Bergen Cathedral School (

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

: ''Bergen Katedralskole'',

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

: ''Schola Cathedralis Bergensis'', formerly known as Bergens lærdeskole and Bergen latinskole and colloquially known as Katten) is an

upper secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper second ...

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, secon ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

. Located in the city centre, next to

Bergen Cathedral Bergen Cathedral ( no, Bergen domkirke) is a cathedral in the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Bjørgvin as well as the seat of the "Bergen domkirke" parish and the seat of the Bergen domprosti ...

, the school has about 850 students, 95 full-time teachers, and 5 administration personnel, including the

headmaster A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. In som ...

, Lise Hårklau Holsen. The school is considered to have been founded in 1153 by Nicholas Breakspear (later

Pope Adrian IV Pope Adrian IV ( la, Adrianus IV; born Nicholas Breakspear (or Brekespear); 1 September 1159, also Hadrian IV), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 4 December 1154 to his death in 1159. He is the only Englishman t ...

), making the school the second oldest in Norway together with

Oslo Cathedral School Schola Osloensis, known in Norwegian as Oslo Katedralskole (''Oslo Cathedral School'') and more commonly as "Katta",Hamar Cathedral School Hamar katedralskole ( en, Hamar Cathedral School) is an upper secondary school in Hamar, Norway. History Founded in 1153 as Schola cathedralis hamarensis, it is the second oldest school in Norway together with Bergen katedralskole and Oslo katedra ...

, which were founded the same year, one year after the founding of

Trondheim Cathedral School Trondheim Cathedral School ( no, Trondheim katedralskole, Latin: ''Schola Cathedralis Nidrosiensis'') is an upper secondary school located next to the Nidaros Cathedral in the center of Trondheim, Norway. History There is great dispute regarding ...

History

Although the earliest written records documenting the school's existence date back to 1288, Bergen Cathedral School is believed to have been founded in 1153 by Nicholas Breakspear, who became

in 1154. It was founded as a theological school for the education of priests. Pupils would start attending the school around the age of seven. Until the school reform in 1806, the school was tied to the church. The school moved to its present location in 1840. The original building is still in use as the offices for the administration, as well as some classrooms. This building also houses the school

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...

. In 1869 the school's

gyms A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational ins ...

were built, and the same year the school changed its name from "Bergen Latinskole" to its present "Bergen katedralskole". The school was independent until 1896, but has been administered by the government since. In 1972, the school was made a regular upper secondary school administered by the county government.

Buildings

A classrooms only building was built in 1957. Another building, containing science laboratories, computer rooms and a

cafeteria A cafeteria, sometimes called a canteen outside the U.S., is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or sch ...

was built in 1992. In July 2007, large amounts of

mold A mold () or mould () is one of the structures certain fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of spores containing fungal secondary metabolites. The spores are the dispersal units of the fungi. Not ...

were discovered in the building from 1840. This led to the building getting closed, resulting in a shortage of teacher

office An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific ...

s. The building contains several old classrooms, an

auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria can be found in entertainment venues, communit ...

and the

school library A school library (or a school library media center) is a library within a school where students, staff, and often, parents of a public or private school have access to a variety of resources. The goal of the school library media center is to e ...

, which is the oldest library known in Norway. For a while, the school administration considered delaying the start of the

term Term may refer to: * Terminology, or term, a noun or compound word used in a specific context, in particular: **Technical term, part of the specialized vocabulary of a particular field, specifically: ***Scientific terminology, terms used by scient ...

, but this never happened as the teachers and the day-time

adult education Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ral ...

classes ended up moving into temporary barracks in the schoolyards of Bergen Cathedral School and

Tanks Upper Secondary School Tank Upper Secondary School ( no, Tanks videregående skole) was an upper secondary school in the centre of Bergen, Norway. The school opened in 1850 as Tank School (''Den Tankske Skole''), funded by an endowment established by merchant Hans T ...

. In February 2008, it was decided that the building will be

renovated Renovation (also called remodeling) is the process of improving broken, damaged, or outdated structures. Renovations are typically done on either commercial or residential buildings. Additionally, renovation can refer to making something new, ...

at a price of 6 million NOK as a temporary solution that will last until at least 2014. From 2016 to 2017, the original building was closed for renovation and an additional building was being added between it and the classroom wing. The administration, the school library and some classes weretemporarily located at the former Tanks videregående skole.

Academics

Of the mainline courses offered in Norwegian upper secondary schools, only the generalist line, ''studiespesialisering'', is offered by Bergen Cathedral School. The school is the only one in Bergen offering the

IB Diploma Programme The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...

, from which about forty students graduate per year. In the 2005–2006 school year, the senior year students of Bergen Cathedral School received the third best grades in

Western Norway Western Norway ( nb, Vestlandet, Vest-Norge; nn, Vest-Noreg) is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. It consists of the counties Rogaland, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal. The region has no official or political-administrativ ...

, which was the highest achieving region of Norway. The school has a reputation as a prestigious school, because of its history and high grade requirements.

Notable people

Alumni

A number of the most famous alumni in the history of the school are engraved in a

plaque Plaque may refer to: Commemorations or awards * Commemorative plaque, a plate or tablet fixed to a wall to mark an event, person, etc. * Memorial Plaque (medallion), issued to next-of-kin of dead British military personnel after World War I * Pl ...

in the old building from 1840: *

Gjeble Pederssøn Gjeble Pederssøn (c.1490 – 9 March 1557) was a Norwegian priest who was the first Lutheran bishop in Norway. Pederssøn was born at Teigstad, Dønna in Nordland, Norway. His father was a councilman in Bergen. He went to school in Trondhe ...

(c. 1490–1557), bishop *

Absalon Pederssøn Beyer Absalon Pederssøn Beyer (c. 1528 – 9 April 1575) was a Norwegian people, Norwegian author, lecturer and Lutheran clergyman. Beyer contributed greatly to the spiritual Reformation in Norway. He is best known today for his diary or annal of ...

(1578-1575), clergyman, writer and lecturer * Edvard Edvardsen (1630-1695), historian *

Petter Dass Petter Pettersen Dass (c. 1647 – 17 August 1707) was a Lutheran priest and the foremost Norwegian poet of his generation, writing both baroque hymns and topographical poetry. Biography He was born at Northern Herøy ( Dønna), Nordland, N ...

(1647-1707), poet *

Ludvig Holberg Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg (3 December 1684 – 28 January 1754) was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Dano-Norwegian dual monarchy. He was influenced by Humanism, ...

(1684-1754), writer, playwright and lawyer *

Hans Strøm Hans Strøm (25 January 1726 – 1 February 1797) was a Norway, Norwegian clergyman. He also became a prominent zoologist and naturalist. He is best associated with his topographical description of the Districts of Norway, traditional district o ...

(1726-1797), topographer * Claus Fasting (1674-1739), merchant, mayor and historian *

Martin Vahl Martin Henrichsen Vahl (10 October 1749 – 24 December 1804) was a Danish-Norwegian botanist, herbalist and zoologist. Biography Martin Vahl was born in Bergen, Norway and attended Bergen Cathedral School. He studied botany at the University ...

(1749-1804), botanist and zoologist * Nils Hertzberg (1827-1911), politician, theologist and teacher *

Jens Zetlitz Jens Zetlitz (26 January 1761 – 14 January 1821) was a Norwegian priest and poet. Zetlitz was born at Stavanger in Rogaland, Norway. At the close of the 18th century he traveled to the University of Copenhagen to study theology. He became ...

(1761-1821), poet * Hans Jacob Grøgaard (1764-1836), priest and Eidsvoll delegate * Christopher Frimann Omsen (1761-1829), civil servant and Eidsvoll delegate *

Lyder Sagen Lyder Sagen (13 March 1777 – 16 June 1850) was a Norwegian educator and author. References 1777 births 1850 deaths People educated at the Bergen Cathedral School Norwegian educators Norwegian writers {{Norway-writer-stub ...

(1777-1850), teacher and poet *

Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie (7 December 1778 – 10 October 1849) was a Norwegian attorney. He was a member of the National Assembly at Eidsvoll in 1814 and served as the Norwegian Constituent Assembly secretary. Background Born in Kristiansu ...

(1778-1849), civil servant and Eidsvoll delegate *

Nicolai Wergeland Nicolai Wergeland (9 November 1780 – 25 March 1848) was a Norwegian minister, writer and politician, and a member of the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll that wrote the Constitution of Norway on 17 May 1814. He was elected as one of t ...

(1780-1848), theologist and Eidsvoll delegate *

Edvard Hagerup Edvard Eilersen Hagerup (9 September 1781 – 29 March 1853) was a Norwegian solicitor and politician. Hagerup was born in the city of Kristiansand in Lister og Mandals amt, Norway. He was the son of Bishop Eiler (Kongel) Hagerup (b. 1718) ...

(1781-1853), politician *

Christian Lassen Christian Lassen (22 October 1800 – 8 May 1876) was a Norwegian-born, German orientalist and Indologist. He was a professor of Old Indian language and literature at the University of Bonn. Biography He was born at Bergen, Norway where he att ...

(1800-1876), orientalist *

Georg Prahl Harbitz Georg Prahl Harbitz (26 June 1802 – 22 November 1889) was a Norwegian priest and politician. He was a Member of Parliament for multiple terms and served as President of the Storting. Background He was born in Haus (now Osterøy) in Hordala ...

(1802-1889), priest and politician *

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. ...

(1805-1869), theologian and biologist *

Frederik Stang Frederik Stang (4 March 1808 – 8 June 1884) was a Norwegian lawyer, public servant, and politician who served as Norway's 1st prime minister in Christiana. Stang was born on the Nordre Rostad farm at Stokke in Vestfold, Norway. He was the so ...

(1808-1884), Prime Minister *

Johann Sebastian Welhaven Johan Sebastian Cammermeyer Welhaven (22 December 1807 – 21 October 1873) was a Norwegian author, poet, critic, and art theorist. He has been considered "one of the greatest figures in Norwegian literature." Background Johan Welhaven was born ...

(1807-1873), poet and critic * Ludvig Kristensen Daa (1809-1877), politician, historian and journalist *

Ole Bull Ole Bornemann Bull (; 5 February 181017 August 1880) was a Norwegian virtuoso violinist and composer. According to Robert Schumann, he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing. Biography Background Bull ...

(1810-1880) violinist and composer * Johan Fritzner (1812-1893), priest and lexicographer * Peter Andreas Jensen (1812-1867), priest and writer * Sven Brun (1812-1894), priest * Ole Irgens (1829-1906), teacher and politician *

Peter Waage Peter Waage (29 June 1833 – 13 January 1900) was a Norwegian chemist and professor of chemistry at the University of Kristiania. Along with his brother-in-law Cato Maximilian Guldberg, he co-discovered and developed the law of mass action ...

(1833-1900), chemist * Jacob Worm-Müller (1834-1889), physiologist *

Henrik Mohn Henrik Mohn (15 May 1835 – 12 September 1916) was a Norwegian astronomer and meteorologist. Although he enrolled in theology studies after finishing school, he is credited with founding meteorological research in Norway, being a professor at t ...

(1835-1916), meteorologist *

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 ...

(1835-1917), historian and politician * Armauer Hansen (1841-1912), physician * Alf Torp (1853-1916), philologist *

Gerhard Gran Gerhard von der Lippe Gran (9 December 1856 – 7 April 1925) was a Norwegian literary historian, professor, magazine editor, essayist and biographer. Personal life Gran was born in Bergen as the son of merchant Christen Knagenhjelm Gran (1822� ...

(1856-1925), writer *

Christian Michelsen Peter Christian Hersleb Kjerschow Michelsen (15 March 1857 – 29 June 1925), better known as Christian Michelsen, was a Norwegian shipping magnate and statesman. He was the first prime minister of independent Norway and Norway's 9th prime mini ...

(1857-1925), shipping magnate and Prime Minister * Lauritz Stub Wiberg (1875-1929), actor *

Harald Sæverud Harald Sigurd Johan Sæverud (17 April 1897 – 27 March 1992) was a Norwegian composer. He is most known for his music to Henrik Ibsen's ''Peer Gynt'', '' Rondo Amoroso'', and the ''Ballad of Revolt'' ( no, Kjempeviseslåtten). Sæverud ...

(1897-1992), composer *

Helge Ingstad Helge Marcus Ingstad (30 December 1899 – 29 March 2001) was a Norwegian explorer. In 1960, after mapping some Norse settlements, Ingstad and his wife archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad found remnants of a Viking settlement in L'Anse aux Meadow ...

(1899-2001), polar explorer, lawyer, Governor of Norwegian Occupied East Greenland 1932-33 *

Nordahl Grieg Johan Nordahl Brun Grieg (1 November 1902 – 2 December 1943) was a Norwegian poet, novelist, dramatist, journalist and activism, political activist. He was a popular author and a controversial public figure. He served in World War II as a war c ...

(1902-1943), poet, novelist, dramatist, and journalist * Johan Nielsen (1885-1963), Norwegian sailor priest with an outstanding history and footprint from South American to the Far East. *

Per Hysing-Dahl Per Hysing-Dahl, DFC & Bar (born 31 July 1920 in Bergen, died 7 April 1989) was a Norwegian resistance member, pilot, industry manager and politician for the Conservative Party. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Hordaland in ...

(1920-1989), politician

Other notable alumni

* Johan Koren Christie (1814–1885), writer *

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 ...

(1824-1897), editor and historian * Jonas Lie (1833-1908), writer * Wollert Konow (1845-1924), Prime Minister *

Hans Gerhard Stub Hans Gerhard Stub (23 February 1849 – 1 August 1931) was an American Lutheran theologian and church leader. He served as Bishop of the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America. Background Hans Gerhard Stub was born in Muskego, Wisconsin. His pare ...

(1849-1931), Church Bishop * Elizabeth Stephansen (1872-1961) mathematician and the first Norwegian woman earning a

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * '' Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. al ...

in Mathematics. *Elise Stoltz (1872 – 1931) doctor and the first female leader of the student society Hugin at Bergen Cathedral School. *

Arnulf Øverland Ole Peter Arnulf Øverland (27 April 1889 – 25 March 1968) was a Norwegian poet and artist. He is principally known for his poetry which served to inspire the Norwegian resistance movement during the German occupation of Norway during Wor ...

(1889-1968), writer *

Sverre Steen Sverre Steen (1 August 1898 – 23 June 1983) was a Norwegian historian and professor at the University of Oslo from 1938 to 1965. He served as president of the Norwegian Historical Association from 1936 to 1947 Biography Steen was born in ...

(1898-1983), historian. *

Knut Fægri Knut Fægri (17 July 1909 – 10 December 2001) was a Norwegian botanist and palaeoecologist. Fægri was born in Bergen. He was the son of Major Ole A. Fægri (1875–1962) and Gudrun Stoltz (1881–1940) and the nephew of the botanist, natural ...

(1909-2001) botanist and palaeoecologist *

Kaare Meland Kaare Meland (22 May 1915 – 31 December 2002) was a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. He was born in Bergen. He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Hordaland in 1965, but was not re-elected in 1969. He had previo ...

(1915-2002), politician *Gunnvor Rundhovde (1918-1987), Professor of Nordic languages at the

University of Bergen The University of Bergen ( no, Universitetet i Bergen, ) is a research-intensive state university located in Bergen, Norway. As of 2019, the university has over 4,000 employees and 18,000 students. It was established by an act of parliament in 194 ...

Ingrid Espelid Hovig Ingrid Espelid Hovig (3 June 1924 – 3 August 2018) was a Norwegian television chef and author of cook books. Through appearances on her cooking show ''Fjernsynskjøkkenet'' over 26 years, between 1970 and 1996,Strømholm, Gøril, ''NRK.no'' (1 ...

(1924–2018) TV-chef and author *

Georg Johannesen Georg Johannesen (22 February 1931 – 24 December 2005) was a Norwegian author and professor at the University of Bergen. Background He was born in Bergen, Norway. He was the son of Knut Johan Johannesen (1900–1979) and Ingeborg Malene Ols ...

(1931-2005), writer and academic * Narve Bjørgo (1936-), academic * Ole D. Mjøs (1939-), academic *

Jarle Aarbakke Jarle Aarbakke (born 18 November 1942) was the rector at the University of Tromsø The University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway ( Norwegian: ''Universitetet i Tromsø – Norges arktiske universitet''; Northern Sami: ''Romssa ...

(1942-), academic *

Gunnar Staalesen Gunnar Staalesen (born 19 October 1947) is a Norwegian writer. He is a major figure in the Nordic noir crime fiction genre through his 19 novels featuring Varg Veum, a private detective in Bergen on the rainy west coast of Norway. The Varg Veum ...

(1947-), writer * Ingelin Killengreen (1947-), lawyer and Norway's first police commissioner *

Siri Hustvedt Siri Hustvedt (born February 19, 1955) is an American novelist and essayist. Hustvedt is the author of a book of poetry, seven novels, two books of essays, and several works of non-fiction. Her books include ''The Blindfold'' (1992), ''The Ench ...

(1955-), writer *

Gabriel Fliflet Gabriel Fliflet (born 18 July 1958 in Åland, Finland) is a Norwegian accordion player and vocalist, known for his multicultural musical expressions and numerous recordings. He is the brother of bass player and sagspiller Andreas Fliflet, and the ...

(1958-), musician *

Harald Tveit Alvestrand Harald Tveit Alvestrand (born 29 June 1959) is a Norwegian computer scientist. He was chair of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) from 2001 until 2005, succeeding Fred Baker. Within the IETF, Alvestrand was earlier the chair of the Areas ...

(1959-), computer scientist *

Karoline Krüger Karoline Krüger (born 13 February 1970 in Bergen, Norway) is a Norwegian singer, actress and composer. Career Krüger's first TV appearance was at the age of 11, in a youth show called ''Halvsju''. She got her breakthrough in 1988, first by ...

(1970-), singer & pianist *

Heikki Holmås Heikki Eidsvoll Holmås (born 28 June 1972 in Voss) is a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party (SV). He served as Minister of International Development from 2012 to 2013 being the last to serve in the position until Nikolai Astrup i ...

(1972-), politician * Tore Eikeland (1990-2011) politician and youth party leader of AUF in

Hordaland Hordaland () was a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland counties. Hordaland was the third largest county, after Akershus and Oslo, by population. The county government was the Hordaland County Municipa ...

, killed at

Utøya Utøya () is an island in the Tyrifjorden lake in Hole municipality, in the county of Viken, Norway. The island is , situated off the shore, by the E16 road, about driving distance south of Hønefoss, and northwest of Oslo city centre. Ove ...

* Merethe Lindstrøm (1963-), author, winner of

Nordic Council's Literature Prize The Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countries, that meets "high literary and artistic standards". Established in 1962, the prize is awarded every year, and is worth ...

2012

Staff

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 ...

(1798-1868) * Johan Koren Christie (1814–1885) *

Emanuel Mohn Emanuel Meyer Mohn (15 February 1842 – 26 April 1891) was a Norwegian educator, mountain climber and illustrator. He was known for writing about and illustrating mountains in Norway. Biography He was born in Bergen to Albert Henrik Moh ...

(1842-1891) *

(1856-1925) *

Ahlert Hysing Ahlert Hysing (5 September 1793 – 9 November 1879) was a Norwegian educator and member of the Parliament of Norway. Biography Hysing was the son of Hans Augustinus Ahlertsen Hysing (1764–1843) and Maureen Elisabeth Nielsdatter Koren (17 ...

(1793–1879) Ahlert Hysing
— Norwegian Social Science Data Services

References

Other sources

* * * *

External links

School website

Digitalarkivet - Bergen Katedralskole
{{Authority control Secondary schools in Norway Cathedral schools International Baccalaureate schools in Norway Schools in Bergen Educational institutions established in the 12th century 1153 establishments in Europe 12th-century establishments in Norway Hordaland County Municipality