Fredrik Lange-Nielsen
{{Short description|Norwegian mathematician and chief executive}}
{{Use dmy dates | date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Fredrik Lange-Nielsen
| honorific_suffix =
| image = FredrikLange-Nielsen.png
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| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1891|5|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = Eivindvik, Norway
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1980|5|16|1891|5|13|df=y}}
| death_place = Oslo, Norway
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| nationality = Norwegian
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| education =
| alma_mater = Norwegian Military Academy
| occupation = {{Plainlist|
- Mathematician
- Insurance company manager
}}
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| parents =
| relatives = {{plainlist|
- Sissel Lange-Nielsen (daughter-in-law)
- Per Lillo-Stenberg (son-in-law)
- Lars Lillo-Stenberg (grandson)
}}
| awards = {{Plainlist|
- Grand Cross of Den Gyldne Gris
- Knight, First Class of the Order of St. Olav
- Knight of the Danish Order of Dannebrog
- Knight of the Swedish Order of the Polar Star
}}
| website =
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Fredrik Lange-Nielsen (13 May 1891 – 16 May 1980) was a Norwegian mathematician and insurance company manager. He chaired the Norwegian Students' Society, edited Norsk matematisk Tidsskrift, and lectured at the University of Oslo. He was chief executive of the insurance company Norske Liv for nearly twenty years, was elected member of several governmental commissions, and a member of the Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature from its establishment in 1953.
Personal life
Lange-Nielsen was born in Eivindvik in Gulen; the son of physician Johan Fredrik Nielsen and Christine Lange. He married Laura Stang Lund in 1918.{{cite encyclopedia|title=Fredrik Lange-Nielsen |encyclopedia=Norsk biografisk leksikon|first=Inger |last=Døving|editor=Helle, Knut|editor-link=Knut Helle|publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |location=Oslo |url=http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Fredrik_Lange-Nielsen/utdypning |language=Norwegian |accessdate=18 August 2012}} He was the father of judge Trygve Lange-Nielsen,{{cite encyclopedia |title=Lange – slekt fra Holstein |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |publisher=Norsk nettleksikon |location=Oslo |url=https://snl.no/Lange_-_slekt_fra_Holstein |last=Bratberg |first=Terje |editor-last=Godal |editor-first=Anne Marit |editor-link=Anne Marit Godal |language=Norwegian |authorlink=Terje Bratberg |accessdate=18 August 2012}} and father-in-law of novelist Sissel Lange-Nielsen. He died in Oslo in 1980.
Career
Lange-Nielsen finished his secondary education in 1908, and attended the Norwegian Military Academy in 1909. He actively took part in social academic life. He was among the editors of the Norwegian Students' Society's magazine {{lang|no|Samfundsbladet}}, and he was a board member of the society in the autumn of 1913, at the society's Centennial Anniversary.{{cite book|title=Det norske Studentersamfund gjennem hundrede aar. 1813 – 2. oktober – 1913 |first=Fredrik B. |last=Wallem |author-link=Fredrik Barbe Wallem |pages=1151, 1191 |volume=2 |year=1916 |language=Norwegian |publisher=Aschehoug}} He chaired the Norwegian Students' Society in 1916. He graduated candidatus realium in 1917, and subsequently studied mathematics in Lund and in Paris.
He was manager of the statistics department of {{lang|no|De norske Livsforsikringsselskaper}} from 1920 to 1938, and edited the journal {{lang|no|Norsk matematisk Tidsskrift}} from 1924 to 1929. He also lectured in mathematical subjects at the University of Oslo. From 1938 to 1945 he worked for the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, but was arrested by the Germans in December 1941 because of his participation in the Norwegian resistance movement, and did not return to the Pension Fund until 1945.{{cite encyclopedia|title=Fredrik Lange-Nielsen |first= |last= |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/Fredrik_Lange-Nielsen |language=Norwegian|accessdate=18 August 2012}} He was imprisoned at Møllergata 19, and then incarcerated at the Grini concentration camp from January 1942 to May 1943.{{cite book|title=Nordmenn i fangenskap 1940–1945 |editor-first=Kristian|editor-last=Ottosen |editor-link=Kristian Ottosen |page=428| language=Norwegian|year=2004 |edition=2|origyear=1995|publisher=Universitetsforlaget |location=Oslo |isbn=82-15-00288-9}} While at Grini, he took part in what has been described as the first actual political discussions in the camp, along with Erling Bühring-Dehli, Olaf Solumsmoen and others.{{cite book | title=Griniboken |editor1-first=August |editor1-last=Lange |editor1-link=August Lange |editor2-first=Johan |editor2-last=Schreiner |editor2-link=Johan Schreiner |first=Olaf |last=Solumsmoen|author-link=Olaf Solumsmoen |chapter=Politiske drøftinger |pages=355–365 |year=1947 |volume=2 |language=Norwegian|publisher=Gyldendal |location=Oslo}}
From 1945 to 1964 he was chief executive of the insurance company Norske Liv. He was elected to several governmental commissions, including Pensjonslovkomiteen of 1935, Krigpensjoneringsutvalget of 1940, and Livsforsikringskomiteen of 1947. He was among the first members of the Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature from its foundation in 1953. He was awarded the Grand Cross of Den Gyldne Gris, and was decorated as a Knight, First Class of the Order of St. Olav, Knight of the Danish Order of Dannebrog, and Knight of the Swedish Order of the Polar Star.
References
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{{succession box |before=Wilhelm Christian Keilhau |after=Henning Bødtker |title=Chairman of the Norwegian Students' Society |years=1916 (spring) }}
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Category:Norwegian Military Academy alumni
Category:Norwegian mathematicians
Category:Norwegian chief executives
Category:Academic staff of the University of Oslo
Category:Norwegian resistance members
Category:Grini concentration camp survivors
Category:Members of the Norwegian Academy