Governor-general of Norway
Encyclopedia
The Governor-general of Norway, styled Rigsstatholder in Danish
or Riksståthållare in Swedish
, both meaning 'Lieutenant of the realm' (see Stadtholder), was the appointed head of the Norwegian Government in the absence of the Monarch.
(acting for Benzon)
The office came into existence by the Norwegian Constitution
, of November 4, 1814 where the paragraphs 12, 13 and 15 stipulated that a Governor-general of Swedish
or Norwegian
nationality could be appointed. The Governor-general resided in Christiania (today Oslo
) and led the Government in the absence of the Monarch, when he resided in his Swedish capital Stockholm
. The Council was normally led by the Governor-general, who had two votes, unless the Monarch was present, at which point he would lose his authority and merely become the first among equals, or Prime Minister
of the Council.
The post was held by Swedish appointees from 1814 until 1829, when it was vacated by natural causes. Protests would however leave the position empty until 1836, when it was filled by a Norwegian appointee. He was succeeded in 1841 but the successor Severin Løvenskiold
laid down his office in 1856, after which it would not be reinstated. The demand to abandon the office completely was ultimately granted in 1873 by King Oscar II
.
List of Governors-general during the Union between Sweden and Norway
From 1829 to 1836, the office was vacant.
From 1840 to 1841, the office was vacant.
From 1856 to 1873, the office was vacant, then it was abolished.
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
or Riksståthållare in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
, both meaning 'Lieutenant of the realm' (see Stadtholder), was the appointed head of the Norwegian Government in the absence of the Monarch.
Governors-general appointed by the Danish crown
The successive Statholder of Norway during its union with Denmark were:- 1572 - 1577 Pouel Ottesen HuitfeldtPovel HuitfeldtPovel Ottesen Huitfeldt , who was the first Danish-Norwegian Governor-general of Norway, was born circa 1520 and died 21 September 1592 at Tryggevælde Manor in Zealand. He was buried at Halmstad church, Sweden...
(b. c.1529 - d. 1592) - 9 July 1577 - 1583 Ludvig Ludvigsson Munk til Norlund (b. c.1532 - d. 1602)
- 1583 - 1588 Ove Juel
- 1588 - 1601 Aksel Gyldenstjerne (b. c.1537 - d. 1603)
- 1601 - 1608 Jørgen Friis til KrastrupJørgen FriisJørgen Friis was a Danish lord and Governor-general of Norway. He was probably born in Nes Castle, Denmark and died in 1616 in Skørping. His father Ivar Friis was the lord at Nes, and his mother was Sophie Andersdatter Glob...
(b. c.1543 - d. 1616) - 1608 - 1618 Enevold Kruse til Hjermislov (b. 1554 - d. 1621)
- 1618 - 1629 Jens Hermansson Juel (b. 1580 - d. 1634)
- 1629 - 1642 Christopher Knudsson Urne til Asmark (b. 1593 - d. 1663)
- 1642 - 24 June 1651 Hannibal Sehested (b. 1609 - d. 1666)
- 1651 - 20 December 1655 Gregers Krabbe (b. 1594 - d. 1655)
- 1656 - 28 March 1661 Nils Trolle til Trollesholm og Gavnø (b. 1599 - d. 1667)
- 8 Oct 1661 - 1664 Iver Tageson Krabbe (b. 1602 - d. 1666)
- Jan 1664 - 1699 Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, greve til Laurvig og TønsbergUlrik Frederik Gyldenløve, Count of LaurvigUlrik Frederik Gyldenløve, Count of Laurvig was a statesman and the leading Norwegian general in the Scanian War, whose Norway-related portion is conventionally named "the Gyldenløve War", after him...
(b. 1638 - d. 1704) - 1669 - 5 June 1675 Ove Juel (Vice Governor-general of Norway under Gyldenløve) (b. 1615 - d. 1686)
- 5 June 1675 - 9 May 1682 Jens Juel (Vice Governor-general of Norway under Gyldenløve) (b. 1631 - d. 1700)
- 9 May 1682 - 26 September 1694 Just Högh til Fultofte (Vice Governor-general of Norway under Gyldenløve)
- 30 September 1699 - 1708 Frederik Gabel (b. c.1640 - d. 1708)
- 10 April 1708 - 22 Feb 1710 Johan VibeJohan VibeJohan Vibe was a Danish-Danish military officer and engineer, who was appointed Governor-General of Norway by the Danish crown from 10 April 1708 until his death.-Biography:...
(b. 1634 - d. 1710) - 1 Aug 1710 - 30 April 1712 Ulrik Frederik Valdemar, baron Løvendal (b. 1660 - d. 1740)
- 4 August 1712 - 14 July 1713 Claus Henrik Vieregg (b. 1655 - d. 1713)
- 19 September 1713 - 1722 Frederik KragFrederik KragFrederik Krag was a Danish-Norwegian nobleman and senior civil servant who was born 6 March 1655 in Flensburg, Schleswig, Denmark and died 24 September 1728 in Aalborg, Denmark. He served the Danish-Norwegian kings Frederick IV and Frederick V. He served as Governor-General of Norway from 1713...
(b. 1655 - d. 1728) - 17 April 1722 - 5 October 1731 Ditlev Vibe (b. 1670 - d. 1731)
- 1731 - 1733 Patroclus Rømeling (acting) (b. 1662 - d. 1736)
- 1733 - 1739 Christian greve Rantzau (b. 1684 - d. 1771)
- 1739 - 11 Sep 1750 Hans Jakob Arnold (acting)
- 11 September 1750 - 8 February 1771 Jacob von Benzon (b. 1688 - d. 1775)
- 4 July 1766 - January 1768 Carl, Landgraf zu Hessen (b. 1744 - d. 1836)
(acting for Benzon)
- 8 Feb 1771 - 25 July 1809 Vacant
- 25 July 1809 - 11 Jan 1810 Christian August von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-AugustenburgCharles August, Crown Prince of SwedenCharles August was a German prince. He is best known for serving as Crown Prince of Sweden briefly in 1810, adopted by Charles XIII, before his sudden death from stroke. Earlier, he had been a general in the Royal Danish Army as well as the Danish Governor-general of Norway...
(b. 1768 - d. 1810) - 11 Jan 1810 - 11 May 1813 Friedrich Landgraf zu Hessen-KasselPrince Frederik of HessePrince Frederik of Hesse, Count or Landgreve Friedrich of Hesse-Cassel was a Danish nobleman, general and governor of Norway and the duchies Schleswig and Holstein .-Personal life:...
(d. 1845) - 11 May 1813 - 16 Feb 1814 Christian Frederik af Danmark (s.a.)
Governors-general appointed by the kings of Norway and Sweden
The following describes the office of governor as it was from 1814 during the personal union with Sweden:The office came into existence by the Norwegian Constitution
Constitution of Norway
The Constitution of Norway was first adopted on May 16, 1814 by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll , then signed and dated May 17...
, of November 4, 1814 where the paragraphs 12, 13 and 15 stipulated that a Governor-general of Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
or Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
nationality could be appointed. The Governor-general resided in Christiania (today Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
) and led the Government in the absence of the Monarch, when he resided in his Swedish capital Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. The Council was normally led by the Governor-general, who had two votes, unless the Monarch was present, at which point he would lose his authority and merely become the first among equals, or Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Norway
The Prime Minister of Norway is the political leader of Norway and the Head of His Majesty's Government. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Stortinget , to their political party, and ultimately the...
of the Council.
The post was held by Swedish appointees from 1814 until 1829, when it was vacated by natural causes. Protests would however leave the position empty until 1836, when it was filled by a Norwegian appointee. He was succeeded in 1841 but the successor Severin Løvenskiold
Severin Løvenskiold
Severin Løvenskiold, the younger , was a Norwegian nobleman and a politician.-Early life:...
laid down his office in 1856, after which it would not be reinstated. The demand to abandon the office completely was ultimately granted in 1873 by King Oscar II
Oscar II
Oscar II may refer to:*Oscar II of Sweden , who ruled Sweden and Norway.*Oscar class submarine, used by the Russian Navy.*Oscar II, Steamship used by Henry Ford for his peace expedition in 1915....
.
List of Governors-general during the Union between Sweden and NorwayUnion between Sweden and NorwayThe Union between Sweden and Norway , officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, consisted of present-day Sweden and Norway between 1814 and 1905, when they were united under one monarch in a personal union....
- 1814-1816: Count Hans Henrik von Essen
- 1816-1818: Count Carl Carlsson MörnerCarl Carlsson MörnerCarl Carlsson Mörner was a Swedish nobleman, officer, and politician. After rising through the ranks after being accepted as a cadet in 1771, he was made field marshal in 1816, and served as Viceroy of Norway from 1816 to 1818. He was made count of Tuna in 1800....
- 1818-1827: Count Johan August SandelsJohan August SandelsCount Johan August Sandels was a Swedish soldier and politician, being appointed Governor of Norway 1818 and Field Marshal in 1824...
- 1827-1829: Count Baltzar von PlatenBaltzar von Platen (1766-1829)Count Baltzar Bogislaus von Platen was a Swedish naval officer and statesman. He was born on the island of Rügen to Filip Julius Bernhard von Platen, Field Marshal and the Swedish Governor General of Pomerania, and Regina Juliana von Usedom.-Swedish Navy:At age 13 Baltzar entered the Royal...
From 1829 to 1836, the office was vacant.
- 1836-1840: Count Johan Caspar Herman Wedel-JarlsbergJohan Caspar Herman Wedel-JarlsbergJohan Caspar Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg was a politician and a Norwegian count, one of only two titled noblemen in Norway...
From 1840 to 1841, the office was vacant.
- 1841-1856: Severin LøvenskioldSeverin LøvenskioldSeverin Løvenskiold, the younger , was a Norwegian nobleman and a politician.-Early life:...
From 1856 to 1873, the office was vacant, then it was abolished.
See also
- List of Norwegian monarchs
- List of Norwegian Prime Ministers
- Union between Sweden and NorwayUnion between Sweden and NorwayThe Union between Sweden and Norway , officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, consisted of present-day Sweden and Norway between 1814 and 1905, when they were united under one monarch in a personal union....