Søren Andreas Christophersen

Søren Andreas "Don Andrés" Christophersen (July 6, 1849 – 1933) was a Norwegian diplomat that served in Argentina for nearly four decades.

Early life and family

Christophersen was born in Tønsberg, the son of the customs official Ole Christophersen (1796–1878) and his wife Tobine Christine Petersen. Christophersen was the brother of Norwegian Foreign Minister Wilhelm Christopher Christophersen (1832–1913), the Danish general consul in Montevideo Otto Thorvald Alexander Christophersen (1834–1896), the Oslo wholesaler and factory owner Christian Eilert Rasch Christophersen (1840–1900), and the Norwegian businessman, landowner, and diplomat in Argentina Peter Christophersen, who also lived in Buenos Aires.^[1]

Career

Søren Andreas's brother Wilhelm went to Buenos Aires in 1867 and inspired four of his brothers to follow him. After graduating from the civil school in Tønsberg, Søren Andreas also went to Buenos Aires, where he became the Norwegian-Swedish vice consul in 1871 and the acting consul in 1874. After Wilhelm relocated to Leith, Scotland, Søren Andreas became general consul in 1879.^[2] In 1900 he married Sara Lynch (born 1863), who was the daughter of a local landowner. After the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden, in 1906 he became the unpaid Norwegian envoy to Buenos Aires, serving until 1916.^[1] From 1908 to 1910, he served in this capacity under his brother Wilhelm, who was foreign minister.

Christophersen died in 1933.^[3][4] He received the grand cross of the Order of St. Olav.

References

1. Christophersen, Søren Andreas in Hvem er hvem? 1930.
2. Pedersen, Kristian Botten. 2010. Med akevitt til biffen: Norsk immigrasjon til Argentina 1880-1930. Master's thesis. University of Bergen: Institute of Archaeology, History, and Cultural and Religious Studies, p. 25.
3. Norsk Biografisk Leksikon: Peder Christophersen.
4. Store Norske Leksikon: Christophersen.