Jacob Aall Explained

Jacob Aall
Birth Date:1773 7, df=y
Birth Place:Porsgrunn, Denmark-Norway
Office:Norwegian Constitutional Assembly
Term Start:1814
Term End:1814
Office2:Member of Parliament
Term Start2:1815
Term End2:1817
Office3:Member of Parliament
Term Start3:1821
Term End3:1823
Office4:Member of Parliament
Term Start4:1827
Term End4:1829
Office5:Member of Parliament
Term Start5:1830
Term End5:1832
Office6:Member of Parliament
Term Start6:1839
Term End6:1841
Nationality:Norwegian
Spouse:Louise Andrea Stephansen (1779-1825)
(m.1799)
Occupation:statesman, historian, landowner and government economist

Jacob Aall (27 July 1773 – 4 August 1844) was a Norwegian politician, historian, landowner and government economist.

He was born the son of Nicolai Benjamin Aall (1739-1798), who was a merchant in Porsgrunn, Norway and owner of Ulefos Manor. He was also the nephew of merchant Jacob Aall (1754-1826).

Career

In 1791, Aall began attending a school in Copenhagen, Denmark where he earned a degree in theology in 1795. After graduating, he returned to Norway where he tried working as a cleric, but he felt that his abilities were not well at use and decided to take up other studies. In 1796, he returned to Copenhagen, where he began studying natural science. In 1797, he journeyed to Germany, touring the scientific schools of Leipzig, Kiel and Göttingen. In Germany he became acquainted with the geologist Abraham Gottlob Werner.

In 1799, after spending the winter at the academy of mines in Freiberg, Aall returned to Norway. Following his father's death, he invested his patrimony in the purchase of the immense Nes Iron-works in the Arendal ore region. After purchasing the iron-works, the operation became more efficient, but was placed in a difficult position at the outbreak of the English Wars in 1801. However, the business persevered.

In 1814 he took a prominent part in the framing of the free Constitution of Norway, and for fourteen years (1816-1830), he was a leading member of the Storting, the Norwegian National Assembly.

As a writer, he translated and published Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla. His Reminisciences (1844-1845) is a repository of data concerning the contemporaneous history of the Scandinavian peninsula.

In his later years, Aall increasingly withdrew from public life, and left most of the work at the iron-works to his son.

Personal life

In 1799 he married Louise Andrea Stephansen (1779-1825), with whom he had at least one son.

Legacy

Aall lent his name to Jacob Aall Street in Oslo.

He was one of the 41 Norwegian citizens who helped make the creation of the University of Oslo (previously named Royal Frederick University) possible through donations.

Aall was bestowed upon the Medal for Bogerdåd, the Order of Vasa and the Order of the Polar Star.

He was a member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and the Royal Danish Science Ernes Society.

References