Johan Christian Tandberg Castberg
Encyclopedia
Johan Christian Tandberg Castberg (13 October 1827 – 8 December 1899) was a Norwegian
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...

 politician. Spending his professional life as a customs surveyor, he was mayor of the cities Brevik
Brevik
is a town in Telemark, Norway with an estimated population of 2,700. Brevik was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 , but was merged with Porsgrunn on January 1, 1964. Brevik is regarded one of the best preserved towns from the sailing ship era...

 and Skien
Skien
' is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county....

, and served three terms in the Norwegian Parliament. He also founded the newspaper Varden
Varden
Varden is a local newspaper published in Skien, Norway. It was first established with a test issue on 17 December 1874, with Johan Christian Tandberg Castberg as its first editor-in-chief. It has a circulation of 27,341, of whom 25,859 are subscribers...

, and was editor-in-chief for many years.

Personal life

Johan Christian Tandberg Castberg was born in Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad
is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad....

 as the son of priest and politician Peter Hersleb Harboe Castberg
Peter Hersleb Harboe Castberg
Peter Hersleb Harboe Castberg was a Norwegian priest and politician.-Personal life:Peter Hersleb Harboe Castberg was born in Bergen as the son of Tycho Didrich Castberg and his wife Helene Margaretha Calmeyer . He had several brothers and sisters.Johan Castberg married Anne Margrethe Zimmer Henchel...

 (1794–1858) and his wife Anne Margrethe Zimmer Henchel (1764–1830). He had several brothers and sisters.

In 1858 he married Hanna Magdalena Frisak Ebbesen (1794–1858), daughter of Jørgen Tandberg Ebbesen
Jørgen Tandberg Ebbesen
Jørgen Tandberg Ebbesen was a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party.-Personal life:Jørgen Tandberg Ebbesen was born in Fredrikstad as the son of Hans Christian Ebbesen and Abigael Marie Bing ....

 and sister of Just Bing Ebbesen
Just Bing Ebbesen
Just Bing Ebbesen was a Norwegian priest and politician.Just Bing Ebbesen was the son of Jørgen Tandberg Ebbesen, and brother of Hanna Magdalene Frisak Ebbesen, who married Johan Christian Tandberg Castberg and was the mother of Johan Castberg.He enrolled as a student in 1866 and graduated as...

. They had several sons and daughters, although some died while young. Their son Johan
Johan Castberg
Johan Castberg was a Norwegian jurist and politician best known for representing the Radical People's Party . He was a government minister from 1908 to 1910 and 1913 to 1914, and also served seven terms in the Norwegian Parliament...

 became one of the most influential politicians in Norway, and their son Torgrim
Torgrim Castberg
-Personal life:Torgrim Castberg was born in Skien as the son of customs surveyor and politician Johan Christian Tandberg Castberg and his wife Hanna Magdalene Frisak Ebbesen . He had several brothers and sisters, including the notable politician Johan.His paternal grandfather Peter Hersleb Harboe...

 was a noted violinist. Through Johan, Johan Christian was the grandfather of professor Frede Castberg
Frede Castberg
Frede Castberg was a Norwegian jurist. The son of Johan Castberg, he served as professor and rector at the University of Oslo as well as president of the Hague Academy of International Law.-Personal life:...

.

Following the death of his wife in 1881, Johan Christian was married for a second time in 1887, to Olga Elvira Scheen (1853–1930).

Career

Johan Christian Tandberg Castberg enrolled as a student in 1846, and graduated as cand.jur. in 1850. He worked as an attorney in Sandefjord
Sandefjord
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sandefjord. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838...

, before his appointment as a customs surveyor in Brevik
Brevik
is a town in Telemark, Norway with an estimated population of 2,700. Brevik was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 , but was merged with Porsgrunn on January 1, 1964. Brevik is regarded one of the best preserved towns from the sailing ship era...

 in 1856. He was promoted to head customs surveyor in 1866, and also served as mayor.

In 1871 he was hired as head customs surveyor in Skien
Skien
' is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county....

. He was elected to the city council the next year, and later served as both deputy mayor and mayor. He was also elected to the Norwegian Parliament in 1877, 1880 and 1886, representing his city. He belonged to the Liberal Party, which had been founded in 1884. There were tensions in the Liberal Party in the late 1880s, culminating in the breakaway by their right wing in 1889 to found the Moderate Liberal Party
Moderate Liberal Party
Moderate Liberal Party was a Norwegian political party that emerged from the conservative branch of the Liberal Party in 1888, consisting mainly of the Low Church...

. Castberg, on the other hand, was among the most radical members.

Castberg was also among the founders of the newspaper Varden
Varden
Varden is a local newspaper published in Skien, Norway. It was first established with a test issue on 17 December 1874, with Johan Christian Tandberg Castberg as its first editor-in-chief. It has a circulation of 27,341, of whom 25,859 are subscribers...

. He was its first editor-in-chief, having this position from 1 January 1875 to September 1884. Varden still exists, but its Liberal Party allegiance was scrapped in 1953.

In 1887 he was hired as customs surveyor in Trondhjem
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...

. He died in that city in 1899, from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

.
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