Ingolf Elster Christensen
Chair of the Administrative Council
In office 15 April 1940 – 25 September 1940
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
County Governor of Akershus and Oslo
In office 1930–1941
Prime Minister	J. L. Mowinckel Peder Kolstad Jens Hundseid Johan Nygaardsvold
Preceded by	Hroar Olsen
Succeeded by	Eivind Stenersen Blehr
County Governor of Sogn og Fjordane
In office 1910–1930
Prime Minister	Wollert Konow Jens Bratlie Gunnar Knudsen Otto B. Halvorsen Otto Blehr Abraham Berge J. L. Mowinckel Christopher Hornsrud
Preceded by	John Utheim
Succeeded by	Hans Kristian Seip
Minister of Defence
In office 26 July 1926 – 28 January 1928
Prime Minister	Ivar Lykke
Preceded by	Karl W. Wefring
Succeeded by	Fredrik Monsen
Minister of Justice
In office 5 March 1926 – 26 July 1926
Prime Minister	Ivar Lykke
Preceded by	Paal Berg
Succeeded by	Knud Øyen
Member of the Norwegian Parliament
In office 1 January 1922 – 31 December 1927
Constituency	Sogn og Fjordane
Personal details
Born	(1872-03-28)28 March 1872 Førde, Sogn og Fjordane, Sweden-Norway
Died	3 May 1943(1943-05-03) (aged 71) Førde, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Else Marie Helberg ​ (m. 1897)​

Ingolf Elster Christensen (28 March 1872 in Førde – 3 May 1943 in Førde) was a Norwegian jurist, military officer, county governor, and Member of Parliament from the Conservative Party. ^[1]

Biography

Memorial statue of Christensen in Flåm

Christensen was born at Sunnfjord in Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. He was the son of Michael Sundt Tuchsen Christensen (1827–95) and Frederikke Sophie Elster (1838–1927). He was a brother of author and critic Hjalmar Christensen.

Christensen graduated from Bergen Cathedral School in 1889 and then went to the Norwegian Military Academy, where he graduated as an officer in 1893. He was appointed governor of the County of Nordre Bergenhus in 1910 and held the position until 1929 (in 1919 the county was renamed Sogn og Fjordane). He was subsequently county governor of Oslo and Akershus from 1929 to 1941.

He was Minister of Justice in 1926, Minister of Defense 1926–1928, Member of Parliament 1922-1924 and 1925-1927 and was a member of the Executive Board of the Conservative Party.

After the German invasion of Norway in April 1940, he was elected Chairman of the new Administrative Council that was put up by the Norwegian Supreme Court and functioned from April to September 1940. The council held negotiations with the Germans and Christensen was regarded by the Germans as a possible leader of a suggested Riksråd that should govern Norway.^[2] The negotiations however failed and came to an end in September 1940. He then returned to his office as county governor until 1941 when he was replaced by a member of Nasjonal Samling. After that he withdrew to his family farm and did not play a political role any longer.

References