Christian Birch-Reichenwald (4 January 1814 – 8 July 1891) was a

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 ...

jurist and politician who served as mayor of

Oslo, Norway Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of i ...

. He was born at

Blaker Blaker is a village and a former municipality of Akershus county, Norway. History The municipality was established on 1 July 1919, when Aurskog was split in two. At the time of establishment, Blaker had a population of 2,533. On 1 January 1962 ...

Akershus Akershus () is a traditional region and current electoral district in Norway, with Oslo as its main city and traditional capital. It is named after the Akershus Fortress in Oslo. From the middle ages to 1919, Akershus was a fief and main county ...

, Norway. He was the son of to

Paul Hansen Birch Paul Hansen Birch (20 July 1788 – 25 April 1863) was a Norwegian Major General in the Norwegian Army. He was born in Fåberg in Oppland, Norway to Johan Gottfried Reichenwald and Mari Birch. He was adopted by his uncle General War Commissioner ...

and Anna Catharina Hoffmand Stenersen. He married Jacobine Ida Sophie Motzfeldt, daughter of Peter Motzfeldt and niece of his own mother. The couple had two children; Anna Ernesta (born 1839) and

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

(born 1843).Genealogy
/ref> He studied at the

University of Christiania The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...

(now University of Oslo), completing his law degree in 1834. During his university studies, he had been chairman in the

Norwegian Students' Society Norwegian Students' Society ( no, Det Norske Studentersamfund) is Norway's oldest student society. The Norwegian Students' Society was established during 1813 in Oslo, Norway. Two years after the Royal Frederick University (today named the Univer ...

. He was a member of the social circle '' Intelligenspartiet'', and befriended such notable figures as

Anton Martin Schweigaard Anton Martin Schweigaard (11 April 1808 – 1 February 1870) was a Norwegian educator, jurist, economist and member of the Norwegian Parliament. Background Schweigaard was born at Kragerø in Telemark, Norway. He was one of three children of J� ...

Bernhard Dunker Bernhard Dunker (22 May 1809 – 28 July 1870) was a Norwegian jurist, barrister and Attorney General of Norway. Personal life Dunker was born in the Duchy of Schleswig in Southern Jutland to Conradine Birgitte Hansteen and Johan Friedrich W ...

and

Johan 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 ...

there. He served as mayor of Christiania (now Oslo) in 1846. In 1847 he was appointed County Governor of ''Smaalenene'' (today named Østfold).Norwegian Counties
— World Statesmen.org While stationed here he was elected to the

Norwegian Parliament The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years base ...

in 1848 and 1854, representing the constituency of ''Moss og Drøbak''.Christian Birch-Reichenwald
— Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD) In 1855 he was appointed County Governor in the more central county of

. In 1858 he was appointed

Minister of Auditing The Norwegian Minister of Auditing was the head of the Norwegian Ministry of Auditing. The position existed from 1822 to 1918. List of Norwegian Ministers of Auditing ReferencesMinistry of Auditing. Councillor of State 1822 - 1918 {{Ministers of ...

. The road had been opened for Christian Birch-Reichenwald and his supporters, as Crown Prince Carl of Sweden and Norway, who was

viceroy of Norway The Viceroy of Norway ( Constitutional Danish: Vice-Konge) was the appointed head of the Norwegian Government in the absence of the King, during the era of the Union between Sweden and Norway. The role was essentially the same as that of the Gover ...

at that time, had requested

first minister A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of ' ...

and head of government

Jørgen Herman Vogt Jørgen Herman Vogt (21 July 1784 – 12 January 1862) was a Norwegian politician who served as First Minister of Norway from 1856 to 1858, during the personal union between Sweden and Norway. The first minister was subordinated to the gover ...

to "tender his resignation". According to historians, Birch-Reichenwald and his friend

Georg Christian Sibbern Georg may refer to: * ''Georg'' (film), 1997 *Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) George is a surname of Irish, English, Welsh, South Indian Christian, Middle Eastern Christian (usually Lebanese), French, or ...

"used" Crown Prince Carl to their own gains.Georg Christian Sibbern 1816-1901
- Government.no Birch-Reichenwald was Minister of Auditing for one year, then became a member of the Council of State Division in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

from 1859 to 1860, and then served as

Minister of Justice and the Police In Norway, the Minister of Justice and Public Security is the head of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police and a member of Government of Norway. The current Justice Minister is Emilie Enger Mehl. Until 1 January 2012 the post w ...

from 1860 to 1861. In 1861, the

governor-general Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

position was discussed. Carl, who in the meantime had been crowned

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

, was unwilling to abolish this position, provoking Christian Birch-Reichenwald (and

Ketil Motzfeldt Ketil Melsted Johnsen Motzfeldt (10 August 1814 - 17 November 1889) was Norwegian Naval Officer and Government Official. Background Motzfeldt was born in Bergen, Norway. His parents were government minister Peter Motzfeldt (1777-1854) and Ernest ...

) to resign. The governor-general office was not abolished until 1873. In 1862 Birch-Reichenwald was elected mayor of Christiania for the second time, serving through that year. He was also elected to a third parliamentary term, representing the constituency of ''Christiania, Hønefoss og Kongsvinger''. From 1864 to 1865 he was mayor of Christiania for the third time, and in 1865 he was again elected to parliament. From 1869 to 1889 he served as district stipendiary magistrate (''sorenskriver''). He died in 1891 and 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 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birch Reichenwald, Christian 1814 births 1891 deaths People from Sørum University of Oslo alumni Members of the Storting Mayors of Oslo Government ministers of Norway County governors of Norway Norwegian jurists Østfold politicians Akershus politicians 19th-century Norwegian politicians Burials at the Cemetery of Our Saviour Ministers of Justice of Norway