Background
He was born at Sukkestad in Toten as a son of district stipendiary magistrate and chancellor councillor David Christian Sommerfelt (1717–1773) and Benedicte "Bente" Christine Hoff.
He was born at Sukkestad in Toten as a son of district stipendiary magistrate and chancellor councillor David Christian Sommerfelt (1717–1773) and Benedicte "Bente" Christine Hoff.
University of Copenhagen.
Sommerfeldt grew up at Sukkestad, enrolled at the University of Copenhagen in 1771 and graduated in law in 1773. He then became a deputy judge in Toten, serving under his father, and when his father died, he became acting district stipendiary magistrate. From 1776 to 1883 he held the same position in Søndre Gudbrandsdalen.
From 1784 he held the title chamber councillor (kammerråd).
From the spring of 1784 he served as bailiff (foged) of Finmarkens Amt. He was also district stipendiary magistrate from 1875 to 1786 and also acting County Governor of Finmarkens Amt while Christen Heiberg was away.
From 1787 to 1800 he served as County Governor. He resided at the farm Dal in Vardal.
He retired in 1821 and died in the same year.
Sommerfelt was also elected to the first Parliament of Norway in 1814, and served through the one-year term. As an Enlightenment person, Sommerfeldt was interested in practical agriculture, economy and topography. He followed a free trade principle and also supported Jens Holmboe"s settling project in Målselvdalen.
The journal Topographisk Journal for Norge printed his main topographical work, Kort Beskrivelse over Finmarken, in 1799.
He died in April 1821 in Biri and was buried in Vardal.