Simone Lawson
The Norwegian Constitution was written in 1814, following Denmark's loss of Norway in the Napoleonic Wars. It was signed on 17 May 1814 and is the second oldest written constitution in the world that is still in existence. The document is celebrated annually on Norwegian Constitution Day and has undergone several amendments, including a notable revision in 2014 to include a chapter on human rights.
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What You'll Learn
- The Norwegian Constitution was signed on 17 May 1814
- It is the second oldest written constitution in the world
- The document was inspired by the US Declaration of Independence
- The Norwegian Constitution was ratified by the assembly on 16 May 1814
- The document was revised and rewritten into modern Bokmål and Nynorsk in 2014
The Norwegian Constitution was signed on 17 May 1814
The Norwegian Constitution was written during five weeks in the spring of 1814. It was ratified by the assembly on 16 May and signed the following day. The date of signing is now celebrated as Norwegian Constitution Day, with school children's flag parades. The parade in the capital, Oslo, passes the Royal Palace, where thousands of children wave to the King and Queen.
The constitution was established after Denmark lost the territory of Norway in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. It was also a response to the Treaty of Kiel of January 1814, which ceded Norway to Sweden. The Crown Prince of Denmark-Norway, Christian Frederik, started a Norwegian independence movement. The goal was likely the reunification of Norway with Denmark.
The constitution was written at the Eidsvoll manor, where the national assembly convened on 10 April. It was founded on the principles of popular sovereignty, participatory democracy, and individual rights. It was inspired by the US Declaration of Independence and the French Revolution. The ideas upon which the constitution was built were internationally well-known and could also be found in other constitutions from around 1800, such as the US and French Constitutions.
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It is the second oldest written constitution in the world
The Norwegian Constitution was written in 1814, making it the second oldest written constitution in the world that is still in existence. The oldest is the Constitution of the United States. The Norwegian Constitution was signed on 17 May 1814 by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll. The date is now celebrated as Norwegian Constitution Day, with school children's flag parades taking place across the country. In the capital, Oslo, the parade passes the Royal Palace, where thousands of children wave to the King and Queen.
The Norwegian Constitution was founded on the principles of popular sovereignty, participatory democracy, and individual rights. It was also based on the separation of powers, with the sections distinguishing between legislative, executive, and judicial power. The legislative power was given to the representatives of the Storting, the Norwegian parliament, and the executive power was vested in the King. The constitution also gave rights to every individual, independent of different bodies of power and the individual's status. These included the right to be sentenced by law, to dispose of one's own property, and freedom of the press.
The Norwegian Constitution has undergone several amendments since its inception. In 1903, a slight linguistic revision was made, changing the spelling of some words to reflect the orthography of the time. In 2006, another amendment was passed to correct 16 minor spelling errors, reverting them to the 1903 forms. In 2014, a chapter on human rights was added, and the constitution was rewritten into modern Bokmål and Nynorsk, the two official varieties of written Norwegian. This was the most substantial change to the constitution since its adoption.
The Norwegian Constitution is considered a cornerstone of Norwegian law and has played a significant role in shaping the country's identity. It has also influenced other countries' constitutions and legal systems, with its principles of popular sovereignty and individual rights gaining international recognition. The document's endurance and continued relevance are a testament to its importance in the country's history and its ability to adapt to modern times.
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The document was inspired by the US Declaration of Independence
The Norwegian Constitution was written in 1814, on the 16th and 17th of May. It was inspired by the US Declaration of Independence, the French Revolution, and the subsequent US political system. The US Declaration of Independence, which was written in 1776, proclaimed that the then-British colonies in North America were free and independent states, and it outlined the social and political principles that united them. The Norwegian Constitution was influenced by these principles, as well as by the French Revolution of 1789, which advocated for similar ideals of freedom, equality, and sovereignty.
The Norwegian Constitution was drafted during a period of political upheaval. In the aftermath of Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, the Treaty of Kiel in January 1814 ceded Norway to Sweden. In response, the Crown Prince of Denmark-Norway, Christian Frederik, initiated a movement for Norwegian independence, with the goal of reunification with Denmark. This led to the convening of a national assembly at Eidsvoll in April 1814, where representatives from across Norway gathered to draft a constitution.
The US Declaration of Independence and the subsequent US political system inspired the Norwegian Constitution's commitment to democratic principles and the separation of powers. The Norwegian Constitution established a limited and hereditary monarchy, with executive power vested in the King or Queen, while also recognising the role of the Storting, the elected parliamentary body. This reflected a balance of power between traditional monarchy and emerging democratic ideals.
The influence of the US Declaration of Independence can be seen in the Norwegian Constitution's emphasis on popular sovereignty and individual rights. The principle of popular sovereignty is explicit in Article 49 and Article 75 of the Norwegian Constitution, which state that the people issue laws, grant state funding, impose taxes, and supervise the government through their elected representatives in the Storting. This reflects a key tenet of the US Declaration of Independence, which asserts that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed.
Additionally, the Norwegian Constitution's protection of individual rights, including freedom of religion and expression, and the right to own property, echo the fundamental rights outlined in the US Declaration of Independence. The Norwegian Constitution's recognition of the importance of human rights has evolved over time, with a chapter on human rights added in 2014, and various amendments made to uphold the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, such as the Sami people and Jewish populations.
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The Norwegian Constitution was ratified by the assembly on 16 May 1814
The constitution was founded on the principles of popular sovereignty, participatory democracy, and individual rights. It was inspired by the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776, the French Revolution in 1789, and the subsequent U.S. Constitution. The first paragraph of the constitution specified that Norway was an "independent" and "inalienable" kingdom, with the concept of popular sovereignty as a crucial element in its history. The constitution also included a separation of powers, with legislative power given to the representatives of the Storting, the Norwegian parliament, and executive power vested in the King.
The Norwegian Constitution is the second oldest written constitution in the world still in existence, after the Constitution of the United States. It is also the fourth oldest written single-document national constitution in Europe, after the constitutions of Poland, France (1791), and Spain (1812). The document has undergone several amendments and revisions over the years, including a full language revision in 2014 to update the spelling and language to modern Bokmål and Nynorsk, the two official varieties of written Norwegian.
The date of 17 May, when the constitution was signed, is celebrated as Norwegian Constitution Day with school children's flag parades. The day is marked by the virtual absence of any military parades, with the focus being almost wholly a civilian celebration. The constitution holds a central place in Norwegian identity and is considered a cornerstone of Norwegian law.
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The document was revised and rewritten into modern Bokmål and Nynorsk in 2014
The Norwegian Constitution was first written in 1814, and it is the second oldest written Constitution in the world that is still in existence. It was written during a five-week period in the spring of 1814 and was ratified and signed on 16 and 17 May 1814, respectively. The latter date is celebrated as Norwegian Constitution Day.
The document has undergone several amendments and revisions over the years, with the most substantial changes being made in 2014, 200 years after it was first written. In May 2014, the Storting passed significant changes to the Constitution, including the addition of a chapter on human rights.
Prior to the 2014 revisions, the Norwegian Constitution had undergone only minor linguistic revisions to update spelling and orthography, with a slight revision in 1903 and another in 2006 to correct 16 minor spelling errors. However, the language of the document remained close to the original, as all amendments before 2014 attempted to imitate the language of the 1903 version.
In 2014, the Constitution was fully revised and rewritten into modern Bokmål and Nynorsk, the two official varieties of written Norwegian. This revision brought the language up to date with modern usage and orthography while also ensuring that the text remained as consistent as possible with the original. This full language revision resulted in two equal Norwegian language versions of the Constitution, one in Bokmål and one in Nynorsk.
The 2014 revision not only updated the language but also ensured that the Constitution remained relevant and reflective of modern Norwegian values and principles. The addition of a chapter on human rights was a significant step towards guaranteeing the protection of fundamental freedoms and rights for all individuals in Norway.
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Frequently asked questions
The Norwegian Constitution was written in 1814.
Denmark lost the territory of Norway following the Napoleonic wars and this provided an opportunity for the Norwegian constitution to be established.
The Norwegian Constitution is based on the principles of popular sovereignty, participatory democracy, and individual rights.
The Norwegian Constitution was ratified on May 16, 1814, and signed on May 17, 1814. The latter date, May 17, is celebrated as Norwegian Constitution Day.
