Hartvig Nissen

Hartvig Nissen (1857 – February 4, 1924) was a Norwegian gymnast mostly active within Norway and the USA. He later worked in politics. Childhood Nissen was born in the neighborhood of Kongshavn, near Oslo, in 1857. He was the 8th child out of 10 in his family. His father, Ole Hartvig Nissen, was the owner and principal of a small private school. In 1867, Hartvig was named chief of Norway's public schools. Nissen graduated from high school in 1872. An eye injury suffered during a childhood snowball fight prevented him from entering military school. Youth As a young man, Nissen joined the Merchant's Club, Singing Club and Christiania (Oslo) Turnforening or Gymnastics Club. He began teaching gymnastics in April 1875 and was the Instructor of Gymnastics in the Latin School of Drammen. He also taught at the Gymnastic Clubs of the cities of Drammen, Holmestrand and Kongsberg in Norway. Nissen later became a Teacher's Assistant and the Principal of Oslo Turnforening. Around 1879, he studied the German system of gymnastics in Dresden, Saxony. He was considered to be the strongest gymnast in Norway during the late 1870s and up until he left Norway for the U.S. on January 26, 1883. He arrived in New York City on February 15, 1883.