Johan Welhaven was born in
Bergen, Norway in 1807. His grandfather, Johan Andrew Welhaven (1748–1811) was a teacher and later assistant to the pastor at
St Mary's Church (
Mariakirken), which served the city's German community. The author's father,
Johan Ernst Welhaven (1775–1828), was a pastor at St. George's Hospital, (
St. Jørgens spedalskehospital), while his mother, Else Margaret Cammermeyer, was the daughter of
Johan Sebastian Cammermeyer, resident chaplain of
Holy Cross Church (
Korskirken). Johan Welhaven was the member of an accomplished family which included his sister socialite
Maren Sars, the wife of theologian and biologist
Michael Sars (1805–1869), and mother of historian,
Ernst Sars (1835–1917), marine biologist
Georg Ossian Sars (1837–1927) and mezzo-soprano singer
Eva Nansen (1858–1907). Johan Welhaven was himself the father of Norwegian architect
Hjalmar Welhaven. Welhaven attended
Bergen Cathedral School from 1817 to 1825. In 1828 he began to study
theology under the supervision of his father, but that same year his father died, and thus, Welhaven continued his studies at the university in the capital, where he came to live the rest of his life. After his final exams at the
University of Christiania in 1827, he devoted himself to literature. In 1836 he had visited France and Germany; and in 1858 he went to
Italy to study
archaeology. In 1840, he was appointed lecturer in philosophy at the
Royal Frederik's University in
Christiania and delivered a series of lectures on literary subjects. When in 1843 he obtained an academic job, controversy aroused because he had not even completed his theological degree, and had not published any work of philosophical nature. Wergeland also searched for the position and completed a theological degree and used the illustrations of
Creation, Man and the Messiah to show his deep historical and philosophical knowledge. He became professor in 1846. Afterwards, he spent 26 years lecturing in philosophy at the university from 1840 to 1866. His influence was extended by his appointment as director of the Society of Arts. He died in Christiania in 1873. ==Career==