Halvor Arntzen Schou (11 May 1823 – 5 February 1879) was a Norwegian industrialist. He was the founder of the Hjula Væveri weaving mill in Oslo. Hjula veveri

Biography

Halvor Schou was born in Christiania (now Oslo, Norway). He was a son of Christian Schou (1792–1874) and Birgitte Halvordine Ramm (1796–1877). His father established Schous Brewery (''Schous bryggeri'') in 1837. He attended

Oslo Cathedral School Schola Osloensis, known in Norwegian language, Norwegian as Oslo Katedralskole (''Oslo Cathedral School'') and more commonly as "Katta",

and later traveled to

Lübeck Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the stat ...

to attend a trade school. He returned in 1842 and first worked for the

Schou Brewery The Schou Brewery ( no, Schous Bryggeri) is a former Norwegian brewery. History The company originated in a brewery that Johannes Thrane founded around 1800. Jørgen Young owned the brewery for some time before it was purchased by Christian Ju ...

. When his father died in 1874, he took over operation of the brewery. By 1841, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

began exporting steam engines and weaving machines. Schou founded the weaving mill Hjula Væveri (built from 1854 to 1856), which exploited the waterfall Hjulafossen on the

Akerselva Akerselva or Akerselven ( en, Aker River) is a river which flows through Oslo. It starts at Maridalsvannet in Oslomarka, and traverses the boroughs of Nordre Aker, Sagene, Grünerløkka, central Oslo and Grønland, whereby it finally ends at P ...

. Schou built the mill into one of the country’s largest textile industries, becoming one of the country's largest industry leaders.

Personal life

Schou was married in 1852 to Anna Cecilie Crowe (1829–1914). At the end of the 1860s, the couple established residence at Løkenes outside Vettre in

Asker Asker ( no, Asker), properly called Askerbygda in Norwegian, is a district and former Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Akershus, Norway. From 2020 it is part of the larger administrative municipality Asker, Viken (also known as Greate ...

. They were the parents of courtier

Marie Magdalena Rustad Marie Magdalena "Lillemor" Rustad (21 December 1859 – 22 June 1943), was a Norwegian court official. She served as the ''Overhoffmesterinne'' for Queen Maud of Norway. Life Marie Magdalena Rustad was the daughter of the industrialist Halvor S ...

, businessman Christian Julius Schou (1854–1909) and artist Olaf Fredrik Schou (1861–1925), as well as grandparents of Christian Schou (1888–1955). Both the Schous Brewery and Hjula Væveri were later passed on to the next generation. Schou was decorated Commander, First Class of the Order of St. Olav in 1877. He was a Knight of the Swedish

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The Order of the ...

, and of the Danish

Order of Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

. Following his death in 1879, he was buried at

Vår Frelsers gravlund The Cemetery of Our Saviour ( no, Vår Frelsers gravlund) is a cemetery in Oslo, Norway, located north of Hammersborg in Gamle Aker district. It is located adjacent to the older Old Aker Cemetery and was created in 1808 as a result of the great ...

in Oslo.

References

1823 births 1879 deaths Businesspeople from Oslo People educated at Oslo Cathedral School Norwegian brewers Norwegian industrialists Norwegian company founders Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog Knights of the Order of the Polar Star Burials at the Cemetery of Our Saviour {{norway-business-bio-stub

Biography

Personal life

See also

References