Christian Fredrik Michelet (politician)

Christian Fredrik Michelet (23 June 1863 – 25 July 1927) was a Norwegian lawyer and politician for the Conservative Party.

Christian Fredrik Michelet
Michelet in ca. 1885.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 6 March 1923 – 25 July 1924
Prime Minister	Otto B. Halvorsen Abraham Berge
Preceded by	Johan Mowinckel
Succeeded by	Johan Mowinckel
In office 21 June 1920 – 22 June 1921
Prime Minister	Otto B. Halvorsen
Preceded by	Nils Claus Ihlen
Succeeded by	Arnold Ræstad
Prime Minister of Norway Acting
In office 24 March 1923 – 30 May 1923
Preceded by	Otto B. Halvorsen
Succeeded by	Abraham Berge
Personal details
Born	(1863-06-23)23 June 1863 Christiania, United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway
Died	25 July 1927(1927-07-25) (aged 64) Bærum, Akershus, Norway
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Elisabeth Holmsen (1888-1927; his death)
Occupation	Politician, lawyer

He was born in Christiania (now Oslo) as a son of Colonel Georg Ove von Ramel Michelet (1830–1908) and Anna Beate Stang (1838–1866). He was a paternal grandson of Christian Fredrik Michelet (1792–1874) and a maternal grandson of Thomas Andersen Stang. He was a nephew of Carl Johan Michelet, first cousin of Major Christian Fredrik Michelet and second cousin of theologian Simon Michelet. In May 1888 he married Betzy Holmsen (1867–1951).[1][2][3]

He finished his secondary education at Aars og Voss in 1881, and graduated with the cand.jur. degree in 1886. After graduation, he was a deputy judge and junior solicitor for Nils Nicolaysen, before opening his own lawyer's firm Michelet og Harbitz together with Edmund Harbitz in 1890.[4] From 1892 he was a barrister with access to Supreme Court cases.[5] In 1916 the firm changed its name to Michelet, Skavlan og Blom.[1]

Michelet moved to the property Birkeli at Fornebu in 1894. He was elected to Bærum municipal council in 1897, and served as mayor from 1899 to 1910.[1] He was an elector in the 1900 election.[2] He was elected to the Parliament of Norway from the constituency Bærum og Follo in 1909, and was re-elected in 1912, 1915 and 1918. From 1920 to 1921, when the Bahr Halvorsen's First Cabinet held office, Michelet was Minister of Foreign Affairs. He later became Minister of Foreign Affairs again in Bahr Halvorsen's Second Cabinet (1923) and Berge's Cabinet (1923–1924). After Prime Minister Otto Bahr Halvorsen died, Michelet also served as acting Prime Minister of Norway from 24 March to 29 May 1923.[2] In 1926–1927 he was tried in the impeachment case against seven members of Berge's Cabinet, but was acquitted.[5]

He was a board member of Forsikringsselskapet Norden (1913–1927), Den norske Creditbank (1907–1918, chairman since 1912), Elektrisk Bureau and Tofte Cellulosefabrik.[2]

Michelet was decorated as a Commander, First Class of the Order of St. Olav (1921), Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog, Knight of the Order of Vasa and the Order of the Polar Star. He died in 1927 from an accidental shot from his own gun.[1] His wife married B. Johan R. Koren.[4]