Around 50,000 people gathered when King Haakon unveiled the statue of Christian Michelsen at Festplassen on 17 May 1938.
Christian Michelsen — the Bergen man who helped shape Constitution Day
Christian Michelsen led Norway through the dramatic year of 1905 and out of its union with Sweden. A native of Bergen, he was shaped by the city’s political life, commerce and cultural institutions. Growing up in a conservative merchant household gave him both business acumen and political insight, qualities that helped define his time as prime minister.
Even after becoming a national figure, Michelsen remained deeply rooted in Bergen. He was involved in local politics, was a prominent shipowner, and contributed to the city through his long service to Den Nationale Scene and Bergen Museum. His home, Gamlehaugen in Fana, later a royal residence, can be seen as a powerful monument to his life and work.
Christian Michelsen and 17 May
The connection between Christian Michelsen and Constitution Day is an interesting one. The interwar years were marked by social and political tensions in Norway, and these were clearly reflected in the national celebrations. In Bergen, as in other Norwegian cities, many workers chose to mark 1 May rather than join the middle classes’ traditional 17 May festivities. For several decades, Constitution Day became a setting for social division rather than national unity.
During the 1930s, political divisions began to soften. After the Labour Party formed a government in 1935, its supporters increasingly joined the traditional 17 May processions. The party’s participation in the capital’s procession in 1937 was seen as an important step towards a shared national celebration.
In Bergen, this movement towards unity culminated on 17 May 1938, when the statue of Christian Michelsen was unveiled at Festplassen. It became one of the largest public gatherings in the city’s history. The King, government ministers and members of parliament joined around 50,000 people to celebrate Constitution Day and honour Michelsen, the man who had led Norway through the dissolution of the union in 1905. King Haakon VII unveiled the statue and highlighted Michelsen’s role in that historic year.
The Bergen man who brought a nation together
Christian Michelsen influenced more than his own era. Through the unveiling in 1938, he also became a symbol. Placing the statue at Festplassen, at the heart of the city’s public life, emphasised the close connection between Michelsen and the people of Bergen. At the same time, it expressed national unity and the significance of Constitution Day.
Festplassen was packed for the unveiling of Christian Michelsen’s statue on 17 May 1938. Photographer unknown. Source: Picture Collection, University of Bergen Library.
King Haakon gave a moving speech about his relationship with Christian Michelsen at the unveiling in 1938. Photographer unknown. Source: Picture Collection, University of Bergen Library.
People were everywhere for the unveiling, both on the ground and on the city’s rooftops. Photographer unknown. Source: Picture Collection, University of Bergen Library.