Henrik Nicolai Clausen (22 April 1793 – 28 March 1877) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and national liberal politician. He was a member of the National Constitutional Assembly from 1848 to 1849, of the

Folketing The Folketing ( da, Folketinget, ; ), also known as the Parliament of Denmark or the Danish Parliament in English, is the unicameral national legislature (parliament) of the Kingdom of Denmark—Denmark proper together with the Faroe Islands ...

from 1849 to 1853 and of the Landsting from 1853 to 1863.

Early life and education

Henrik Nicolai Clausen was born on the island of

Lolland Lolland (; formerly spelled ''Laaland'', literally "low land") is the fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of . Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of Region Sjælland (Region Zealand). As of 1 January 2022, it has 57,618 inhabitant ...

, the son of resident chaplin and later provost H. G. Clausen (1759-1840) and Sophia M. Schiern (1769-1817). He was the elder brother of theologian Emil Theodor Clausen (1802-1851). The family moved to Copenhagen when he was four years old. He graduated from the Metropolitan School in 1809. Clausen became a student in 1809 and a candidate in theology in 1813. He won the university's gold medal for ''Fremstilling og Bedømmelse af Apologeternes Beviser for Kristendommen imod hedenske og jødiske Modstandere'' in 1815. and became a doctor of philosophy in 1817.

Career

From 1820 he held a professorial chair in theology at the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

where his theological

rationalism In philosophy, rationalism is the epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification".Lacey, A.R. (1996), ''A Dictionary of Philosophy' ...

influenced

Magnús Eiríksson :''Magnús Eiríksson was also the Old Norse name of Magnus IV of Sweden.'' Magnús Eiríksson (22 June 1806 in Skinnalón (Norður-Þingeyjarsýsla), Iceland – 3 July 1881 in Copenhagen, Denmark) was an Icelandic theologian and a contemporary ...

and was one of the instructors of

Søren Kierkegaard Søren Aabye Kierkegaard ( , , ; 5 May 1813 – 11 November 1855) was a Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical texts on ...

. He wrote, besides other works, ''Romanism and Protestantism'' (1825); ''Popular Discourses on the Reformation'' (1836); a commentary on the synoptical Gospels, and ''Christian Dogmatics'' (1867). In 1840 he was chosen a deputy to the States, and near the end of 1848 was appointed a member of the Moltke II Cabinet. He was a member of the National Constitutional Assembly from 1848 to 1849, of the

from 1849 to 1853 and of the Landsting from 1853 to 1863.Skou, Kaare R. (2005). ''Dansk politik A-Å'' . Aschehoug, p. 150. .

Personal life

Clausen married on 8 December 1821 in the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen Birgitte Francisca Swane (1797-1875), daughter of brewer and timber merchant Hans Swane (1753-1803) and Johanne Marie Gad (1767-1842). They were the parents of the theologian Johannes Clausen (1830-1905). He died on 27 March 1877 and is buried in Copenhagen's

Assistens Cemetery Assistens Cemetery ( da, Assistens Kirkegård) is the name of a number of cemeteries in Denmark. The common nominator is, as the first part of the name implies (Latin: ''assistens'' meaning assisting), an assisting cemetery for a town's churches. ...

Awards and commemoration

Henrick Nikoli Clausen - Copenhagen University - Ceremonial Building - Copenhagen

Clausen was created a Knight in the Order of the Dannebrog in 1836 and a Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1850. He was awarded the Cross of Honour in 1869 and the Grand Cross in 1871. A portrait painting of him by C. A. Jensen (1827) and another one by

Wilhelm Marstrand Nicolai Wilhelm Marstrand (24 December 1810 – 25 March 1873), painter and illustrator, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Nicolai Jacob Marstrand, instrument maker and inventor, and Petra Othilia Smith. Marstrand is one of the most renowned ar ...

are in the collection of the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød. He is also depicted on

Constantin Hansen Carl Christian Constantin Hansen (Constantin Hansen) (3 November 1804 – 29 March 1880) was one of the painters associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting. He was deeply interested in literature and mythology, and inspired by art hist ...

's group portrait painting of ''

The Danish Constituent Assembly ''The Danish Constituent Assembly'' (Danish. ''Den Grundlovsgivende Rigsforsamling'') is a monumental oil painting by Constantin Hansen depicting the Danish Constituent Assembly's first meeting on 23 October 1848 at Christiansborg Palace in Co ...

'' (

Christiansborg Palace Christiansborg Palace ( da, Christiansborg Slot; ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament ('), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme ...

Herman Wilhelm Bissen Herman Wilhelm Bissen (13 October 1798 – 10 March 1868) was a Denmark, Danish sculptor. Biography Bissen was born at Schleswig in the Duchy of Schleswig. He was the son of Christian Gottlieb Wilhelm Bissen (1766-1847), a farmer, and Anna ...

(1858,

Danish National Gallery The National Gallery of Denmark ( da, Statens Museum for Kunst, also known as "SMK", literally State Museum for Art) is the Danish national gallery, located in the centre of Copenhagen. The museum collects, registers, maintains, researches and han ...

) and

Theobald Stein Theobald Stein (7 February 1829 – 16 November 1901) was a Danish sculptor. He was a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and served as its director from 1883 to 1886. Among his most well-known works are the Niels Juel statue ...

(1865) have both created portrait busts of him. An enlarged version of Bissen's portrait bust created by his son

Vilhelm Bissen Christian Gottlieb Vilhelm Bissen (5 August 1836 – 20 April 1913) was a Danish sculptor. He was also a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts with great influence on the next generation of Danish sculptors and for a while serv ...

was installed in front of the

Frue Plads Frue Plads (literally "Square of (Our) Lady") is a public square located on the north side of the Church of Our Lady in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It occupies a rectangular space which is bounded on the other sides by University of Copenhagen's ...

in 1878. H. N. Clausens Gade in

Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately northwest ...

is named after him.

References

External links

* Books on Archive.or
''Henrik Nicolai Clausen''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clausen, Henrik Nicolai 1793 births 1877 deaths Danish male writers Danish Protestant theologians 19th-century Protestant theologians Members of the Folketing Members of the Landsting (Denmark) University of Copenhagen alumni Rectors of the University of Copenhagen 19th-century male writers Members of the Rigsrådet (1855-1866) Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog Burials at Assistens Cemetery (Copenhagen)