{{Short description|Norwegian banker and politician (1842–1913)}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Evald Rygh | honorific_suffix = | image = Evald Rygh.jpg | image_size = 130px | caption = | office = Minister of Finance and Customs | term_start = 13 July 1889 | term_end = 5 March 1891 | office2 = Member of Parliament | term_start2 = 1892 | term_end2 = 1894 | birth_date = {{birth date|1842|5|26|df=y}} | birth_place = Verdal Municipality | death_date = {{death date and age|1913|5|9|1842|5|26|df=y}} | death_place = | party = Conservative | spouse = | relations = Karl Ditlev Rygh (brother)<br>Oluf Rygh (brother) | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = Banker | profession = Jurist | signature = | footnotes = }}
'''Evald Rygh''' (26 May 1842 – 9 May 1913) was a Norwegian banker and politician for the Conservative Party. He served as Minister of Finance and Customs and mayor of Kristiania.
He was born in Verdal Municipality, and was the brother of Karl Ditlev and Oluf Rygh. He was educated in law, holding a cand.jur. degree.<ref name=snl>{{cite encyclopedia |year=2007 |title=Rygh, Evald |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |location= |url=http://www.snl.no/article.html?id=740845 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Both his brothers were noted archaeologists, and Karl Ditlev was a conservative politician too.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |year=2007 |title=Rygh, Karl Ditlev |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |location= |url=http://www.snl.no/article.html?id=740851 }}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
From 1880 to 1889 Evald Rygh served as burgomaster of Kristiania.<ref name=snl/> On 13 July 1889, when the first cabinet Stang assumed office, Rygh was appointed Minister of Finance and Customs. He lost this post when the first cabinet Stang fell on 5 March 1891. Instead, he was elected to the Norwegian Parliament in 1892 for the constituency of ''Kristiania, Hønefoss og Kongsvinger''. He only served one term,<ref name=nsd>[http://www.nsd.uib.no/polsys/index.cfm?urlname=storting&lan=&MenuItem=N1_1&ChildItem=&State=collapse&UttakNr=33&person=12492 Evald Rygh] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527151738/http://www.nsd.uib.no/polsys/index.cfm?urlname=storting&lan=&MenuItem=N1_1&ChildItem=&State=collapse&UttakNr=33&person=12492 |date=2011-05-27 }} – Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD)</ref> having also served as mayor of Kristiania from 1893 to 1894.<ref>[http://www.byarkivet.oslo.kommune.no/nye_sider/article82613-23817.html Mayors of Oslo and Aker 1837-2007]. Oslo municipality.</ref> Rygh reportedly turned down a request to return as a government minister when the second cabinet Stang was formed in 1893.<ref name=grave>{{cite web|url=http://www.gravferdsetaten.oslo.kommune.no/getfile.php/Gravferdsetaten/Internett/Dokumenter/dokument/sentralt/gravlundsboken.pdf|title=Her hviler.... Kjente personer på kirkegårdene i Oslo sentrum|last=Haaland|first=Øyvind|author2=Mellum, Mari|year=1999|publisher=Oslo municipality|language=Norwegian|accessdate=17 December 2008}}</ref> In 1895 and 1896 he led the committee that negotiated a new ''Mellomrikslov'' between Norway and Sweden,<ref name=snl/> as Sweden had annulled the existing laws in 1895. The negotiations were fruitless, as such contributing to the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905.
Outside politics Rygh was the CEO of Christiania Sparebank from 1893. He was also the first chair of the National Theatre.<ref name=snl/> Together with Hans Hagerup Krag he worked to establish an outdoors area around Holmenkollen, Voksenkollen and Frognerseteren accessible to the city populace. Through the ''Holmen-Voksenkoll Society'', founded in 1888, they helped in the building of Holmenkollen Chapel and, together with the Association for the Promotion of Skiing, the establishment of the Holmenkollen ski jump and Korketrekkeren, a luge and bobsleigh course.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.vinderenhistorielag.no/medlemsblad/blad45.pdf|last=Mjaaland|first=Bjarne|year=2003|title=Akebakke og aking i Holmenkollåsen|journal=VH-bladet|publisher=Vindern Historielag|location=Oslo|volume=12|issue=3|pages=12|language=Norwegian|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724190026/http://www.vinderenhistorielag.no/medlemsblad/blad45.pdf|archivedate=2011-07-24}}</ref> To commemorate this a bauta of Rygh was erected at Holmenkollen.<ref name=snl/> The road ''Ryghs vei'' and the square ''Evald Ryghs plass'', both in Oslo, have been named after him. Rygh was also proclaimed a Commander, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1891.{{Citation needed|date=December 2008}}
thumb|''Evald Ryghs plass'', square in Oslo. Rygh died in 1913. He was buried at Cemetery of Our Saviour.<ref name=grave/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef | before=Olaj Olsen}} {{s-ttl | title=Norwegian Minister of Finance and Customs | years=1889–1891 }} {{s-aft | after=Johannes Steen}} {{s-bef | before=August C. B. Bonnevie}} {{s-ttl | title=Mayor of Oslo | years=1893–1894 }} {{s-aft | after=Fredrik Stang Lund}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rygh, Evald}} Category:1842 births Category:1913 deaths Category:Conservative Party (Norway) politicians Category:Ministers of finance of Norway Category:Mayors of Oslo Category:Norwegian bankers Category:Burials at the Cemetery of Our Saviour Category:People from Verdal Municipality Category:Members of the Storting 1892–1894