Ferdinand von Mueller

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Printed notice found inserted in a copy of Victoria Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Council , Session 1850, Bills. MS has been folded for posting and is addressed: 'KORSBAAND | Univ. Conto | à Monsieur le Baron F. de Muëller | Directeur du jardin botanique de | Melbourne | franco'. The addressed portion has been stamped twice: 'Universitas Regia Fredericiana' and 'Christiania | 2 | 7 | 1873'. MS is black-edged and has a decorative letterhead.

UNIVERSITAS REGIA FREDERICIANA

CHRISTOPHORUM HANSTEEN

MATHESEOS APPLICATAE QUONDAM PROFESSOREM

VIRUM INGENII DOCTRINAEQUE LAUDIBUS CELEBRATISSIMUM

EX HUJUS ACADEMIAE FUNDATORIBUS SOLUM HUCUSQUE SUPERSTITEM

DIE XI MENS. APR., ANNO AETATIS LXXXIX MORTE DEFUNCTUM ESSE,

HIS LITERIS INDICAT.

Natus est Hanstenius noster Christianiae die XXVI mens. Septembr. anno superioris seculi octogesimo quarto, patre Johanne Matthia Hansteen, vectigalibus regiis praefecto, matre Anna Catharina Treschow. Ex schola cathedrali Christianiensi, cujus tum rector erat Nicolaus Treschow, (postea philosophiae, primum Hauniae, deinde Christianiae professor celeberrimus, postremo regiis consiliis adhibitus), in academiam Hauniensem anno MDCCCII dimissus est. Juris scientiae, cui se primo dederat, mature valedixit, et anno MDCCCVI collega Gymnasii Fredericoburgensis, quod in Selandia est, constitutus, disciplinas mathematicas docere coepit, quo factum est, ut paulatim se harum artium studio totum dicaret. Sex annis post Hanstenius praemium, quod societas scientiarum Reg. Hauniensis ei pollicita erat, qui de magnetismo terrestri optime scripsisset, summa cum laude reportavit et hoc primo opere, quod typis non divulgatum est, ita eruditorum hominum oculos in se convertit, ut mox in nova universitate, quam Fredericus VI. Norvagis, assiduis precibus jam dudum academicam institutionem petentibus, tandem concesserat, professor designaretur. Anno MDCCCXIV, quo tempore salus patriae summum discrimen adire videbatur, Hanstenius, in patriam redux factus, munus academicum occepit. Paucis tantum praeceptoribus Musarum Christianiensium infantia gaudebat, et deerat prorsus suppellex, qua iis potissimum opus est, qui rebus naturalibus scrutandis et explicandis vacant. Hanstenius igitur, quum astronomici doctoris provincia ei demandata esset, observationes primo domi suae, deinde in ligneo tugurio hunc in usum aedificato, facere incepit, mutuato tantum sextante ac horologio pendulo instructus. Sed nihilominus animus sollers ac constans victor evasit. In magnetismo terrestri, cui primitias studiorum sacraverat, observando, summa industria usus, perseverabat, et jam a. MDCCCXIX opus illud insigne divulgare potuit, quod inscribitur, "Untersuchungen über den Magnetismus der Erde", et Christianiae sumptibus regis augustissimi Caroli Joannis comparuit. Duobus annis post mutationes intensitatis, quae quotidie fiunt, invenit, et a. MDCCCXXVI primus tabulam, intensitatis indicem, publici juris fecit. Sed quo minus hisce studiis auspicatissimus

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Typesetter's error for auspicatissimis?

finis imponeretur, imprimis obstitit, quod ex Sibiria, ubi intensitas magnetica major est quam ullo alio loco, prorsus nullae exstabant observationes. Vehemens igitur Hanstenium cepit cupiditas hujus terrae visendae, plerisque, ne dicamus omnibus Europae incolis adhuc ignotae, et a rege magnisque regni comitiis petere ausus est, ut sibi publicis impensis in Sibiriam proficisci liceret. Qui est laudabilis nostri regiminis artium literarumque favor, voti compos factus est et annis MDCCCXXVIII seqq. per Russiam Sibiriamque celeberrimum illud iter fecit, quod senex peculiari opere festive ac eleganter descripsit. Doctos naturae indagatores remotae illae regiones tum viderunt paucos; nondum celeberrimus Humboldtius Asiae montes visitaverat.

Quae patria Hanstenio debeat, hoc loco non enumeranda sunt, sed sufficiet dicere, ejus consilio egregiam astronomicam speculam anno MDCCCXXXII conditam esse, eo rectore ac praeside paene totam Norvegiam trigonometrice et geographice descriptam, ejus auspiciis tabulas litoris Norvegici maximam partem esse confectas, ejus auctoritate pondera mensuramque hujus civitatis publice esse constituta, denique non solum academicam juventutem, sed etiam permultis erectioris ingenii homines, militaribus offfciis

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Typesetter's error for officiis.

functos, ejus disciplina usos esse.

In permultas societates doctas Hanstenius receptus est, etiam mons in luna observatus ejus nomine appellatur, Anno MDCCLVI,

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Typesetter's error for MDCCCLVI.

quum semisecularia publici muneris celebraret, Universitas nostra, gratum animum testificatura, memorialem nummum excudendum curavit, in quo leguntur haec verba: "SPLENDET IN ORBE DECUS". Insequentibus annis, impetrata a rege venia, tamen, ut ei in domicilio ad speculam astronomicam, cum munere conjuncto, quoad viveret, habitare concessum sit. Quum fatis nuperrime, ad annos Nestoreos paene provectus, tandem concessisset, funebria justa viro celeberrimo universitatis auspiciis solenniter et magnifice facta sunt, publica laudatione ab Olao Jacobo Broch, V. CL.

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Vir clarrissimus?

Matheseos professore, in aula academica habita, et cunctis magnorum regni comitiorum membris, regiis consiliariis, supremis regii judicibus, omnibus fere ingenuis hujus urbis ordinibus funeris exequias comitantibus. Jussu absentis regis augustissimi aderat aulae regiae præpositus.

Christianiæ, die XXX mensis Maji anno MCCCLXXIII.

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Typesetter's error for MDCCCLXXIII.

The Royal Frederikian University makes known by this letter that Christopher Hansteen, formerly Professor of Applied Mathematics, a man most celebrated by praises for his ability and teaching, to this point the only survivor among the founders of this academy, has died on 11 April at the age of 89 in the year of his death.

Our Hansteen was born in Christiania

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Now Oslo.

on 26 September in year 84 of the previous century. His father was Johannes Matthias Hansteen, prefect of the royal taxes, and his mother was Anna Catherine Treschow. From the cathedral school of Christiania, whose rector at the time was Nicolaus Treschow

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A first cousin of Hansteen's mother.

(later a very famous professor of Philosophy first at Copenhagen and then at Christiania and finally appointed to the royal councils), he was sent to the Copenhagen Academy in 1802. He soon left the study of law to which he at first had devoted himself and in 1806, appointed to the staff of the Gymnasium of Frederiksberg, which is in Sjaelland, he began to teach mathematics, where it happened that gradually he devoted himself totally to the study of these arts. Six years later, Hansteen gained summa cum laude the reward that Copenhagen's Royal Society of the Sciences had promised him for writing so well on terrestrial magnetism, and by this first work, which was not published, he turned the eyes of learned men on to himself to such a degree that soon he was appointed professor at the new university which, with Norwegians seeking an academic institution by continual petitions for a long time, Frederick VI had finally allowed.

In 1814, at which time the security of his country seemed to be in great danger, Hansteen upon returning to his own country commenced academic employment. The infancy of the Muses of Christiania enjoyed only a few instructors, and equipment, of which there was a very great need by those without the natural resources for what needed to be examined and explained, certainly was lacking. So Hansteen, since the role of teacher of astronomy had been assigned to him, began to make observations, first at his own home, then in a wooden cottage built for this purpose, equipped only with a borrowed sextant and a pendulum clock. But nevertheless an adroit mind, constantly successful, prevailed. By observing terrestrial magnetism, to which he had devoted his initial studies, and using the greatest diligence, he persevered and already in 1819 was able to publish that distinguished work that has the title "Untersuchungen über den Magnetismus der Erde", and he stayed in Christiania at the expense of the most august King Charles Johan. After two years he discovered changes of intensity that happen daily and in 1826 he was the first to make public a table [and] a law, the index of intensity. But he especially hesitated to put an end to these most fortunate studies because from Siberia, where the magnetic intensity is greater than in any other location, absolutely no observations existed. So a vehement desire took hold of Hansteen to visit this land that was still unknown to most, not to say all, inhabitants of Europe, and he dared to seek from the King and the great committees of the kingdom that he be permitted to go to Siberia at public expense. What is a praiseworthy testament to our leaders of arts and letters, an agreement was made and in the years 1828 and following he made that most famous journey across Russia and Siberia, that [he as] an old man has described in a special work joyously and elegantly. Those remote regions at that time saw few learned investigators of nature; the very famous Humboldt had not yet visited the mountains of Asia.

What our country owes to Hansteen cannot be enumerated here but it suffices to say that on his advice the excellent astronomical watch-tower was established in 1832; with him as guide and guardian almost all Norway was described trigonometrically and geographically; under his guidance maps of the Norwegian coast were completed to a very great degree; at his authority weights and measures of this state were established publicly; and finally not only academic youth but even men of superior ability in many ways, [such as] those holding military positions, have made use of his discipline.

Hansteen was accepted into very many learned societies, even a mountain observed on the Moon is named after him. In 1856, when it celebrated his half-century of public duty, our University, being about to attest to a great mind, took care to strike a memorial medal on which these words are read "Honour shines in a circle". In the following years an indulgence was sought from the King that he nevertheless be allowed to dwell in an abode by the astronomical watch-tower, with a stipend added, for as long as he lived. Most recently, after he at last gave way to the Fates, having survived almost to the years of Nestor, the funeral rites were carried out for this most celebrated man under the auspices of the University solemnly and magnificently, with a public eulogy by the most distinguished Ole Jacob Broch, Professor of Mathematics, held in the academic hall, and with all members of the great committees of the kingdom, the royal councils, the supreme judges of the kingdom, and almost all outstanding people of this city being in attendance at the funeral rites. Appointed by order of the most august King in his absence, present in the royal hall

Christiania, 30 May in the year 1873,