Johan Castberg

Johan Castberg
Johan Castberg in 1900.
Member of Parliament
In office 1900–1909
In office 1913–1921
In office 1925–1927
Minister of Justice and the Police
In office 19 March 1908 – 1 February 1910
Minister of Social Affairs, Trade, Industry and Fisheries
In office 31 January 1913 – 20 April 1914
Personal details
Born	21 September 1862 Brevik
Died	24 December 1926(1926-12-24) (aged 64) Oslo
Nationality	Norwegian
Political party	Liberal Party Radical People's Party
Spouse(s)	Karen Cathrine Anker
Relations	Peter H. H. Castberg (grandfather) Johan C. T. Castberg (father) Katti Anker Møller (sister-in-law)
Children	Frede Castberg Torgrim Castberg
Occupation	Jurist

Johan Castberg (21 September 1862 – 24 December 1926) was a Norwegian jurist and politician best known for representing the Radical People's Party (Labour Democrats). He was a government minister from 1908 to 1910 and 1913 to 1914, and also served seven terms in the Norwegian Parliament. The brother-in-law of Katti Anker Møller, the two were responsible for implementing the highly progressive so-called Castberg laws, granting rights to children born out of wedlock. Altogether, he was one of the most influential politicians in the early 20th century Norway.

In 2013, an oilfield in the Barents Sea was named after Johan Castberg.

Johan Castberg was born in Brevik as the son of customs surveyor and politician Johan Christian Tandberg Castberg (1827–1899) and his wife Hanna Magdalene Frisak Ebbesen (1839–1881). He had several brothers and sisters, including the notable violinist Torgrim and the politician Leif.

His paternal grandfather Peter Hersleb Harboe Castberg was a priest and politician. In addition, Johan was a first cousin of sculptor Oscar Ambrosius Castberg. On the maternal side he was a grandson of Jørgen Tandberg Ebbesen and nephew of Just Bing Ebbesen, both of whom were involved in politics too.

Johan Castberg married Karen Cathrine Anker, sister of Katti Anker Møller, in 1892. Their son Frede became a professor. Through Torgrim Castberg, Johan Castberg was the uncle of illustrator Johan Christian Castberg.

Castberg took his secondary education in Skien in 1880, and enrolled in law studies. He graduated with the cand.jur. degree in 1884. Since 1882 he had written for the newspaper Oplandenes Avis in Hamar, which he also edited in the summers of 1882 and 1885. In 1885 he was hired as a clerk in the Ministry of Finance. He left both the newspaper and the Ministry of Finance in 1887, to pursue a career as an attorney. He worked one year in Hamar before moving to Gjøvik to work as a solicitor. He worked as a public defender in Eidsivating Court of Appeal from 1890 to 1892, and as prosecutor from 1892 to 1900.