Knut Fægri

Knut Fægri

Knut in the 1930s
Born (1909-07-17)17 July 1909
Bergen, Hordaland
Died 17 July 2001(2001-07-17) (aged 92)
Bergen, Hordaland
Nationality Norwegian
Fields Botanist, palaeoecologist
Institutions University of Bergen
Spouse Nancy Meyer

Knut Fægri (17 July 1909 – 10 December 2001) was a Norwegian botanist and palaeoecologist.

Fægri was born in Bergen. He was the son of Major Ole A. Fægri (1875–1962) og Gudrun Stoltz (1881–1940) and nephew of botanist, natural scientist and politician Jørgen Brunchorst (1862-1917).

Academic career

Fægri got his Examen artium at the Bergen katedralskole in 1926 and took the dr.philos. degree in 1934 with the thesis Über die Längenvariationen einiger Gletscher des Jostedalsbre und die dadurch bedingten Pflanzensukzessionen.[1] He was hired as a research fellow at the Chr. Michelsen Institute, was appointed professor at Bergen Museum in 1946 and from 1948 jointly at the museum and the University of Bergen. He retired in 1979.[2] He was also editor-in-chief of the periodical Naturen between 1947 and 1977.[2]

Societal engagement

Fægri was much-engaged in debates over societal issues of broad public interest. He was outspoken in his criticism of the negative effetcts of hydroelectric power development on nature and biodiversity. He often had controversial views. For example, in the 1960s he agitated for a liberal act on use of marihuana, which he saw as something the state should leave with the individual citizen to decide about. Privately, he was a proponent of naturism and he appeared naked in a debate of that topic broadcast on Swedish television.[3]

Honours

Fægri was proclaimed honorary doctor at the Uppsala University in 1977, received the Millennium Botany Award in 1999[4] and was proclaimed Commander of the Order of St. Olav in 1979.[2]

Personal life

Fægri married, in 1941, museum manager Nancy Meyer (1912–2007). Their son, Knut Fægri jr., became a professor in chemistry.

Selected bibliography

This is a list of Fægri's most notable works:[2]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Knut Fægri.
  1. Fægri, Knut (1934). "Über die Längenvariationen einiger Gletscher des Jostedalsbre und die dadurch bedingten Pflanzensukzessionen". Bergens Museums Årbok 1933 (7): 1–255.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Fægri, Knut". Aschehoug og Gyldendals Store norske leksikon. Kunnskapsforlaget. 2007.
  3. "Tilbakeblikk: Naturbarnet Fægri". Hubro 2/2009
  4. XVI International Botanical Congress 1-7 August 1999, Saint Louis: SUMMARY REPORT
  5. "Author Query for 'Faegri'". International Plant Names Index.
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