Eyde studied engineering in
Berlin where he graduated in 1891. He started his career in
Hamburg, working with the railways where he planned new lines, bridges and stations. In 1897 he started the engineering firm
Gleim & Eyde with his previous boss from
Hamburg. He soon established offices in
Kristiania (now Oslo) and
Stockholm. By the turn of the century the firm was one of the largest in
Scandinavia, with some 30 engineers. In 1902, Eyde acquired control over
Rjukan Falls in
Telemark. He also held rights to waterfalls at Arendal and
Notodden. Eyde planned to use the hydropower for industrial purposes. In 1905
Rjukan Falls was producing hydro electrical power for
Potassium nitrate production. This led to the development of the town of
Rjukan as an industrial centre. In 1912 Eyde contributed to the development of
Arendal Smelteverk at
Eydehavn for the production of
silicon carbide. The plant is now part of the Norwegian company Fiven ASA and one of the oldest silicon carbide producing plants worldwide. In 1903, Eyde met with
Kristian Birkeland, who was a scientist, inventor and professor of physics at the
University of Christiania. Birkeland was working on developing an
electric arc, while Eyde had recently bought the rights to several waterfalls in Telemark. They agreed to cooperate to develop an electric flame. This allowed Eyde to establish
Det Norske Aktieselskap for Eletrokemisk Industri (today Elkem) along with members of the
Wallenberg family who he had met in Sweden. The factory at
Notodden opening on 2 May 1905. He was offered a position on the board, where he remained until 1925, and a compensation of for ten years, and for the rest of his life. He was a member of the
Norwegian Parliament in the period 1918–1920. In 1920, Eyde was appointed as Norwegian
Minister to the
United States. ==Gallery==