Ellef Ringnes (25 October 184215 March 1929) was a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

brewer and patron. He was born at the Ringnes farm in

Krødsherad Krødsherad (''Krødsherad kommune'') is a municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Noresund. The municipality of Krødsherad was established when it was separated from the municipality ...

Buskerud Buskerud () is a former county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Hardan ...

to farmer Anders Knudsen Ringnes (1813–75) and his wife Maren Amundsdatter (1815–76). His father left the farm in 1855, and Ellef was employed as travelling salesman for Christiania Bryggeri at the age of 18. In 1876, he founded Ringnes & Compani brewery with his brother

Amund Ringnes Amund Ringnes may refer to: *Amund Ringnes Island *Amund Ringnes (brewery owner, 1840) *Amund Ringnes (brewery owner, 1905) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ringnes, Amund ...

and the businessman

Axel Heiberg Axel Heiberg (16 March 1848 – 4 September 1932) was a Norwegian diplomat and financier as well as a patron of the arts and sciences. Biography Heiberg was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway. He was the son of Johan Fritzner Heiberg (1805– ...

. It was the eighth brewery in Christiania (now Oslo), and later had its name changed to Ringnes Bryggeri. The Ringnes brewery became successful, and Ellef Ringnes and his brother became

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

s in Christiania. They invested in the construction of the

Holmenkollen Line The Holmenkollen Line ( no, Holmenkollbanen) is an Oslo Metro line which runs between Majorstuen and Nordmarka in Oslo, Norway. Operating as Metro Line 1, it is the route with the fewest passengers and the only one still to have level crossings ...

and sanatoriums in the

Holmenkollen Holmenkollen () is a mountain and a neighbourhood in the Vestre Aker borough of Oslo, Norway. It goes up to above sea level and is well-known for its international skiing competitions. Overview In addition to being a residential area, the are ...

area. From 1896 to 1906, Ellef Ringnes was a member of the board of the

Holmenkolbanen A/S Holmenkolbanen was a company that owned and operated part of the Oslo Tramway and Oslo Metro in Norway from 1898 until 1975 when services were taken over by the majority owner Oslo Sporveier. Holmenkolbanen opened the Holmenkoll Line in 1898, ...

light rail company, which built and operated the Holmenkollen Line. Ellef and Amund Ringnes sponsored

Fridtjof Nansen Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (; 10 October 186113 May 1930) was a Norwegian polymath and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He gained prominence at various points in his life as an explorer, scientist, diplomat, and humanitarian. He led the team t ...

's ''Fram'' expedition, which they in a short period of time led together with businessman

and shipowner

Thomas Fearnley Thomas Fearnley (27 December 1802 – 16 January 1842) was a Norwegian romantic painter, a pupil of Johan Christian Dahl and a leading representative of Norwegian romantic nationalism in painting. His son Thomas Fearnley (1841–1927) founded t ...

. They also sponsored explorer

Otto Sverdrup Otto Neumann Knoph Sverdrup (31 October 1854, in Bindal, Helgeland – 26 November 1930) was a Norwegian sailor and Arctic explorer. Early and personal life He was born in Bindal as a son of farmer Ulrik Frederik Suhm Sverdrup (1833–1914) ...

's 1898–1902 ''Fram'' expedition; as a compensation Sverdrup named two discovered islands after them:

Ellef Ringnes Island Ellef Ringnes Island is one of the Sverdrup Islands in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. A member of the Queen Elizabeth Islands and Arctic Archipelago, it is located in the Arctic Ocean, east of Borden Island, and west of Amund Ringnes ...

and

Amund Ringnes Island Amund Ringnes Island is one of the Sverdrup Islands in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located in the Arctic Ocean, between 78 and 79 degrees of latitude. It lies east of Ellef Ringnes Island, west of Axel Heiberg Island. Hassel ...

. On 30 June 1869, Ringnes married Karen Tonette ("Kaja") Maartmann (1851–1933) with whom he had 14 children. His father-in-law was

Knud Geelmuyden Fleischer Maartmann Knud Geelmuyden Fleischer Maartmann (1821–1888) was a Norwegian politician. Biografia He was elected to the Parliament of Norway in 1865, representing the urban constituency of Flekkefjord. He worked as a merchant in the city. He was re-elected ...

. In 1896, Ringnes became a member of the

Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters ( no, Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi, DNVA) is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway. Its purpose is to support the advancement of science and scholarship in Norway. History The Royal Frederick Univer ...

. In the same year, he bought Ringnes farm from his brother Amund, who earlier had inherited it from his father. Many parties were arranged at the farm house, to which both royal personages and prominent society members were invited. His residence at

St. Hanshaugen Park St. Hanshaugen Park is a large public park located just north of the city center of Oslo, Norway. It is a classic urban park located within the borough of St. Hanshaugen, which was named for the park which lies within its center. St. Hanshaugen ...

, dubbed "Cairo" and "Ringnes Castle", was likewise the scene of many parties in his lifetime. In 1901, Ringnes was succeeded by his brother-in-law Harald Sigvart Maartmann as managing director of Ringnes brewery. Maartman was in turn succeeded by his son Knud Maartmann Ringnes (1875–1945) in 1920. Ringnes was decorated as Knight, First Class of the

Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

in 1896, and upgraded to Commander of the First Class in 1908. He was also a Commander of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

. Ringnes was an honorary member of the Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish brewery associations. In 1930, a

bust Bust commonly refers to: * A woman's breasts * Bust (sculpture), of head and shoulders * An arrest Bust may also refer to: Places *Bust, Bas-Rhin, a city in France *Lashkargah, Afghanistan, known as Bust historically Media * ''Bust'' (magazine ...

of him was erected at Holmenkollen. Ringnes died in Oslo on 15 March 1929, aged 86.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ringnes, Ellef 1842 births 1929 deaths People from Krødsherad Norwegian brewers Norwegian company founders Holmenkolbanen people