[From Norges leger (Norway’s Doctors), 1996, Øivind Larsen, editor. Translated from Danish by Dean Enderlin, March 2001.  Norges leger research courtesy Carl Müller, Oslo.]

Stengel, Christian, 1795-1890, Berglæge [Mine District Doctor].

(2) Christian Stengel, son of merchant Johann Christian Stengel and Catharina Holling, was born in Wewelsfleth near Glückstadt in Holstein, 3 March 1795¹, became surgical scholar in 1810 at the hospital in Glückstadt, and departed to Copenhagen in 1812 in order to study surgery. When Denmark was a French ally, becoming entwined in war with the spirited French Confederacy command, and the Danish army was in need of assistant surgeons, he became employed as Company Surgeon in 1812, and in the autumn of 1813 he came to Holstein, where he carried out his duty at the military field hospital in Kiel. Upon Holstein’s occupation by Crown Prince Carl Johan [of Sweden], he became a prisoner-of-war, but he was discharged again as doctor at the military field hospital until the spring of 1814, when the hospital was abandoned. Afterwards, he was ordered to Copenhagen, and soon thereafter, he was sent up to Norway as Company Surgeon in the Norwegian Army. After peace was settled between Sweden and Norway, he became disposed as Company Surgeon with the Artillery in Christiania [Oslo], and remained as such until 1 October 1821. In 1816, he took the Preliminary Examination (III) and on 22 May 1821 the Norwegian Medical Examination, with second marks ["anden Character"] (3,2). From the autumn of 1821 to April 1882, he was disposed as mine district doctor at Røros (conferred by Royal Decree on 16 April 1830). On 10 October 1871, he celebrated the 50^th Anniversary of his arrival at Røros, on which occasion the inhabitants of Røros established a legacy to his memory (Aftenblad [newspaper] of 19 October 1871). In 1862, he obtained a great gift of honor in silver from his fellow townsmen. On 15 September 1881, he became Knight of the Royal Order of St. Olav [R. St. O. O.] "for long and meritorious medical pursuit," receiving the Order on his 60-year jubilee day.

(3) He died at Røros on 27 February 1890 of cerebral apoplexy.

For 69 years he lived at Røros, where he won many friends and repeatedly received widespread attestation of their appreciation, his activity consisting of: "born way down in the German-Danish plain where they are still, from whence he migrated to the mountains. He gave there such steadiness and strength through the many years of his work: Discomfort and gale winds, snowstorms and frost, without regard for himself when providing his calls." (From his footnoted obituary).

(2) Married 1^st at Røros July 1827 to Henningea Lovise Aschenberg, born at Røros 28 December 1806, died 12 July 1839 of typhoid fever (Æ. E. 1808). Daughter of dean and pastor for Røros, Svend Aschenberg (born in Molde 27 September 1769, died 31 March 1845) and Gjertrud Pauline Junghans (born 11 July 1771, died 25 August 1828; Æ. E. 4266). – 2 children.

Married 2^nd at Røros on 20 October 1844 to Gunhild Kjelsberg, born at Røros on 17 July 1820, died at Røros on 18 May 1905, daughter of merchant Peder Kjelsberg and Malene Aasen or Aas (she married twice, [previously] in 1835 to above-mentioned dean Svend Aschenberg, and died at Røros on 19 September 1872). – 3 children.

He had personally suffered a couple times with "gastric fever" In his childhood, he went through the common childhood diseases.

[References:]

[1] 1 Eyr [Norway’s first medical journal, published 1826 - 1837], I. (1826), pages 347-352: "Report on a notable instance of disease with four siblings;" II, pages 134-137: "Issue of a ten-year-old’s pregnancy;" III. Pages 229-230; "Report of an abscess, wherein the culprit was a needle."

[2] Obituary in Tidsskrift for den norske lægeforening [Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association] 1890. 142-143.

[3] Compare Dahle: Røros kobberverk [Copper Works], pages 362, 413 and 517.

¹ According to his own statements, after a christening certificate in the widow’s pension fund, and other statements, he was born 3 March 1794.

Dean Enderlin's Notes:

Otto Christian Stengel was my maternal great-great-great grandfather (tiptipoldefar).  His name appears in published records more frequently as Christian Stengel.  In 1823 (prior to his marriage to Henningea Aschenberg) he fathered a son with his housekeeper, "Madame" Myre.  The child was baptized Geo. Emil Gonsales Christiansen Stengel (in life, he was known as Emil Stengel).  The child was later adopted by "Madame" Leigh (Berret Marthe Beenberg), the widow of merchant Morten Leigh of Røros.  Emil was my great-great grandfather (tipoldefar).  Otto Christian Stengel married twice in the following years:  First to Henningea Aschenberg (1827), second to Gunhild Kjelsberg (1844).

The Royal Order of St. Olav was instituted by H.M. King Oscar I on August 21, 1847. The order is awarded for outstanding service for the benefit of Norway and humankind. There are five classes of membership, namely, Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer and Knight. The status of Knight (Ridder) is the class that was bestowed on Otto Christian Stengel.

The Swedish army, consisting of 60,000 men under the leadership of Crown Prince Karl Johan, occupied Kiel by December 7, 1813, causing the Danes to flee northward. Sweden had fully committed to war against Napoleon by August of 1813, being in a weak alliance with Russia. The Swedish army had been ordered to cross the Rhine with the other Allies in the Northern Army, but Karl Johan refused, choosing to invade Denmark instead.  Otto Christian Stengel was stationed in Kiel during this invasion, and he became a prisoner-of-war when Kiel became occupied.