Marie Elisabeth Michelet, née Storjohann (10 March 1866 – 3 April 1951) was a Norwegian writer and housewives' leader.

Personal life

She 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 ...

as a daughter of priest Johan Cordt Harmens Storjohann (1832–1914) and Nanna Storjohann, née Holmboe (1838–1898). She spent several childhood years in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, where her father was stationed, and later attended school in Germany and the UK. She was a maternal granddaughter of

Hans Holmboe Hans Holmboe (8 October 1798 – 23 May 1868) was a Norwegian educator and politician. Personal life He was born in Trondenes as the son of bailiff Jens Holmboe (1752–1804) and his wife Anna Margrethe Irgens (1766–1851). He had several broth ...

and first cousin of Marie Joys. In September 1888 he married theologian Simon Themstrup Michelet (1863–1942). The couple had three daughters, and one son who died young. Simon Michelet also had a sister named Marie (1872–1960); she married mathematician Elling Holst.

Career

Michelet started her career in the public sphere as a

children's writer Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

. Her books were originally meant for her own children, but reached a wider audience. Titles include ''Puk'' (1901), ''Hos mormor'' (1902), ''I Svalehuset'' (1902) and ''Usynlige magter'' (1906). She was also a teacher at Sandvika Middle School from 1905 to 1910. They resided at Vallerlien in

Bærum Bærum () is a municipality in the Greater Oslo Region in Norway that forms an affluent suburb of Oslo on the west coast of the city. Bærum is Norway's fifth largest municipality with a population of 128,760 (2021). It is part of the electoral ...

, where Simon Michelet's second cousin Christian Fredrik Michelet served as mayor. In the 1910s she mostly wrote books that supported Christianity, motherhood and family, such as ''Det kristne hjem'' (1913) and ''Den selverhvervende kvindelige ungdom'' (1915). She also began contributing extensively to periodicals and weekly magazines for women. Her organizational platform was ''

Hjemmenes Vel Hjemmenes Vel (Welfare in the Home), later Norges Husmorforbund (Norwegian Housewives' Association), was Norway's first association for housewives. Founded in Oslo (then Christiania) by Dorothea Christensen in 1898, it was also the first organizat ...

'' ("Welfare of Homes"), which sought to improve domestic conditions for women and families. The first had been established in 1898, and in 1915 Michelet was a main initiator behind the foundation of ''Hjemmenes Vels Landsforbund'', a national association. She chaired this organization from 1915 to 1934, overseeing the name change in 1933 to the Norwegian Housewives' Association (from 1997: the

Norwegian Women and Family Association Hjemmenes Vel (Welfare in the Home), later Norges Husmorforbund (Norwegian Housewives' Association), was Norway's first association for housewives. Founded in Oslo (then Christiania) by Dorothea Christensen in 1898, it was also the first organizat ...

). Michelet also chaired the Nordic Housewives' Association from 1933 to 1937, whereupon she became honorary president, and was a leading figure in the

International Council of Women The International Council of Women (ICW) is a women's rights organization working across national boundaries for the common cause of advocating human rights for women. In March and April 1888, women leaders came together in Washington, D.C., with ...

. Michelet also served as deputy chair of ''De norske sedelighetsforeninger'', for the combat of

vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...

, from 1902 to 1920. Locally she founded and chaired Asker and Bærum Women's Council from 1906 to 1921. Together with

Henny Dons Henrike Margrethe "Henny" Dons (25 May 1874 – 14 June 1966) was a Norwegian educator and inner missionary. She was born at Aker in Øvre Eiker as a daughter of hospital manager Johannes Albrecht Dons (1839–1921) and Johanne Marie Fleischer (185 ...

and Bolette Gjør among others, she founded the Missionary Workers' Ring in 1907. This became a member body of the

Norwegian National Women's Council The Norwegian National Women's Council ( no, italic=no, Norske Kvinners Nasjonalråd) was founded on 8 January 1904 as an umbrella organization for the various Norwegian women's associations. It was established by Gina Krog whose international co ...

, where Michelet served on the board from 1907 to 1910. Michelet was decorated with the

King's Medal of Merit in gold The King's Medal of Merit (Norwegian: ''Kongens fortjenstmedalje'') is a Norwegian award. It was instituted in 1908 to reward meritorious achievements in the fields of art, science, business, and public service. It is divided in two classes: gold ...

in 1919 and as a Knight, First Class of 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 ...

in 1946. She died in April 1951 in Oslo.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Michelet, Marie 1866 births 1951 deaths Schoolteachers from Bergen Writers from Bærum Norwegian children's writers Norwegian women children's writers 20th-century Norwegian women writers Recipients of the King's Medal of Merit in gold