Lars Oftedal (born 1838) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lars Oftedal
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Lars Oftedal drawn by Hans Christian Olsen
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| Born | 27 December 1838 Stavanger, Norway
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| Died | 2 May 1900 (aged 61) Stavanger
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| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Occupation | revivalist, priest, social reformer, politician, publicist and newspaper editor |
| Known for | Founder of social institutions Editor of Vestlandsposten Founding editor of Stavanger Aftenblad Member of the Storting |
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Notable work
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Basunrøst og Harpetoner (1870) |
| Children | Lars Oftedal |
| Relatives | Sven Oftedal (brother) Christian Oftedal (grandson) Sven Oftedal (grandson) |
| Awards | Order of St. Olav |
Lars Svendsen Oftedal (born December 27, 1838 – died May 2, 1900) was a very important person in Norway. He was a priest, a social reformer, a politician, and a newspaper editor.
He is famous for starting the newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad. He also served as a member of the Storting, which is the Norwegian Parliament.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Lars Oftedal was born in Stavanger, Norway. His father, Svend Oftedahl, was a teacher. His mother was Gunhild Ommundsdatter Stokke.
Lars had a younger brother named Sven Oftedal. Sven later became a Lutheran minister in America. He also helped start the Lutheran Free Church.
Lars studied at the Royal Frederick University in Christiania (now Oslo). He focused on theology, which is the study of religious faith. He finished his studies in 1864.
Helping Others and Writing
Lars Oftedal started his career as a traveling preacher. He worked for a mission group in Bergen. From 1866 to 1868, he was a priest for sailors in Cardiff, Wales.
In 1870, he became a priest in the Kristiansand area. Later, in 1874, he became a priest in Hetland, near Stavanger. He opened his own chapel, called Bethania, in Stavanger in 1875.
His Popular Book
Lars Oftedal wrote a collection of psalms (religious songs) called Basunrøst og Harpetoner. This book came out in 1870. It became very popular. Over the years, more than 200,000 copies were printed.
Founding Social Institutions
Lars Oftedal was a true social reformer. He cared deeply about helping people in need. He started several important institutions in Stavanger.
In 1877, he opened an orphanage for boys. He also created a home for women called the Magdalena institution. He bought a farm named Berge and renamed it Emmaus. This farm became part of his group of helpful institutions.
He even bought an island called Lindøy. There, he set up a special place for boys who faced many challenges.
Funding His Work
Lars Oftedal found creative ways to get money for his charity work. He relied on volunteers and big lotteries. These lotteries were often called "bazaars" and were held at his Bethania chapel. The first "Waisenhus bazaar" (orphanage bazaar) was in 1876. This became a long-lasting tradition, continuing for over a hundred years.
Newspaper Editor
Besides his religious and social work, Lars Oftedal was also involved in newspapers. From 1878 to 1891, he was the editor of Vestlandsposten.
In 1893, he started a new newspaper called Stavanger Aftenblad. He was its first editor. After he passed away in 1900, his son, Lars Oftedal, took over as editor. His grandson, Christian Stephansen Oftedal, later continued this family tradition.
Political Career
Lars Oftedal was also active in politics. He served as a deputy representative for Stavanger in the Parliament of Norway from 1877 to 1879.
From 1881, he was elected to the Stavanger City Council. He was also a member of the Norwegian Parliament from 1883 to 1885. During this time, he represented the Liberal Party. Later, from 1889 to 1891, he represented the Moderate Liberal Party. These were different political groups in Norway.
In 1891, he was elected for another term in Parliament. However, he did not attend. He faced some personal challenges and decided to step back from some of his public roles. He also voluntarily left his positions in the charity institutions and as editor of Vestlandsposten.
Even after this, he continued his religious work. He became the principal of a new prayer house in Stavanger. In 1898, he was elected to the Stavanger City Council again. He passed away in May 1900 in Stavanger.
Family Life
In 1865, Lars Oftedal married Olava Mathilde Olsen. They had a son named Lars Oftedal (1877–1932).
His grandchildren included Sven Oftedal (1905–48), who became a physician and politician. Another grandson was Christian Oftedal (1907–55), who followed in his grandfather's footsteps as a newspaper editor.
In 1889, Lars Oftedal was honored as a Knight of the Order of St. Olav. This is a high award in Norway.
