son of the bishop and politician Jakob Sverdrup and the brother of the Germanic p ...
, and was the uncle of oceanographer and meteorologist Harald Ulrik Sverdrup. His daughter Aslaug Sverdrup took the doctor's degree too, and was married to biologist
Iacob Dybwad Sømme Iacob Dybwad Sømme (5 September 1898 – 3 March 1944) was a Norwegian ichthyologist and resistance member. Personal life He was born in Etnedal Municipality as a son of chief physician Jacob Dybwad Sømme (1866–1923) and Helene Sofie Søren ...
from January 1930 to 1942.


Career

Sverdrup enrolled as a student, and graduated with the
cand.theol. Candidate ( or ) is the name of various academic degrees, which are today mainly awarded in Scandinavia. The degree title was phased out in much of Europe through the 1999 Bologna Process, which has re-formatted academic degrees in Europe. The de ...
degree in 1869. Inspired by
Grundtvig Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig (; 8 September 1783 – 2 September 1872), most often referred to as N. F. S. Grundtvig, was a Danish pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher and politician. He was one of the most influential p ...
ianism, he founded a
folk high school Folk high schools (also ''adult education center'') are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal. They are most commonly found in Nordic countries and i ...
in
Sogndal Sogndal is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is located on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden in the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Sogn. The village of Hermansv ...
in 1871. Serving as savings bank director as well as mayor of Sogndal, he was the manager of Sogndal folk high school from its foundation, but left that post to his brother Hersleb Sverdrup after a few years, before Henrik Mohn Dahl took over. In 1878 Jakob Sverdrup left Sogndal to become
vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...
in
Leikanger Leikanger () is a former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It was located on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center was the village of Hermansverk, which also was th ...
. As a theologian, Sverdrup was a
pietist Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christianity, Christian life. Although the movement is ali ...
, and sided with the
laity In religious organizations, the laity () — individually a layperson, layman or laywoman — consists of all Church membership, members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-Ordination, ordained members of religious orders, e ...
movement, proposing that lay priests be given the right to preach. Together with Ole Vollan he had started the magazine ''Ny Luthersk Kirketidende'' in 1877, an organ which spoke against the Conservative High Church Lutheranism of the time. Sverdrup also published several pamphlets during his life, and in 1897 he published ''Forklaring over Luthers lille katekisme af J. R. Sverdrup'', a revision of the explanation of
Luther's Small Catechism Luther's Small Catechism () is a catechism written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small Catechism reviews the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Sacrament of Holy Bapti ...
originally written by his father.


National politics

Sverdrup was elected to the
Norwegian Parliament The Storting ( ; ) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years based on party-list proportional represe ...
in 1877, representing the constituency of Nordre Bergenhus Amt. He was re-elected in 1880 and 1883, and joined the newly established
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
, of which his uncle Johan was the founder and chairman. When the Liberal cabinet Sverdrup took over in 1884, Jakob Sverdrup was a candidate for the position as Minister of Education and Church Affairs. However, due to
King Oscar II Oscar II (Oscar Fredrik; 21 January 1829 – 8 December 1907) was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death in 1907 and King of Norway from 1872 to 1905. Oscar was the son of King Oscar I and Queen Josephine. He inherited the Swedish and Norweg ...
opposing this, Sverdrup was instead appointed a member of the Council of State Division in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, effective from 26 June 1884. However, already on 1 August 1885 Sverdrup was appointed Minister of Church Affairs, replacing
Elias Blix Elias Blix (24 February 1836 – 17 January 1902) was a Norwegian professor, theologian, hymn writer, and a politician for the Liberal Party. Blix wrote numerous hymns and was largely responsible for translating the New Testament into the No ...
. He held this position for a year, but had already become embroiled in controversy. In June 1885 the Norwegian Parliament had voted over whether to grant a poet's pension to the novelist
Alexander Kielland Alexander Lange Kielland (; 18 February 1849 – 6 April 1906) was a Norwegian realistic writer of the 19th century. He is one of the so-called " The Four Greats" of Norwegian literature, along with Henrik Ibsen, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson an ...
. A Christian conservative wing of the Liberal Party, informally spearheaded by
Lars Oftedal Lars Oftedal (3 January 1877 – 19 April 1932) was a Norwegian attorney and newspaper editor. Biography Oftedal was born in Stavanger in Rogaland, Norway. He was the son of parish priest Lars Oftedal (1838–1900) and his wife Olava M ...
, stopped this proposition together with the Conservative Party. Kielland was seen as undermining Christian authority and morale in general. The decision was lambasted by
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson ( , ; 8 December 1832 – 26 April 1910) was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished ...
, who personally sent a similar application the next year; when it was voted down, Bjørnson protested by renouncing his own poet's pension. A commentator in the liberal newspaper ''
Verdens Gang (), generally known under the abbreviation ''VG'', is a Norway, Norwegian Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper. In 2016, circulation numbers stood at 93,883, declining from a peak circulation of 390,510 in 2002. Nevertheless, ''VG'' is ...
'' stated that Jakob Sverdrup was the true mastermind of his uncle's cabinet. The newspaper also speculated on a possible split of the Liberal Party, citing the Kielland case as a part of a broader trend that the Liberal Party failed to actually reform society in a liberal direction. Talks of "Moderate" and "True" Liberals had surfaced already ahead of the 1885 election. When installed as Minister of Church Affairs, then, Jakob Sverdrup tried vigorously to establish so-called parish councils, increasing the local democracy in the
Church of Norway The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...
, but he was voted down by the "True" Liberals in Parliament who in this case sided with the Conservative Party.Sørensen, 1984: 73 Several cabinet members demanded Sverdrup's resignation, but instead he was transferred to the post as
Minister of Auditing The Norwegian Minister of Auditing was the head of the Norwegian Ministry of Auditing. The position existed from 1822 to 1918. List of Norwegian Ministers of Auditing ReferencesMinistry of Auditing. Councillor of State 1822 - 1918 {{Ministers of ...
on 31 July 1886, allowing Elias Blix to return as Minister of Church Affairs. However, the controversy continued to grow, and in 1888 the cabinet members
Hans Rasmus Astrup Hans Rasmus Astrup (17 April 1831 in Bolsøy – 19 February 1898) was a Norwegian industrial entrepreneur, philanthropist and politician with the Liberal Party. Astrup was born and raised in the parish of Bolsøy in Romsdalen county, Norway. ...
, Birger Kildal, Sofus Anton Birger Arctander and Elias Blix withdrew from their positions in protest. Thus, on 24 February 1888 Sverdrup returned as Minister of Church Affairs, holding two posts for a while before a replacement as Minister of Auditing was found on 4 March 1888. On 12 July 1889 the cabinet Sverdrup fell. The Liberal Party had been split, with a breakaway faction forming the
Moderate Liberal Party The Moderate Liberal Party (, literally "Moderate Left") was a List of political parties in Norway, political party in Norway that emerged from the moderate and religious branches of the Liberal Party (Norway), Liberal Party in 1888. The party's t ...
, and this gave way for the
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
first cabinet Stang. In 1890 Jakob Sverdrup moved from Nordre Bergenhus Amt to become a vicar in
Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...
. Nonetheless, he was placed on the party ticket in his old county Nordre Bergenhus Amt for the forthcoming election. He was thus elected twice, in 1892 and 1895, but now belonged to the Moderate Liberal Party. Following the latter election Jakob Sverdrup was twice asked by King Oscar II to form a new cabinet, but the efforts failed. Instead, the Conservative-Moderate first cabinet Hagerup assumed office on 14 October 1895, where Jakob Sverdrup was appointed Minister of Church Affairs for a third time. He held this position until the first cabinet Hagerup fell on 17 February 1898. The same year he was appointed as the new
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
of the
Diocese of Bjørgvin The Diocese of Bjørgvin () is one of the 11 dioceses that make up the Church of Norway. It includes all of the churches located in the county of Vestland in Western Norway, and those outside of Norway in the Seamen's Church. The cathedral cit ...
; however, he never actually assumed the office due to health problems. He died in June 1899. Sverdrup was decorated with 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 1885 and was a Commander of the Swedish Order of the Polar Star.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sverdrup, Jacob Liv Rosted 1845 births 1899 deaths Mayors of places in Sogn og Fjordane Government ministers of Norway Liberal Party (Norway) politicians Moderate Liberal Party politicians Norwegian priest-politicians Commanders of the Order of the Polar Star People from Balestrand Ministers of education of Norway Members of the Storting 1895–1897 Members of the Storting 1892–1894 Members of the Storting 1883–1885 Members of the Storting 1880–1882 Members of the Storting 1877–1879