Johannes Irgens was a Norwegian barrister, diplomat and politician, noted for his service as minister of foreign affairs of Norway from 1910 to 1913.
Background
Irgens was born into the merchant and civil service family of Irgens, as a son of Marcus Fredrik Irgens (1839–1876) and Julie Martine Nicoline Dyrgreen (1840–1906). In November 1892 he married Lilla Minda Marie Gulbranson (1872–1938), a daughter of Carl August Gulbranson (1831–1910) and Minda Ramm Juell (1844–1913). His father was docent at the Norwegian College of Agriculture, but died when Irgens was seven years old.
Irgens moved with his mother to Kristiania, and he took the examen artium at Oslo Cathedral School in 1887.
Education
Studied at University of Christiania.
Career
Irgens joined the Norwegian-Swedish diplomatic corps upon graduating from university in 1892, his initial posting as a diplomatic fellow in Bordeaux and then Antwerp. His fellowship was revoked in 1895 as a result of tension between Sweden and Norway about the use of consuls. He returned to Kristiania and took up work as an attorney.
He advanced to barrister, earning the right to appear before the Supreme Court, in 1900.
He also served on an elect commission charged with exploring ways for Norway and Sweden to maintain separate consular offices while maintaining a common foreign policy. When the union was dissolved in 1905, Irgens immediately offered his services to the Norwegian government.
He was sent to Washington, District of Columbia in an effort to convince the Theodore Roosevelt administration to recognize Norway. In 1908 he succeeded Nansen as ambassador, and in 1910 he returned to Norway to assume the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Wollert Konow"s cabinet as part of the Conservative Party.
When the cabinet resigned, Irgens continued as Minister of Foreign Affairs in Jens Bratlie"s cabinet.
Among other distinctions, King Haakon V named him special envoy for the coronation of George V of the United Kingdom. When Bratlie"s Cabinet did not survive the 1913 election, Irgens accept a post as acting County Governor of Hedmark but asked to be put back into active service as a diplomat. He was made ambassador in Copenhagen in 1913, with accreditation also to The Hague and Brussels.
In 1922 he was made ambassador in Rome, Italy with responsibility also for Norway"s station in Berne, with accreditation also to Athens from 1927 to 1935 and Bucharest from 1930 to 1931.
Achievements
Once this was accomplished, he was named Chargé d"affaires under Fridtjof Nansen at Norway"s embassy in London, a highly visible posting. He was decorated as a Knight First Class of the Order of Saint Olav (1906), upgraded to Commander with Star in 1909. He also received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Grand Cross of the Royal Victoria Order and the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (Japan).
Connections
Spouse 1892, Lilia Minda,daughter of C. Gulbranson, Christiania.
Order of the Rising Sun, 1st class; Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Order of the Dannebrog; Order of St. Olav; Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold; Grand Cross; Order of the Rising Sun
