Maren Cathrine Sars (née Welhaven; 17 August 1811 – 27 December 1898) was a Norwegian socialite.

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 Ernst Welhaven (1775–1828) and Else Margrethe Cammermeyer (1785–1853), the daughter of Johan Sebastian Cammermeyer . She was a sister of Johan Sebastian and Elisabeth "Lise" Welhaven. In August 1831 in Bergen she married priest and professor

Michael Sars Michael Sars (30 August 1805 – 22 October 1869) was a Norwegian theologian and biologist. Biography Sars was born in Bergen, Norway. He studied natural history and theology at Royal Frederick University from 1823 and completed a cand.theol. de ...

(1805–1869). She had several notable children; historian

Ernst Sars Johan Ernst Welhaven Sars (11 October 1835 – 27 January 1917) was a Norwegian professor, historian, author and editor. His main work was ''Udsigt over den norske Historie'', four volumes issued from 1873 to 1891. He co-edited the magazines ...

, zoologist

Georg Ossian Sars Prof Georg Ossian Sars HFRSE (20 April 1837 – 9 April 1927) was a Norwegian marine and freshwater biologist. Life Georg Ossian Sars was born on 20 April 1837 in Kinn, Norway (now part of Flora), the son of Pastor Michael Sars and Maren Sa ...

and singer

Eva Nansen Eva Helene Nansen (née Sars; 17 December 1858 – 9 December 1907) was a celebrated Norwegian mezzo-soprano singer. She was also a pioneer of women's skiing. Personal life Born in Christiania (now Oslo), she was a daughter of priest and profes ...

. She had a total of fourteen children, nine of whom reached adulthood. Through Eva she was the mother-in-law of

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 ...

, and through another daughter Mally she was the mother-in-law of

Thorvald Lammers Thorvald Lammers (15 January 1841 – 8 February 1922) was a Norwegian baritone singer, choral conductor, composer, and biographer. Lammers was born in Modum, and made his stage début in Oslo in 1873. He founded the choir known as ''Korfor ...

. She was also an aunt of

Hjalmar Hjalmar () and Ingeborg () were a legendary Swedish duo. The male protagonist Hjalmar and his duel for Ingeborg figures in the '' Hervarar saga'' and in '' Orvar-Odd's saga'', as well as in ''Gesta Danorum'', ''Lay of Hyndla'' and a number of Far ...

and

Kristian Welhaven Kristian Welhaven (11 October 1883 – 27 July 1975) was a Norwegian police officer. He was chief of police of Oslo for 27 years, from 1927 to 1954. He was a leading force in establishing an organized Norwegian intelligence service before World W ...

Career

She grew up in Bergen, and after marrying she moved to

Kinn Kinn is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It was established on 1 January 2020. It is in the traditional districts of Nordfjord and Sunnfjord. The municipality is the only non-contiguous municipality in Norway since the municipality of ...

and

Manger __NOTOC__ A manger or trough is a rack for fodder, or a structure or feeder used to hold food for animals. The word comes from the Old French ''mangier'' (meaning "to eat"), from Latin ''mandere'' (meaning "to chew"). Mangers are mostly used in ...

where her husband was a vicar. In 1854 the family moved to Christiania where her husband had become professor. The family home became a notable meeting place for liberal and intellectual citizens of Norway's capital. It has been called "Christiania's first

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

". Among the people who gathered here Ola Thommessen,

Lars Holst Lars Kristian Holst (22 November 1848 – 31 May 1915) was a Norwegian journalist, newspaper editor and politician. Biography Holst was born in Bergen, Norway. He was the son of shipmaster Søren Dalholt Holst (1811–84) and Catharina Krohn (18 ...

Oda Krohg Oda Krohg (born Othilia Pauline Christine Lasson; 11 June 1860 – 19 October 1935) was a Norwegian painter, and the wife of her teacher and colleague Christian Krohg. Biography She was the second daughter of public attorney Christian ...

Mathilde Schjøtt Mathilde Schjøtt (née Dunker) (19 February 1844 – 13 January 1926) was a Norwegian writer, literary critic, biographer and feminist. She made her literary debut with the anonymous ''Venindernes samtale om Kvindens Underkuelse'' in 1871. S ...

Hartvig Lassen Hartvig Marcus Lassen (9 August 1824 – 9 August 1897) was a Norwegian editor, educator and literary historian. Personal life He was born in Bergen, Norway as a son of police chief and burgomaster Albert Lassen (1783–1860) and his wife Abigael ...

and

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson ( , ; 8 December 1832 – 26 April 1910) was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished ...

. Mally and Eva provided music and song. Her sons Ernst and Ossian even lived with her, after Michael died in 1869. Also, her sister Elisabeth lived with her for many years; she was a talented writer and storyteller. Herself, Maren Sars contributed with storytelling as well, in addition to being the hostess. She died in December 1898 from when her heart quit beating. After her death, Maren's daughter Eva, who was married to

, took over the role as hostess for the city's intellectuals, who gathered at their home ''Godthaab'' and later ''

Polhøgda Polhøgda is the home of the Fridtjof Nansen Institute. It was originally built as the private home of Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen. The manor home’s architecture is Roman Revival, and the former estate lies between Lysaker and Fornebu in ...

''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sars, Maren 1811 births 1898 deaths Norwegian socialites People from Bergen People from Oslo