Magnus Brostrup Landstad

LANDSTAD, Magnus Brostrup. b. 7 October 1802; d. 8 October 1880. Born at Måsøy, he was one of ten children born to parish priest Hans Landstad (1771-1838) and Margrethe Elisabeth Schnitler (1768-1850). His family moved several times, settling finally in Seljord, Telemark, in 1819. He was raised in a period of abject poverty in rural Norway, partially caused by the Napoleonic wars. His father educated him until 1822, when he began studies at the University of Christiania (Oslo), where he completed a theology degree in 1827. He married Vilhelmine Margrethe Marie Lassen (1808-1892) in 1829; they had 12 children, of which 6 died in early childhood. He was appointed to a number of rural...