Georges von Tangen

Georges von Tangen was the son of a Norwegian businessman from Bergen who lived and worked in Paris. Later, the family moved to Oslo (then Kristiania). He graduated from the Sorbonne in Paris in 1895 and earned a law degree in 1901 in Oslo. Von Tangen became a diplomat for the personal union of Sweden and Norway and, after 1905, for Norway, representing Sweden/Norway, amongst others, in Paris and Berlin. After a short spell as secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Oslo, he served as secretary at the embassy in Copenhagen from 1905-09. Von Tangen then held high positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for almost 20 years, eventually heading the political/trade policy department. In 1927, he became cabinet secretary to King Haakon VII and held this position until 1940, when Norway was occupied in World War II. For his services, he received the highest awards from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, Peru, China and Prussia. In France, he was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour.

Von Tangen’s father served as president of the Norwegian Fencing Association. Following in his footsteps, Georges took up fencing and represented Norway in both foil and épée at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, though without notable success. In 1913, he became the first-ever Norwegian champion in épée and in 1914, champion in foil.

In 1906, von Tangen married businesswoman Petra Lorange. Together, the couple had four children, two sons and two daughters. Their daughter Erna Julie became a court lady at the royal household in Oslo, and their son Jan Gert died in 1943 as a fighter pilot in the RAF bomber command in World War II.