The Learned Societies in Norway

Det Kongelig Norske Videnskabers Selskab (The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters) was founded in 1760 in Trondheim, and it is consequently the oldest learned society in Norway. Both Keyser and Thaulow were members. A separate society was, however, founded in the capital in 1857, entitled then Videnskabsselskabet in Christiania, which was later altered to Det Norske Videnskaps-akademi (the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters). The academy had a limited number of members from all scientific disciplines. In the beginning all professors at the university became members. However, due to lack of resources the academy has never played an important role in the country as similar academies in some other countries. 

Several scientific/technical societies were founded both before and after 1850, but they did not survive. For instance, five students of chemistry founded Den fysiske-kjemiske forening (the Physics-Chemistry society) in 1858, but the society only lasted to 1861. Later several of the students became active members of the academy. 

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