Christian Birch-Reichenwald

Birch-Reichenwald's headstone at the Vår Frelsers gravlund

Christian Birch-Reichenwald (4 January 1814 – 8 July 1891) was a Norwegian politician.

He was born in Blaker to Paul Hansen Birch and Anna Catharina Hoffmand Stenersen. He married Jacobine Ida Sophie Motzfeldt, daughter of Peter Motzfeldt and niece of his own mother. The couple had two children; Anna Ernesta (born 1839) and Peter (born 1843).^[1]

During his University studies, he had been chairman in the Norwegian Students' Society. He was a member of the social circle Intelligenspartiet, and befriended such notable figures as Anton Martin Schweigaard, Bernhard Dunker and Johan Sebastian Welhaven there.

He served as mayor of Christiania in 1846. In 1847 he was appointed County Governor of Smaalenene (today named Østfold).^[2] While stationed here he was elected to the Norwegian Parliament in 1848 and 1854, representing the constituency of Moss og Drøbak.^[3] In 1855 he was appointed County Governor in the more central county of Akershus).^[2]

In 1858 he was appointed Minister of Auditing. The road had been opened for Christian Birch-Reichenwald and his supporters, as Crown Prince Carl of Sweden and Norway, who was viceroy of Norway at that time, had requested first minister and head of government Jørgen Herman Vogt to "tender his resignation".^[4] According to historians, Birch-Reichenwald and his friend Georg Christian Sibbern "used" Crown Prince Carl to their own gains.^[5] Birch-Reichenwald was Minister of Auditing for one year, then became a member of the Council of State Division in Stockholm from 1859 to 1860, and then served as Minister of Justice and the Police from 1860 to 1861. In 1861, the governor-general position was discussed. Carl, who in the meantime had been crowned King, was unwilling to abolish this position, provoking Christian Birch-Reichenwald (and Ketil Motzfeldt) to resign.^[5] The governor-general office was not abolished until 1873.

In 1862 Birch-Reichenwald was elected mayor of Christiania for the second time, serving through that year. He was also elected to a third parliamentary term, representing the constituency of Christiania, Hønefoss og Kongsvinger.^[3] From 1864 to 1865 he was mayor of Christiania for the third time, and in 1865 he was again elected to parliament.^[3]

From 1869 to 1889 he served as district stipendiary magistrate (sorenskriver). He died in 1891 and was buried at Vår Frelsers gravlund.

References

1. ^ Genealogy
2. ^ ^{a b} Norwegian Counties — World Statesmen.org
3. ^ ^{a b c} Christian Birch-Reichenwald — Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD)
4. ^ Jørgen Herman Vogt 1784-1862 - Government.no
5. ^ ^{a b} Georg Christian Sibbern 1816-1901 - Government.no

Political offices
Preceded by Lars Rasch	Mayor of Christania 1846	Succeeded by Lars Rasch
Preceded by Gregers Winther Wulfsberg	County Governor of Østfold 1847–1855	Succeeded by Carl Sibbern
Preceded by Erik Røring Møinichen	County Governor of Akershus 1855–1858	Succeeded by Johan Christian Collett
Preceded by August Christian Manthey	Minister of Auditing 1858–1859	Succeeded by Hans Christian Petersen
Preceded by Erik Røring Møinichen	Minister of Justice and the Police 1860–1861	Succeeded by Erik Røring Møinichen
Preceded by Frederik Stang	Mayor of Christiania 1862	Succeeded by August Thomle
Preceded by August Thomle	Mayor of Christiania 1864–1865	Succeeded by Carl Johan Michelet

Persondata
Name	Birch Reichenwald, Christian
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	4 January 1814
Place of birth
Date of death	8 July 1891
Place of death