Jens Bache-Wiig
Encyclopedia
Jens Bache-Wiig was a Norwegian
engineer and industrialist.
, Eidsvoll
to factory owner Hartwig Bache-Wiig (1850–1922) and his wife Amalie Kristine Holt (1851–1940). His father and his brother Carl operated a cellulose
factory at Bønsdalen until 1889, when the family moved to Kristiania
.
At some point after the 1899 Kristiania housing bubble burst, Bache-Wig moved to Germany
to study engineering. He first attended the West Saxon University of Applied Sciences of Zwickau, and then the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
, where he took his final exam in 1902.
in Pittsburgh, United States. After that, he was appointed professor in electrical engineering
at the newly established Norwegian Institute of Technology
, where he stayed until 1916. In 1912–13, he published papers on the calculation of electrical machine
s with AC and DC generators. In 1916, he became managing director of Elektrisk Bureau
, a manufacturer of telecommunication equipment. He left Elektrisk Bureau for Standard Electric – a subsidiary of the International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) – in 1926. In 1931, he was appointed director-general of ITT's Germany division, and received also the responsibility for the ITT's operations in Eastern Europe
. Four years later, he resigned from the position, in protest against the New York head office intervening in his area of responsibility.
During the Quisling regime
of German-occupied Norway
, Bache-Wiig served in the non-political Administrative Council
until September 1940, when it was replaced by the Reichskommissariat Norwegen
headed by the Norwegian Nazi Terboven
. In this Council, he was the Head of the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Provisioning
. In 1944, he succeeded Axel Aubert
as managing director of Norsk Hydro
.
He died in Bærum
on 6 May 1965, and then was buried at Vår Frelsers gravlund
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
engineer and industrialist.
Early life and education
He was born at BønBøn
Bøn is a village in Akershus, Norway....
, Eidsvoll
Eidsvoll
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Romerike traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sundet.-Name:...
to factory owner Hartwig Bache-Wiig (1850–1922) and his wife Amalie Kristine Holt (1851–1940). His father and his brother Carl operated a cellulose
Cellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β linked D-glucose units....
factory at Bønsdalen until 1889, when the family moved to Kristiania
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
.
At some point after the 1899 Kristiania housing bubble burst, Bache-Wig moved to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to study engineering. He first attended the West Saxon University of Applied Sciences of Zwickau, and then the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is a German academic research and education institution with university status resulting from a merger of the university and the research center of the city of Karlsruhe. The university, also known as Fridericiana, was founded in 1825...
, where he took his final exam in 1902.
Career
In 1906, Bache-Wiig was employed by the Westinghouse Electric CompanyWestinghouse Electric Company
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC is a nuclear power company, offering a wide range of nuclear products and services to utilities throughout the world, including nuclear fuel, service and maintenance, instrumentation and control and advanced nuclear plant designs...
in Pittsburgh, United States. After that, he was appointed professor in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
at the newly established Norwegian Institute of Technology
Norwegian Institute of Technology
The Norwegian Institute of Technology, known by its Norwegian abbrevation NTH was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 85 years, after which it was merged into the University of Trondheim as an independent...
, where he stayed until 1916. In 1912–13, he published papers on the calculation of electrical machine
Electrical machine
An electrical machine is the generic name for a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy, converts electrical energy to mechanical energy, or changes alternating current from one voltage level to a different voltage level....
s with AC and DC generators. In 1916, he became managing director of Elektrisk Bureau
Elektrisk Bureau
Elektrisk Bureau or EB was a Norwegian manufacturer of telecommunication equipment. It was founded in 1882 and lasted until 1993 when it became part of Asea Brown Boveri . The company was located at Billingstad in Asker.-History:...
, a manufacturer of telecommunication equipment. He left Elektrisk Bureau for Standard Electric – a subsidiary of the International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) – in 1926. In 1931, he was appointed director-general of ITT's Germany division, and received also the responsibility for the ITT's operations in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. Four years later, he resigned from the position, in protest against the New York head office intervening in his area of responsibility.
During the Quisling regime
Quisling regime
The Quisling regime, or the Quisling government are common names used to refer to the collaborationist government led by Vidkun Quisling in occupied Norway during the Second World War. The official name of the regime from 1 February 1942 until its dissolution in May 1945 was Nasjonale regjering...
of German-occupied Norway
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
, Bache-Wiig served in the non-political Administrative Council
Administrative Council (Norway)
The Administrative Council was a council established by the Supreme Court to govern Norway. The council was established on 15 April 1940, replacing Quisling's First Cabinet, and sat until 25 September, when it was replaced by the Reichskommissariat Norwegen headed by Josef Terboven. The council...
until September 1940, when it was replaced by the Reichskommissariat Norwegen
Reichskommissariat Norwegen
The Reichskommissariat Norwegen, literally "Reich Commissariat of Norway", was the civilian occupation regime set up by Nazi Germany in German-occupied Norway during World War II. Its full title in German was the Reichskommissariat für die besetzten norwegischen Gebiete...
headed by the Norwegian Nazi Terboven
Josef Terboven
Josef Antonius Heinrich Terboven was a Nazi leader, best known as the Reichskommissar during the German occupation of Norway.-Early life:...
. In this Council, he was the Head of the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Provisioning
Norwegian Ministry of Provisioning and Reconstruction
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Provisioning and Reconstruction was a Norwegian ministry that existed from 1939 to 1950.It was established on 1 October 1939 as the Ministry of Provisioning, though having no relation to the Ministry of Provisioning which existed from 1916 to 1922. The name was...
. In 1944, he succeeded Axel Aubert
Axel Aubert
Axel Aubert was a Norwegian businessman.He was born in Kristiania. He took his engineer's education in that city in 1893, as well as a doctorate in chemistry Basel in 1895. He became the managing director of Engene Dynamitfabrik and Norsk Sprængstofindustri. In 1926 he was hired as...
as managing director of Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro
Norsk Hydro ASA is a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, headquartered in Oslo. Hydro is the fourth largest integrated aluminium company worldwide. It has operations in some 40 countries around the world and is active on all continents. The Norwegian state holds a 43.8 percent...
.
Marriages and death
Bache-Wiig married Tordis Nicolaysen (1885–1934) on 8 December 1906; this marriage ended in divorce. He married Hjørdis Tidemand-Johannessen (1891–??) on 20 June 1939.He died in Bærum
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
on 6 May 1965, and then was buried at Vår Frelsers gravlund
Vår Frelsers gravlund
Vår Frelsers gravlund is a cemetery in Oslo, Norway, located north of Hammersborg in Gamle Aker district. It was created in 1808 as a result of the great famine and cholera epidemic of the Napoleonic Wars. Its grounds were extended in 1911. The cemetery has been full since 1952...
.