First part of the speech by Fridtjof Nansen at the Welcome party September 4, 1902.
Members of the Official Delegations! Ladies and Gentlemen!
I have been given the difficult task to wish you all welcome on behalf of the University
and the Videnskapsselskab [The Academy of Sciences and Letters] of Kristiania.
Overlooking this outstanding Audience of Men representatives of many Nations, gathered here to celebrate the Memory of a Norwegian, my thoughts go back 73 years to the time when the young Hero fought the battle for his life in poverty, forgotten by his Nation. Had he been able to be here now, if his handsome face could have witnessed this moment, would it then have glittered in gratitude to see his name so honored, or would he have asked in sorrow why one cultivates the dead instead of helping the living?
However, we are not here to delve in the sadness of the past, but to joyfully celebrate the Memory of the most brilliant Star in the Crown of the Norwegian Science. He does not belong only to us, the whole world owns him now. If we had not known it before, your presence would have shown us this. Therefore we thank you from our hearts, for coming to join us in the celebration, and for reminding us that Abel was a Norwegian.
It is said that the history of Nations is the history of their great Men. Abel was one of these great men — one of those that with ease are able to spread the light from its source to the entire world. Before he reached the age of 27 he had created the great work, that still stands.
It is said that our Time is the Time of Imperialism — that the small Nations’ time is over. But no! It is not so. The small Nations have done much for the advancement of Civilization, and we are happy that it is a small Nation that fostered Abel. There is, however, one sort of Imperialism that we believe in: Science embracing all Nations.
An English Poet¹ has written:
Lands intersected by a narrow firth
Abhor each other. Mountains interposed
Make enemies of nations who had else
Like kindred drops been mingled into one.
But Science does not respect these more or less arbitrary divides. It does away with all borders. It is our alma mater, under which wings we can reach one-another. We greet each other, and forget borders and all that divides us. Your presence today proves it.