Meeting of Notables
Encyclopedia
The Meeting of Notables was a meeting that took place before Norway
declared independence from Denmark
in 1814
.
In the Treaty of Kiel
, Denmark lost the country of Norway to Sweden
. Christian Frederik
, Prince of Denmark, saw his opportunity to seize the Norwegian throne, and summoned twenty-one leading figures of society ("notables") to hear them out.
The meeting took place in Eidsvoll
on 16 February 1814. It soon became clear that the principle of popular sovereignty
was rooted among the delegates, and if Christian Frederik should ascend the throne, it had to happen in a manner seen as democratic. As such, the meeting of notables agreed to arrange the election for a Norwegian Constituent Assembly, due to convene on 10 April the same year.
The Constituent Assembly did elect Christian Frederik as King, but his short reign was stopped when Sweden intervened in the summer.
Of these, only Georg Sverdrup and Peder Anker were members of the Constituent Assembly.
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...
declared independence from Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
in 1814
Norway in 1814
1814 was a pivotal year in the history of Norway. It started with Norway in a union with the Kingdom of Denmark subject to a naval blockade being ceded to the king of Sweden. In May a constitutional convention declared Norway an independent kingdom. By the end of the year the Norwegian parliament...
.
In the Treaty of Kiel
Treaty of Kiel
The Treaty of Kiel or Peace of Kiel was concluded between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Kingdom of Sweden on one side and the Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway on the other side on 14 January 1814 in Kiel...
, Denmark lost the country of Norway to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Christian Frederik
Christian VIII of Denmark
Christian VIII , was king of Denmark from 1839 to 1848 and, as Christian Frederick, king of Norway in 1814. He was the eldest son of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, born in 1786 at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen...
, Prince of Denmark, saw his opportunity to seize the Norwegian throne, and summoned twenty-one leading figures of society ("notables") to hear them out.
The meeting took place in 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:...
on 16 February 1814. It soon became clear that the principle of popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty or the sovereignty of the people is the political principle that the legitimacy of the state is created and sustained by the will or consent of its people, who are the source of all political power. It is closely associated with Republicanism and the social contract...
was rooted among the delegates, and if Christian Frederik should ascend the throne, it had to happen in a manner seen as democratic. As such, the meeting of notables agreed to arrange the election for a Norwegian Constituent Assembly, due to convene on 10 April the same year.
The Constituent Assembly did elect Christian Frederik as King, but his short reign was stopped when Sweden intervened in the summer.
List of participants
This is a list of the participants at the Meeting of Notables.- Christian FrederikChristian VIII of DenmarkChristian VIII , was king of Denmark from 1839 to 1848 and, as Christian Frederick, king of Norway in 1814. He was the eldest son of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, born in 1786 at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen...
, Prince of Denmark - Fredrik Julius Bech
- Marcus Gjøe RosenkrantzMarcus Gjøe RosenkrantzMarcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz was first minister of Norway in the period 1814-1815. He was a lawyer, having studied at the University of Copenhagen....
- Mathias Otto Leth Sommerhielm
- Jonas CollettJonas CollettJonas Collett was a Norwegian civil servant and politician. Being known as one of the "Eidsvoll men", he played an important role in the events of Norway in 1814....
- Poul Christian HolstPoul Christian HolstPoul Christian Holst was a Norwegian government official who held several positions in the period 1814-1848. He was the functioning head of the 1st Ministry in 1814, state secretary 1814-1822, member of the Council of State Division in Stockholm in various periods between 1823-1844, Minister of...
- Hans Hagerup FalbeHans Hagerup FalbeHans Hagerup Falbe was the Norwegian acting member of the Council of State Division in Stockholm 1822–1824 , 1825–1826 and 1829–1830, Minister of Auditing 1824–1825 and 1828–1829, Minister of the Navy 1826–1827 and Minister of Justice 1827–1828. Hagerup Falbe was a diocesan county governor by...
- Christoffer Anker Bergh
- Niels TreschowNiels TreschowNiels Treschow , was a Norwegian philosopher and politician, central to the creation of the University of Oslo. He also served as Minister of Education and Church Affairs 1814-1816, 1817-1819, 1820-1822 and 1823-1825, and member of the Council of State Division in Stockholm 1816-1817, 1819-1820,...
- Georg SverdrupGeorg SverdrupGeorg Sverdrup , born Jørgen Sverdrup, was a Norwegian philologist, who is well known for being a member of Norwegian Constituent Assembly in Eidsvoll in 1814 and later the parliament. He was also responsible for building the first Norwegian university library...
- Otto Lütken
- Frederik Gottschalk von Haxthausen
- Christian D. A. Arenfeldt
- Johannes Klingenberg SejerstedJohannes Klingenberg SejerstedJohannes Klingenberg Sejersted was a Norwegian military officer.-Career:He was born in Flå, Sør-Trøndelag as a son of Lieutenant Colonel Jens Fredrik Svane Sejersted and his wife Dorothea Catharina Klingenberg. He studied at the University of Copenhagen from 1777 to 1781...
- F. W. Haffner
- Hans Henrik RodeHans Henrik RodeHans Henrik Rode was a Danish-Norwegian military officer.He was born in Frederikshald as a son of major Georg Frederik Rode and his first wife Vilhelmine, née Stockfleth. He took a military education in Denmark, and became second lieutenant in 1784...
- F. L. Brock
- Peder AnkerPeder AnkerPeder Anker was a Norwegian businessman and politician. He served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1814 until 1822.-Biography:...
- Carsten Anker
- Peter AnkerPeter AnkerPeter Anker was a Norwegian diplomat and colonialist.He was born in Fredrikshald as a son of Erik Ancher and Anne Cathrine Tank . He was a brother of Carsten Tank Anker, and changed his name from Ancher to Anker in 1778...
- Carsten TankCarsten TankCarsten Tank was a Norwegian businessman and politician who served as Norwegian councilor of government of the 1st Ministry , and later councilor of state of the same ministry....
- Jacob Nielsen
Of these, only Georg Sverdrup and Peder Anker were members of the Constituent Assembly.