Carsten Anker

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Portrait of Carsten Anker, 1869

Carsten Tank Anker (17 November 1747 – 13 March 1824) was a Norwegian businessman, civil servant, politician and one of the Fathers of the Constitution of Norway. He was the owner of the manor house in

Riksforsamlingen) of Norway was held. The manor house has since then been given the name Eidsvollsbygningen
.

Early years

Born in

Gustav III conducted his coup d'état, Anker was asked by the government in Copenhagen
to return.

Civil service career

Eidsvoll Manor in Akershus

He then started his career as a civil servant. On 10 May 1774 he was appointed secretary in the General-Landøkonomi- og

Danish Asia Company, a position he held until 1811. He also acquired considerable property in Norway by buying the historic Eidsvoll Ironworks (Eidsvoll Verk). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1804.[1]

Time abroad

As an envoy of the Danish Asia Company, he stayed in London from January 1805 to take care of the company's business affairs vis-à-vis the English

navy
. In 1811 he took up permanent residence at Eidsvoll Ironworks.

Friendship with Christian Frederik of Denmark

During his stay in Copenhagen, he had become an intimate acquaintance of the

Christian Frederik. When the prince arrived in Norway as stattholder in 1813, Anker was immediately made one of the prince's closest advisors. After the Treaty of Kiel the prince held a meeting at Eidsvoll during his journey to Trondheim, and on the way back he convened the Meeting of Notables
of Eidsvoll on 16 February 1814, where it was decided that Norway should declare its independence, and that a National Assembly should be convened, also to be held at Eidsvoll.

National Assembly of 1814

Before the National Assembly gathered, Anker had left Norway, and could therefore not take up his position in the new Norwegian government, where he was appointed councillor of government for the 5th Ministry (economy) on 2 March, and councillor of state on 19 May. In March 1814 he crossed the

Karl Johan
.

Last years

In the last years of his life Anker's finances were not good; the ironworks was virtually closed down. Yet he continued to administer the government's glassmaking companies, and died during a visit to the glassworks at Biri. He had literary interests, acted as a patron, and had a large collection of manuscripts and books. In 1784 he married Hedvig Caroline Ernestine Christine Wegener (1763–1846).

References

  1. ^ "Library and Archive Catalogue". Royal Society. Retrieved 13 March 2012.[permanent dead link]

External links