Thomas Johannessen Heftye
Encyclopedia
Thomas Johannessen Heftye, also known as Tho Joh Heftye (29 October 1822 – 4 October 1886) was a Norwegian
businessman, politician and philanthropist.
as the son of merchant Johannes Thomassen Heftye
(1792–1856) Tina Haslef (1798–1862). He was a nephew of Henrik Heftye
.
In October 1846 he married Marie Jacobine Meyer (1826–1895), a daughter of Jacob Peter Meyer and sister of Thorvald Meyer
. Their son Thomas Heftye became a notable politician. Through his daughter Ingeborg Marie he was a father-in-law of Frits Hansen
and grandfather of Eilif Fougner.
in the late eighteenth century, and founded the family company Thos. Joh. Heftye & Søn
. Heftye grew up at Filipstad
. He took his secondary education at Oslo Cathedral School
and his higher education mainly in Leipzig
. He entered the family company in 1848.
Heftye was heavily involved in the organizational life of the time. He co-founded the Norwegian Trekking Association in 1868. He owned the rural areas Sarabråten
, Frognerseteren
and Tryvannshøyden
. Already in his lifetime these were opened as recreational areas; the two latter areas later became publicly owned. He was also a member of the board of Akers Sparebank from 1873 to his death, and also of Norges Forsvarsforening, Christiania Theatre
, the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments and Christiania Kunstforening
. He was a known patron of the arts
, and financed the publication of the diaries of Claus Pavels
. He also financed writers and artists such as Aasmund Olavson Vinje, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
, Hans Gude
and P. A. Munch.
He was also involved in politics. He was a member of Christiania city council from 1855 to 1856 and 1879 to 1886, and of Aker
municipal council from 1869 to 1877. During the term 1880–1882 he served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament. The reason why he changed from Aker to Christiania after 1877 was that Frogner
, where he lived, was incorporated into the city in 1878. His villa is now used as the embassy of the United Kingdom.
Heftye was decorated as a Knight of the Swedish Order of the Polar Star
in 1860, the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1864, the Danish Order of the Dannebrog
in 1866 and the French Légion d'honneur
in 1867. He was also a Commander of the Austrian Order of Franz Joseph
from 1867 and of the Swedish Order of Vasa
in 1877. He died in October 1886 in Kristiania
. A memorial stone was raised for him at Midtstuen
, and the road Thomas Heftyes gate in Frogner
, Oslo
has been named after him.
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...
businessman, politician and philanthropist.
Personal life
He was born in ChristianiaOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
as the son of merchant Johannes Thomassen Heftye
Johannes Thomassen Heftye
Johannes Thomassen Heftye was a Norwegian businessperson and politician.He was the son of merchant Thomas Johannessen Heftye , an immigrant from Switzerland who founded the family company Thos. Joh. Heftye & Søn. He was the father of banker Thomas Johannessen Heftye and grandfather of Thomas Heftye...
(1792–1856) Tina Haslef (1798–1862). He was a nephew of Henrik Heftye
Henrik Heftye
Henrik Thomassen Heftye was a Norwegian businessman.-Personal life:He was born in Christiania as the son of merchant Thomas Johannessen Heftye and his wife Katharina Tschudi . He did not marry, but through his sister Betha he was a brother-in-law of ship-owner Mogens Thorsen...
.
In October 1846 he married Marie Jacobine Meyer (1826–1895), a daughter of Jacob Peter Meyer and sister of Thorvald Meyer
Thorvald Meyer
Thorvald Meyer was a Norwegian businessman who built his fortune primarily on real estate development in Oslo, but also forestry. He was a supporter of the arts, in particular the theater. He donated several of his properties to the city. One of the main thoroughfares, Thorvald Meyers gate,...
. Their son Thomas Heftye became a notable politician. Through his daughter Ingeborg Marie he was a father-in-law of Frits Hansen
Frits Hansen
Frits Hansen was a Norwegian educator, newspaper editor, biographer and politician. He was editor of the Lillehammer newspaper Framgang, and the Kristiania newspaper Eidsvold. He wrote a biography of the poet Edvard Storm....
and grandfather of Eilif Fougner.
Career
His grandfather migrated to Norway from SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in the late eighteenth century, and founded the family company Thos. Joh. Heftye & Søn
Thos. Joh. Heftye & Søn
Thos. Joh. Heftye & Søn was a Norwegian bank company. It was one of the first commercial banks in Norway. Based in Christiania, it was founded in 1818 by Thomas Johannessen Heftye , an immigrant from Switzerland. The bank remained in the family in the next generations, and both Henrik Heftye and...
. Heftye grew up at Filipstad
Filipstad, Norway
Filipstad is a neighborhood in the borough Sentrum in Oslo, Norway. It serves as a container port for Oslo.The neighborhood grew from a single property, named after the pharmacist Philip Moth around 1650 - the last element is stad m 'farm'...
. He took his secondary education at Oslo Cathedral School
Oslo katedralskole
Schola Osloensis, known in Norwegian as Oslo katedralskole and more commonly as "Katta" is an upper secondary school located in Oslo, Norway. The school offers the college preparatory studiespesialisering of the Norwegian school system...
and his higher education mainly in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
. He entered the family company in 1848.
Heftye was heavily involved in the organizational life of the time. He co-founded the Norwegian Trekking Association in 1868. He owned the rural areas Sarabråten
Sarabråten
Sarabråten is an area near the lake Nøklevann in Østmarka, Oslo, Norway.Now a recreational area, it was owned by Thomas Johannessen Heftye and his descendants from 1856 to 1911, and after that by Oslo municipality. It was first recorded under the name Jørgensrud in 1578, when owned by the Diocese...
, Frognerseteren
Frognerseteren
Frognerseteren is a neighborhood of Oslo, Norway, located within Nordmarka. It is a popular starting point for recreational hiking and skiing in Oslo. Frognerseteren Station is the terminal station of the Holmenkollen Line of the Oslo Metro....
and Tryvannshøyden
Tryvannshøyden
Tryvannshøyden, Tryvannshøgda or Tryvasshøgda is a hill in Oslo, Norway, peaking 529 metres above mean sea level.It is named after the nearby lake Tryvann. It is known as transmitter site consisting of Tryvannstårnet and a guyed TV mast. From 1934 to 1966 the hill featured a speed skating venue,...
. Already in his lifetime these were opened as recreational areas; the two latter areas later became publicly owned. He was also a member of the board of Akers Sparebank from 1873 to his death, and also of Norges Forsvarsforening, Christiania Theatre
Christiania Theatre
Christiania Theatre, or Kristiania Theatre, was Norway's finest stage for the spoken drama between October 4, 1836 - September 1, 1899. It was located at Bankplassen by the Akershus Fortress in central Christiania, in Norway...
, the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments and Christiania Kunstforening
Oslo Kunstforening
Oslo Kunstforening is an art gallery and art society located in Oslo, Norway.Oslo Kunstforening is located at Rådhusgata 19. The gallery, situated in one of the oldest houses in the Kvadraturen area, is the oldest artist gallery in Oslo. During the year, many varied shows are organized within the...
. He was a known patron of the arts
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
, and financed the publication of the diaries of Claus Pavels
Claus Pavels
Claus Pavels was a Norwegian priest and diarist. His diaries from 1812–1822 are an important source for cultural and biographical history.-Biography:...
. He also financed writers and artists such as Aasmund Olavson Vinje, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland...
, Hans Gude
Hans Gude
Hans Fredrik Gude was a Norwegian romanticist painter and is considered along with Johan Christian Dahl to be one of Norway's foremost landscape painters...
and P. A. Munch.
He was also involved in politics. He was a member of Christiania city council from 1855 to 1856 and 1879 to 1886, and of Aker
Aker, Norway
Aker is a former municipality in Akershus, which lends its name to a municipality and a county in Norway. The name originally belonged to a farm which was located near the current Old Aker Church...
municipal council from 1869 to 1877. During the term 1880–1882 he served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament. The reason why he changed from Aker to Christiania after 1877 was that Frogner
Frogner
Frogner is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. In addition to traditional Frogner, the borough incorporates Bygdøy, Uranienborg and Majorstuen....
, where he lived, was incorporated into the city in 1878. His villa is now used as the embassy of the United Kingdom.
Heftye was decorated as a Knight of the Swedish Order of the Polar Star
Order of the Polar Star
The Order of the Polar Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim....
in 1860, the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1864, the Danish Order of the Dannebrog
Order of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
in 1866 and the French Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in 1867. He was also a Commander of the Austrian Order of Franz Joseph
Order of Franz Joseph
The Imperial Austrian Franz Joseph Order was founded by the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria on December 2, 1849 on the first anniversary of his assumption of the Imperial Crown...
from 1867 and of the Swedish Order of Vasa
Order of Vasa
The Royal Order of Vasa was a Swedish Royal order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III of Sweden...
in 1877. He died in October 1886 in Kristiania
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. A memorial stone was raised for him at Midtstuen
Midtstuen
Midtstuen is an area in the borough Vestre Aker in Oslo, Norway.Originally a forested area in the former municipality Aker, it was later incorporated into Oslo. In the 1960s is was developed as a residential area. It is served by Midtstuen Station of the Oslo Metro. The sports venues Korketrekkeren...
, and the road Thomas Heftyes gate in Frogner
Frogner
Frogner is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. In addition to traditional Frogner, the borough incorporates Bygdøy, Uranienborg and Majorstuen....
, Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
has been named after him.