Abraham Pihl
{{Short description|Norwegian clergyman, astronomer, and architect}}
{{Use dmy dates | date=January 2024}}
{{infobox person
| name = Abraham Pihl
| image = Abraham Pihl portrait Vang.JPG
| alt =
| caption = Abraham Pihl (portrait in his church) by Johannes Flintoe
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date |1756|10|3|df=y}}
| birth_place = Gausdal, Norway
| death_date = {{Death date and age |1821|5|20|1756|10|3|df=y}}
| death_place =
| nationality =
| occupation = priest, architect, astronomer, watchmaker
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works = Vang church at Ridabu
}}
File:Vang kirke ved Hamar på Hedemarken i Hedmark - Norway 2.JPG
Abraham Pihl (3 October 1756 – 20 May 1821) was a Norwegian clergyman, astronomer, and architect.[http://www.gausdalhistorielag.no/Abraham_Pihl__Prest_prost_og_tusenkunstner-3189a.html Abraham Pihl – Prest, prost og tusenkunstner (Gausdal Historielag)]
Biography
Abraham Pihl was born in Gausdal, Oppland County, Norway. He completed seminary at the University of Copenhagen in 1783, where he had also studied mathematics, mechanics and astronomy.[https://web.archive.org/web/20130806215217/http://www.tekniskmuseum.no/observasjon-og-kartlegging/abraham-pihl Norsk Teknisk Museum: Abraham Pihl, Observatør]
In 1784, Pihl became vicar of Flekkefjord in the county of Vest-Agder. From 1785 he was appointed Denmark-Norway's astronomical observer in Norway. In 1789, he was appointed to serve as priest of Vang Church in Hamar, Hedmark, where he would serve until his death in 1821.[http://www.kirkesok.no/kirker/Vang-kirke-Hamar Vang kirke, Hamar (Kirkesøk)] When Vang church burned down in 1804, Pihl designed the new church and oversaw construction work. The church has an octagonal shape and, with 1000 seats, is the second largest of Norway's octagonal churches. The building later served as a model for octagonal churches on the western side of Mjøsa.{{cite web|url=http://nbl.snl.no/Abraham_Pihl|title=Abraham Pihl: utdypning. I Norsk biografisk leksikon|author=Jan Wiig|accessdate=25 November 2013}}
Pihl developed a large collection of self-made astronomical instruments, and also made telescopes and sextants for others. He designed Vang Church, which burned down and was rebuilt between 1804 and 1810. He started large-scale production of pendulum clocks. The rectory became the largest employer in Vang, with up to 140 persons employed.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Abraham Pihl |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |editor-last=Godal | editor-first=Anne Marit | editor-link=Anne Marit Godal |publisher=Norsk nettleksikon |location=Oslo |url=http://www.snl.no/Abraham_Pihl |language=Norwegian| accessdate=10 May 2013 }}{{cite encyclopedia |title=Abraham Pihl |encyclopedia=Norsk biografisk leksikon|first=Jan |last=Wiig |editor=Helle, Knut |editor-link=Knut Helle |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |location=Oslo |url=http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Abraham_Pihl/utdypning |language=Norwegian|accessdate=10 May 2013}} His interest in practical matters categorized him as a so-called "potato priest" ({{langx|no|potetprest}}).{{cite book |last1=Brandt |first1=Nils |title=Potetprester |date=1973 |publisher=Landbruksforlaget |location=Oslo}}{{cite book |last1=Berg |first1=Kaare S. |title=Bygdebok for Nes herred, Vest-Agder: bd. Kulturhistorie |date=1983 |publisher=Nes Bygdeboknemnd |location=Nes |page=203}}
Honors
He was decorated Knight of the Order of Dannebrog in 1809 for his scientific efforts.[http://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui/handle/11250/133832 To essays om Abraham Pihl (Knut Imerslund, Høgskolen i Hedmark)]
Personal life
His father Andreas Pihl (1726–1781) was vicar of Gausdal. His grandfather Joachim Pihl (1689–1762) was provost for Gudbrandsdalen. In 1784, he married Anna Cathrine Neumann (1764–1850), daughter of Jacob Neumann, who operated the Hassel Iron Works in Modum. They were the parents of eight children and were the grandparents of engineers Oluf Pihl and Carl Abraham Pihl.{{Cite web |url=http://www.historieboka.no/Modules/historiebok_tidsepoke_tema_artikkel.aspx?ObjectType=Article&Article.ID=2188&Category.ID=1314 |title=Neumann-familien (Hassel jernverk) |access-date=2015-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402152405/http://www.historieboka.no/Modules/historiebok_tidsepoke_tema_artikkel.aspx?ObjectType=Article&Article.ID=2188&Category.ID=1314 |archive-date=2015-04-02 |url-status=dead }}[https://nbl.snl.no/Oluf_Pihl Gunnar Nerheim: Oluf Pihl, Ingeniør og Kraftutbygger (Norsk biografisk leksikon)]
References
{{Reflist}}
Other sources
- Imerslund, Knut (2010) Abraham Pihl - prest, prost og tusenkunstner (Oplandske Bokforlag) {{ISBN|978-82-7518-173-0}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20150402123905/http://www.arkivverket.no/eng/The-National-Archives/Hamar/Arrangement/Ljoset-over-landet-dagna Vang kirke, Hamar]
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Category:19th-century Norwegian Lutheran clergy
Category:Norwegian astronomers
Category:18th-century Norwegian architects
Category:University of Copenhagen alumni
Category:Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog
Category:18th-century Norwegian Lutheran clergy
Category:19th-century Norwegian architects
Category:Norwegian ecclesiastical architects
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