Viking Magazine - May 2014 - 24

Over Time
Norway's constitution took
weeks to draft but decades to enact.
1380
Norway, weak and decimated
by the Black Death in the midand
late 1300s, enters into a
union with Denmark.
1536
Norway loses its sovereignty
and becomes a province of
Denmark.
1700s
The ideas of the Enlightenment
philosophers take hold in
Europe, including concepts
such as the sovereignty of the
people and the separation
of legislative, executive and
judicial powers.
1809
Norway's educated class forms
the Society for Norway's
Welfare and lobbies hard for
two causes: a Norwegian bank
and a Norwegian university.
Denmark's King Frederik
VI gives permission for a
university two years later, but a
bank will wait until after 1814.
Jan. 14, 1814
Denmark must hand Norway
over to Sweden under the
peace treaty signed this day in
Kiel, which is in present-day
Germany.
Feb. 16, 1814
Denmark's Crown Prince
Christian Frederik and
a circle of Norwegian
business, military and
administrative leaders decide
that a representative body of
Norwegians should write a
constitution for their own,
independent country.
May 17, 1814
The assembly of Eidsvollsmenn
signs the constitution, declaring
Norway free and independent.
Two days later, they vote
unanimously to name Christian
Frederik Norway's king.
July 26, 1814
Sweden's army attacks Norway
as negotiations between the
countries over the terms of
their union deteriorate.
March 11, 1905
Norway's new prime minister,
Christian Michelsen, declares
that Norway will exercise its
constitutional right to have its
own consular service and will
assert its sovereignty.
Nov. 25, 1905
Denmark's Prince Carl sails
with his family into Oslo's
harbor to begin his 52-year
reign as King Haakon of
Norway.
1872
Sweden's King Oscar II takes
the Swedish-Norwegian throne
and rules until 1905.
April 10, 1814
The 112 elected members of
the Constituent Assembly
gather at Eidsvoll.
Feb.-April 1814
Norway's congregations
choose electors, who in
turn choose representatives
who will travel from each
county to Eidsvoll to frame a
constitution.
Oct. 7, 1814
A special Storting, or
parliament, is convened
in present-day Oslo to
amend the new constitution
and accommodate union
with Sweden.
Nov. 4, 1814
The Storting adopts its revised
constitution, making Sweden's
Charles XIII king of Norway.
He also went under the name
Charles II while he was king
of Norway.
May 1905
Norway's government adopts
a Consular Act. King Oscar
again rejects the move, and
Norway's government leaders
resign in response. Under the
constitution, the king is unable
to choose new leaders or form
a new Norwegian government.
June 7, 1905
Norway's Storting votes
to dissolve the union
with Sweden.
August 13, 1905
The Norwegian referendum
results in 368,208 votes for
dissolution, 184 against. More
than 250,000 women, who
don't yet have the right to vote,
sign petitions in favor
of dissolution.
Sept. 23, 1905
Norway and Sweden
close negotiations. Their
governments vote separately
to accept the conditions of
dissolving the union. King
Oscar abdicates the throne on
October 26.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTSEY OF NATIONAL LIBRARY OF NORWAY
Viking Magazine - May 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - May 2014
