Fredrik Glad Balchen (6 April 1815 – 24 April 1899) was a Norwegian teacher of the deaf.

Personal and early life

Balchen was born in

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

, the son of chaplain Johan Peter Balchen (1783–1827) and his wife Christiane Wilhelmine Gulbrandsen (1789–1819). His early childhood was impacted by his mother's death when he was four years old, and his father's when he was twelve. He married Benjamine Walgerda Heiberg (1845–1926) on 16 September 1869, the daughter of Caspar Cappelen Heiberg (1814–1855) and Emilie Christine Hansine Bjertnæs (1824–1865).

Career and education

Upon finishing his examen artium at the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...

, he started studying theology. Owing to his economic difficulties, Balchen started teaching at

Ole Jacob Broch Ole Jacob Broch (14 January 1818 – 5 February 1889) was a Norwegian mathematician, physicist, economist and government minister. Biography Broch was born at Fredrikstad in Østfold, Norway. He was the son of war commissary Johan Jørgen Broch ...

and Hartvig Nissen's Latin school. Balchen eventually applied for a concession to establish a deaf school in Christiania. The

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

had erstwhile announced a state stipend to a person taking an education suited for creating a deaf school in South Norway.The only hitherto created deaf school in Norway was located in

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...

. The executive board at the deaf school in Trondheim was sceptical towards Balchen, apparently because of his lack of religious education. He nevertheless gained a half-year stay at the school, impressing the authorities with his command of French orthography. The Norwegian government subsequently sponsored Balchen's study trip to Germany. Balchen visited some of the most important German deaf schools, and met among others the teacher and inspector at the deaf school in Weißenfels. Balchen returned to Norway in 1847, and started teaching two deaf girls the following year. In 1849, he received state support for this practice. There were in the beginning only three to five students at his school—which was named ''Christiania Døvstumme-Institut'', but as time passed, more students came, and Balchen bought boarding rooms in the area for students hailing from the suburbs. Later on, Balchen started a class for students he considered qualified to study. Two of the students— Lars Havstad and Halvard Aschehoug—took examen artium with good grades in 1871. Balchen's school became very popular and had a good reputation, and even students from far-abroad travelled to Norway for education In 1857, the school was moved from

Karl Johans gate Karl Johans gate is the main street of the city of Oslo, Norway. The street was named in honor of King Charles III John, who was also King of Sweden as Charles XIV John. Karl Johans gate is a composite of several older streets that used to be s ...

—approximately where

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is today—to Schafteløkken at Elisenberg, Frogner. The school stayed there until 1891, when it was relocated to Vibes gate at

Hegdehaugen Hegdehaugen is a neighbourhood in the borough Frogner of Oslo, Norway. It is located in the West End between Homansbyen and Majorstuen. The name origins from the man's name ''Heide''.Tvedt. Urban settlement in the area started in the 1860s, and ...

. Five years later, the school was nationalised.

Later life and death

In 1873, Balchen was rewarded the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; 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 ...

for his efforts for the deaf. He was also appointed member of a committee to prepare a law granting deaf, blind and those with developmental disabilities the right to

compulsory education Compulsory education refers to a period of education that is required of all people and is imposed by the government. This education may take place at a registered school or at other places. Compulsory school attendance or compulsory schooling ...

. One such law came into force for the deaf on 1 July 1883, for the blind in 1885 and for the mentally disabled in 1891. After having stepped down from his positions at the deaf school, Balchen died, at age 84.

Footnotes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Balchen, Fredrik Glad 1815 births 1899 deaths Schoolteachers from Bergen University of Oslo alumni School founders Educators of the deaf

Personal and early life

Career and education

Later life and death

See also

Footnotes

References