Thomas von Westen | |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | (1682-09-13)13 September 1682 Trondheim, Norway |
| Died | 9 April 1727(1727-04-09) (aged 44) Trondheim, Norway |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Denomination | Lutheran |
| Parents | Arnoldus von Westen (1643-1698) Inger Marie Thomasdatter Meyer (1660-1715) |
| Spouse | Anna Pedersdatter (ca. 1655–1746) |
| Occupation | Priest |
| Education | Cand.theol. in 1699 |
| Alma mater | University of Copenhagen |
Thomas von Westen (13 September 1682 – 9 April 1727) was a NorwegianLutheran priest and missionary.[1] He was a driving force in the Sami mission, and founded the education institutionSeminarium Scholasticum, the laterSeminarium Lapponicum, inTrondheim.
Von Westen was born inTrondheim inSøndre Trondhjem, Norway. He was the son of Arnoldus von Westen (1643–1698) and his second wife, Inger Marie Thomasdatter Meyer.[2] His father was a pharmacist at LøveapoteketApothecary.[3] His grandfather had been mayor of Trondheim.
Von Westen attendedTrondheim Cathedral School and was educated for the priesthood at theUniversity of Copenhagen where he took hisArtium Baccalaureus degree in 1698. He received hisCand.theol. in 1699. After completing his education, he started working as a priest inHelgeland. In 1709, he was appointed vicar ofVeøy Church inRomsdal.[3][4]
Along with his friend and fellow priestNils Engelhart, von Westen was an active participant of an association of priests which they namedSyvstjernen. Established in 1713,Syvstjernen was an association of the seven priests in Romsdal. The group met regularly to establish mutual support and to advance the principals ofPietism (Norwegian:Pietismen).[5][6]
He was also a pioneer ofChristian mission amongSami people in Norway. He undertook three trips to northern Norway between 1716 and 1723. He also educated Sami boys to become teachers. During 1717, he founded a school at his home in Trondheim which he called "Seminarium domesticum". The school closed after Westen died in 1727; however, it served as a model for the laterSeminarium Lapponicum which operated between 1752–1774.[7][2][8]
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