Personal life

He was born in Elverum

Elverum

is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum...

 as a son of physician Christopher Pavels Munthe (1816–1884). He was a younger brother of historian and military officer Hartvig Andreas Munthe

Hartvig Andreas Munthe

Hartvig Andreas Munthe was a Norwegian military officer, engineer and genealogist.-Personal life:He was born in Elverum as a son of physician Christopher Pavels Munthe . He was an older brother of painter Gerhard Munthe, writer Margrethe Munthe and historian and military officer Carl Oscar Munthe...

, painter Gerhard Munthe

Gerhard Munthe (painter)

Gerhard Peter Frantz Munthe was a Norwegian painter and illustrator.-Background:Munthe was born in Elverum to physician Christopher Pavels Munthe and his wife Christine Margrethe Pavels Aabel . He was a brother of historian Hartvig Andreas Munthe, writer Margrethe Munthe and military officer...

 and writer Margrethe Munthe

Margrethe Munthe

Margrethe Aabel Munthe was a Norwegian teacher, children's writer, songwriter and playwright.-Personal life:Margrethe Munthe was born in Elverum as the daughter of physician Christopher Pavels Munthe and Christine Margrethe Pavels Aabel...

. He was also a nephew of historian and cartographer Gerhard Munthe and an uncle of genealogist Christopher Morgenstierne Munthe

Christopher Morgenstierne Munthe

Christopher Morgenstierne Munthe was a Norwegian genealogist.He was a son of Colonel and historian Hartvig Andreas Munthe...

, librarian Wilhelm Munthe

Wilhelm Munthe

Abraham Wilhelm Støren Munthe was a Norwegian librarian. He worked at the University Library of Oslo from 1903 to 1953.-Personal life:...

 and painter Lagertha Munthe

Lagertha Munthe

Lagertha Munthe was a Norwegian painter.She was born in Kristiania as a daughter of Olaf Andreas Jens Wilhelm Munthe...

. Through his mother he was a nephew of Andreas Leigh Aabel

Andreas Leigh Aabel

Morten Andreas Leigh Aabel was a Norwegian physician and poet.He was born in Sogndal as the son of priest Peter Pavels Aabel. He was a brother of Oluf Andreas Aabel. He enrolled as a student in 1848, graduated with the cand.med. degree in 1856. Whilwe studying he was a member of the Literary...

 and Oluf Andreas Aabel

Oluf Andreas Aabel

Oluf Andreas Aabel was a Norwegian priest and writer.He was born in Sogndal as the son of priest Peter Pavels Aabel. He was a brother of Morten Andreas Leigh Aabel, and an uncle of Hauk Aabel....

, and a first cousin of Hauk Aabel

Hauk Aabel

Hauk Erlendssøn Aabel was a popular Norwegian comedian and actor in Norwegian and Swedish silent film.-Career:...

.

In September 1893 he married Valborg Bøgh (1862–1925).

Career

His main career was with the military. He rose through the ranks; becoming Premier Lieutenant in 1886, Captain in 1894, Major in 1910, Lieutenant Colonel in 1911 and Colonel in 1912. He was a teacher at the Norwegian Military Academy

Norwegian Military Academy

The Norwegian Army Academy was established in 1750. It is the oldest university-level educational institution in Norway, and one of the oldest active military academies in the world. Krigsskolen primarily educates officers for the Norwegian Army. There are separate academies for the Royal...

 from 1902 to 1916. He was then the Commander of Fredrikstad Fortress

Fredrikstad Fortress

Fredrikstad fortress was a fortification in Fredrikstad, Norway. It was the base of the Østfold Regiment, with defence related responsibilities for the east side of Oslo Fjord.-History:...

 from 1916 to 1924 and of Bergenhus Fortress

Bergenhus Fortress

Bergenhus fortress is a fortress located in Bergen, Norway. Bergenhus fortress is located in the entrance to the harbor in Bergen. This is one of the oldest and best preserved castles in Norway.-History:...

 from 1924 to 1929.

His first major work on military history was released in 1897, and several followed, except in the years when he was a fortress commander. The first work pertained to military officer Peder von Todderud and the chronicles he wrote during the Great Northern War

Great Northern War

The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...

. In 1901 came a work about the Hannibal War. The older history of the fortresses Frederikshald and Frederikssten

Fredriksten

-History:This Fortresses was constructed ny Denmark-Norway in the 17th century as a replacement for the border fortress at Bohus, which had been lost when the province of Bohuslän was ceded to Sweden by the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658...

 followed in 1906. In 1909 he biographed Johan Georg Ræder

Johan Georg Ræder (1751–1808)

Johan Georg Ræder was a Norwegian military officer.-Personal life:He was born in Meldal as a son of Johan Christopher Rhäder and his second wife Cathrine Margrethe Riiber. He was the grandson of Johan Georg Rhäder, the person who immigrated to Norway and started the family branch there...

, a Lieutenant Colonel who lived from 1751 to 1808. After retiring as a commander, Munthe drifted away from military history, and instead drew his book topics from Medieval Norway themes.

Munthe resided at Fantoft for the latter years of his life. He had an engagement in the Regional State Archive of Bergen

National Archival Services of Norway

The National Archival Services of Norway is a Norwegian government agency that is responsible for keeping state archives, conducts control of public archiving and works to preserve private archives. It is subordinate to the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs and consists of the National...

 from 1934. He was also associated with the Norwegian Mapping and Cadastre Authority (then known as Norges Geografiske Oppmåling) during his career, and contributed to newspapers, periodicals as well as the encyclopedias Dansk biografisk lexikon

Dansk biografisk leksikon

Dansk biografisk leksikon is a Danish biographical dictionary that has been published in three editions...

, Norsk biografisk leksikon

Norsk biografisk leksikon

Norsk biografisk leksikon is the largest Norwegian biographical encyclopedia.The first edition was issued between 1921 and 1983, including 19 volumes and 5,100 articles...

and Aschehougs konversationsleksikon. He died in 1952.