Falsen, Christian Magnus, 1782-1830

Christian Magnus Falsen (14 September 1782 – 13 January 1830) was a Norwegian statesman, jurist and historian. He was a member of the Norwegian Constituent Assembly and was one of the writers of the constitution of Norway. Falsen has been named the father of the Norwegian constitution. Falsen's constitutional draft contained an almost literal copy of part of the U.S. Declaration of Independence: "All men are born free and equal: they have certain natural, essential and unchangeable rights. These are freedom, security, and property". Falsen's draft became the single most important direct source to the 1814 constitution.