Background
Isberg was born in Kinsarvik, the son of farmer Samson Samsonsen Stana and Anna Sveinsdatter Skjedåson
Isberg was born in Kinsarvik, the son of farmer Samson Samsonsen Stana and Anna Sveinsdatter Skjedåson
He served as Norway"s official executioner from 1849 to 1868. Among his jobs were the beheading of Aslak Hætta and Mons Somby in 1854, and the last public execution in Christiania, at Etterstad in 1864. Isberg"s axe is exhibited at the Oslo Police Museum.
Isberg worked as a caretaker at Bergen tukthus.
He was assigned executioner for the city of Bergen in 1836, and for Bergen stift and Stavanger amt from 1838. In 1845 he beheaded Ingeborg Olsdatter Grønlien, who had killed her father with an axe.
Isberg"s third task was the execution of Peder Olsen Ringeneie in 1847. Gjest Baardsen wrote a song about the incidents leading to the murder and later execution.
In 1849 Isberg was appointed the position of "Rigets skarpretter" (Executioner of the country) by the government, thus being the only executioner in Norway.
His next commission was the execution of Jens Larsen Halden, who was convicted for robbery and murder. Editor Christian Monsen reported on the execution in his newspaper Trondhjems Stiftstidende, where he particularly focused on the behavior of the audience. The Kautokeino uprising in 1852 resulted in execution of two of the leaders, Mons Somby and Aslak Hætta.
The execution took place in Alta on 15 November 1854.
Isberg had made the long journey from Bergen to Alta, and about one thousand spectators watched his beheading of the two. Christian Guldbrandsen Harebakken was executed in Ringsaker in 1857, convicted for murder and robbery.
According to the newspaper Morgenbladet an audience of several thousand persons witnessed the execution. Isberg"s tenth execution was Elias Dahlgren, convicted for robbery which led to the death of one of the victims.
Dahlgren was executed in Halden in 1861.
In 1863 Isberg was responsible for the beheading of Ole Hansen Stokkestadeie in Vågå, who was convicted for the murder of two persons. Isberg"s last commission was the beheading of Friedrich Wilhelm Priess and Knud Christian Frederik Simonsen, who had murdered a farmer in Christiania. The execution took place at Etterstad on 19 April 1864.
This was the last public execution in Christiania, attended by an audience of about 5,000.