Christian August Selmer
{{short description|Norwegian politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Christian Selmer
| honorific-suffix = MP
| image = Christian Selmer.jpg
| imagesize = 170px
| caption = Christian Selmer
| order = Prime Minister of Norway in Christiania
| monarch = Oscar II
| term_start = 11 October 1880
| term_end = 3 April 1884
| predecessor = Frederik Stang
| successor = Christian H. Schweigaard
| office2= Minister of the Army
| term_start2= 13 October 1879
| term_end2= 15 September 1880
| primeminister2= Frederik Stang
| predecessor2= Adolph F. Munthe
| successor2= Adolph F. Munthe
| term_start3= 29 July 1874
| term_end3= 21 July 1875
| primeminister3= Frederik Stang
| predecessor3= Lorentz Segelcke
| successor3= Lorentz Segelcke
| office4= Minister of the Interior
| term_start4= 15 August 1878
| term_end4= 15 August 1879
| primeminister4= Frederik Stang
| predecessor4= Niels Vogt
| successor4= Niels Vogt
| term_start5= 21 July 1875
| term_end5= 15 August 1876
| primeminister5= Frederik Stang
| predecessor5= Niels Vogt
| successor5= Niels Vogt
| office6= Minister of Justice
| term_start6= 15 August 1877
| term_end6= 15 August 1878
| primeminister6= Frederik Stang
| predecessor6= John Collett Falsen
| successor6= John Collett Falsen
| office7= Minister of Auditing
| term_start7= 13 June 1879
| term_end7= 13 October 1879
| primeminister7= Frederik Stang
| predecessor7= Jacob Aall jr.
| successor7= Christian Jensen
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1816|11|16|df=y}}
| birth_place = Fredrikshald, Østfold, United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway
| death_date ={{death date and age|1889|11|1|1816|11|4|df=y}}
| death_place = Bygdøy (now in Oslo), United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway
| nationality = Norwegian
| party = Conservative
| spouse =Anna Sylvia Leganger
| relations =
| children = Jørgen
Ida
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Magistrate
| profession = Attorney
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Christian August Selmer (16 November 1816 – 1 September 1889) was a Norwegian lawyer and a magistrate. He served as a member of the Norwegian Parliament, Minister of Defense and Minister of Justice. He was the prime minister of Norway in Christiana between 1880 and 1884.Knut Dørum. {{cite web|url=https://snl.no/Christian_Selmer|title= Christian Selmer|publisher= Store norske leksikon |accessdate= June 10, 2016}}
Background
Selmer was born at Fredrikshald in Østfold, Norway and grew up in Halden. He was the son of Johan Christian Selmer (1783-1830) and Johanne Ditlevine Michea Vibe (1788-1879). Selmer studied law at the University of Christiania from 1837, achieved his legal degree in 1842.
In 1842, he was magistrate in Sør-Hedmark. In 1848, he was appointed law clerk in the office of attorney P.A. Midelfart in Drammen. In 1850, he took over the firm and developed an extensive legal practice. He served as a stipendiary magistrate in Drammen from 1862 until 1874. In 1848 he married Anna Sylvia Leganger (1825–1896).
Career
Selmer served as deputy to Parliament for Drammen from 1871 until 1873 and permanent representative from 1874 until 1876. In 1874 joined the cabinet of Prime Minister Frederik Stang. Following the surprising resignation of Frederik Stang as Prime Minister in September 1880, King Oscar II of Sweden had Selmer in mind as Norwegian Prime Minister. Selmer's record as Prime Minister was characterized by conflict over whether members of the cabinet were required to appear in Parliament to answer questions. He influenced King Oscar II to reject efforts at a compromise, setting the stage for impeachment proceedings. In April 1883 the members of the lower house (Odelsting) decided to impeach the members of the Selmer cabinet. Selmer was subsequently convicted under articles of impeachment and resigned as Prime Minister on March 1, 1884.{{cite web|url= https://nbl.snl.no/Christian_Selmer|title = Christian Selmer, Jurist, Politiker|publisher = Norsk biografisk leksikon|author=Paul Thyness|accessdate= June 10, 2016}}{{cite web|url =https://snl.no/Odelstinget |title=Odelstinget|publisher =Store norske leksikon |author=Eirik Holmøyvik|accessdate= April 1, 2018}}
Subsequently, Selmer became acting General Auditor (Generalauditør) of the Royal Norwegian Army and Royal Norwegian Navy, He held this office until his death at Bygdøy in Aker during September 1889. He was buried at Vår Frelsers gravlund in Kristiania.{{cite web|url =https://snl.no/generalaudit%C3%B8r
|title=Generalauditør|publisher =Store norske leksikon |author= Jacob Børresen|accessdate= April 1, 2018}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/om_regjeringen/tidligere/oversikt/departementer_embeter/embeter/Statsminister-1814-/Christian-August-Selmer.html?id=440555 Biography at the Norwegian National Government website]
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{{succession box | before=Frederik Stang| title=Prime Minister of Norway | years=1880–1884 | after=Christian Homann Schweigaard}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Selmer, Christian August}}
Category:Politicians from Halden
Category:University of Oslo alumni
Category:19th-century Norwegian lawyers
Category:Prime ministers of Norway
Category:Government ministers of Norway
Category:Presidents of the Norwegian Red Cross
Category:Burials at the Cemetery of Our Saviour
Category:Ministers of justice of Norway
Category:Ministers of defence of Norway
Category:Members of the Storting 1874–1876