Editing Jacob Aall

{{short description|Norwegian politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                 = Jacob Aall
| image                = Eidsvold-galleri_-_no-nb_digibok_2012080808002-35.jpg
| caption              = Lithograph of Aall, published 1856-60
| birth_date           = {{Birth date|df=y|1773|07|27}} 
| birth_place          = [[Porsgrunn]], [[Denmark-Norway]]
| death_date           = {{Death date and age|df=y|1844|08|04|1773|07|27}}
| death_place          = [[Tvedestrand|Holt]], [[Norway]]
| office              = [[Riksforsamlingen|Norwegian Constitutional Assembly]]
| term_start          = 1814
| term_end            = 1814
| office2             = [[Storting|Member of Parliament]]
| term_start2         = 1815
| term_end2           = 1817
| office3             = [[Storting|Member of Parliament]]
| term_start3         = 1821
| term_end3           = 1823
| office4             = [[Storting|Member of Parliament]]
| term_start4         = 1827
| term_end4           = 1829
| office5             = [[Storting|Member of Parliament]]
| term_start5         = 1830
| term_end5           = 1832
| office6             = [[Storting|Member of Parliament]]
| term_start6         = 1839
| term_end6           = 1841
| nationality         = [[Norway|Norwegian]]
| spouse              =
Louise Andrea Stephansen (1779-1825) <br><small>(m.1799)</small>| relations           =
| residence           =
| alma_mater          =
| occupation          = [[politician|statesman]], [[historian]], [[landowner]] and [[economist|government economist]]
}}

'''Jacob Aall''' (27 July 1773 – 4 August 1844) was a [[Norwegians|Norwegian]] [[politician]], [[historian]], [[landowner]] and [[Economist|government economist]].

He was born the son of Nicolai Benjamin Aall (1739-1798), who was a merchant in [[Porsgrunn]], [[Norway]] and owner of Ulefos Manor. He was also the nephew of merchant Jacob Aall (1754-1826).

==Career==
In 1791, Aall began attending a school in [[Copenhagen]], [[Denmark]] where he earned a [[Academic degree|degree]] in [[theology]] in 1795. After graduating, he returned to Norway where he tried working as a [[cleric]], but he felt that his abilities were not well at use and decided to take up other studies. In 1796, he returned to Copenhagen, where he began studying [[natural science]]. In 1797, he journeyed to [[Germany]], touring the scientific schools of [[Leipzig]], [[Kiel]] and [[Göttingen]]. In Germany he became acquainted with the [[geologist]] [[Abraham Gottlob Werner]].

In 1799, after spending the winter at the academy of mines in [[Freiberg]], Aall returned to Norway. Following his father's death, he invested his [[Property|patrimony]] in the purchase of the immense [[Næs jernverk|Nes Iron-works]] in the [[Arendal]] ore region. After purchasing the iron-works, the operation became more efficient, but was placed in a difficult position at the outbreak of the [[English Wars (Scandinavia)|English Wars]] in 1801. However, the business persevered.

In 1814 he took a prominent part in the framing of the free [[Constitution of Norway]], and for fourteen years (1816-1830), he was a leading member of the [[Storting]], the Norwegian National Assembly.

As a writer, he translated and published [[Snorri Sturluson|Snorri Sturluson's]] ''[[Heimskringla]]''. His ''Reminisciences'' (1844-1845) is a repository of data concerning the contemporaneous history of the [[Scandinavian Peninsula|Scandinavian peninsula]].

In his later years, Aall increasingly withdrew from public life, and left most of the work at the iron-works to his son.

==Personal life==
In 1799 he married Louise Andrea Stephansen (1779-1825), with whom he had at least one son.

==Legacy==
Aall lent his name to Jacob Aall Street in [[Oslo]].

He was one of the 41 Norwegian citizens who helped make the creation of the [[University of Oslo]] (previously named Royal Frederick University) possible through donations.

Aall was bestowed upon the Medal for Bogerdåd, the [[Order of Vasa]] and the [[Order of the Polar Star]].

He was a member of the [[Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters|Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences]] and the Royal Danish Science Ernes Society.

==References==
*The original version of this article was taken directly from the ''New Americanized '''Encyclopædia Britannica''' (Twentieth Century Edition)'', The Saalfield Publishing Company, Akron, Ohio, 1903.
*Parliament member periods were fetched from [http://www.nsd.uib.no/polsys/index.cfm?UttakNr=33&person=10011 NSD]

{{Portal| Biography }}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aall, Jakob}}
[[Category:1773 births]]
[[Category:1844 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century Norwegian historians]]
[[Category:Fathers of the Constitution of Norway]]
[[Category:Politicians from Porsgrunn]]
[[Category:Aall family|Jakob]]
[[Category:Place of death missing]]
[[Category:Members of the Storting 1839–1841]]
[[Category:Members of the Storting 1830–1832]]
[[Category:Members of the Storting 1827–1829]]
[[Category:Members of the Storting 1821–1823]]
[[Category:Members of the Storting 1815–1817]]