Ole Hartvig Nissen (17 April 1815 – 4 February 1874) was a Norwegian philologist and educator. He founded Nissen's Girls' School in Christiania in 1849. In 1865 he became director-general in the Ministry of Education, while remaining one of three joint headmasters of Nissen's Girls' School until 1872. In 1873 he was appointed to the prestigious position as rector of Oslo Cathedral School.
Personal life
Hartvig Nissen was born in Melhus as a son of Lutheran priest, Peder Schjelderup Nissen (1775–1826) and Bolette Margrethe Musæus (1774–1859). He was a grandson of Martinus Nissen and first cousin of Rasmus Tønder Nissen.[1] He was the 8th child in his family of 10 children. His great-grandfather Niels Hansen Nissen was born in Fredericia in Denmark and moved to Trondheim in Norway, where he became a merchant. "Nissen" is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Nis," Nis being a form of Niels used in Jutland.