Elisabeth Cathrine "Lise" Welhaven (6 March 1815 – 26 July 1901) was a Norwegian writer.
She was born in Bergen as a daughter of the priest Johan Ernst Welhaven (1775–1828) and Else Margrethe Cammermeyer (1785–1853), the daughter of Johan Sebastian Cammermeyer. She was a sister of Johan Sebastian and Maren Sars (née Welhaven).[1]
She did not marry. Through her sister Maren she was a sister-in-law of priest and professor Michael Sars and an aunt of Ernst Sars, Georg Ossian Sars and Eva Nansen (née Sars) . Through her brother Johan Sebastian she was an aunt of architect Hjalmar Welhaven,[1] and through another brother Johan Andreas she was an aunt of police chief Kristian Welhaven.[2]
She grew up in Bergen, but after her father died when Elisabeth was thirteen, she moved in with Michael and Maren Sars. They first lived in Manger where Michael was a vicar, but in 1854 the family moved to Christiania where Michael had become professor.[1]
The family home in Christiania became a notable meeting place for liberal and intellectual citizens of Norway's capital, and has been called "Christiania's first salon".[3] Welhaven's role in the salon was that of storyteller, and one of the recurring guests, Hartvig Lassen, encouraged her to write them down. He published them in the magazine Skilling-Magazin, and in 1870 some tales were collected and published as the book Fra Staden og Stranden. In 1871 she released Fra gamle Dage. The books were reissued later; the two under one as Fra Staden og Stranden in 1881 and Fortællinger fra det gamle Bergen in 1897. The tales were largely based on her childhood in Bergen.[1]
She died in July 1901, three years after Maren Sars. She was buried at Vår Frelsers gravlund.[1]