Kristoffer Gabel
Encyclopedia
Christoffer Gabel was a Danish
statesman.
He was born on January 6, 1617, at Glückstadt
. His father, Wulbern or Waldemar Gabel, originally a cartographer and subsequently recorder of Glückstadt, was killed at the siege
of the fortress there, by the German Imperial Army, in 1628. Nothing is known of Christoffer's youth, but it is certain he received a university education. Christoffer's name is first recorded in 1639, as overseer and accountant at the court of the Archbishop of Bremen, Duke Frederick. When the duke ascended the Danish throne
as King Frederick III of Denmark
, Gabel followed him to Copenhagen
as his private secretary and man of business, holding great influence over the irresolute king.
During the brief interval of peace between King Charles X's first and second attack upon Denmark, Gabel was employed in several secret missions to Sweden
; and he took part in the intrigues which resulted in the autocratic revolution of 1660
. While not the originator of the revolution, he was certainly the chief intermediary between Frederick III and the Conjoined Estates in the mysterious conspiracy which established absolutism in Denmark. His activities won the king's lifelong gratitude. He was enriched, ennobled, and in 1664 made governor of Copenhagen. From 1660 to 1670 he was regarded as the most influential figure at court, and very largely employed in financial and diplomatic affairs. During this period he carried out a pro-French
foreign policy, while his domestic policy was affected by laziness and corruption.
When Frederick III died, in February 1670, Gabel's power was at an end. The new ruler, Christian V
did not favour him, and accusations against Gabel poured in from every quarter. When, on April 18, 1670, he was dismissed, there was no public sympathy for a man who had grown wealthy in a time of widespread poverty. He was stripped of all titles and privileges, except the financial control of the Faroe Islands
. He spent his remaining time at the Faroe Islands, and died on October 13, 1673, in Tórshavn
.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
statesman.
He was born on January 6, 1617, at Glückstadt
Glückstadt
Glückstadt is a town in the Steinburg district of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is located on the right bank of the Lower Elbe at the confluence of the small Rhin river, about northwest of Altona...
. His father, Wulbern or Waldemar Gabel, originally a cartographer and subsequently recorder of Glückstadt, was killed at the siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
of the fortress there, by the German Imperial Army, in 1628. Nothing is known of Christoffer's youth, but it is certain he received a university education. Christoffer's name is first recorded in 1639, as overseer and accountant at the court of the Archbishop of Bremen, Duke Frederick. When the duke ascended the Danish throne
Monarchy of Denmark
The monarchy in Denmark is the constitutional monarchy of the Kingdom of Denmark, which includes Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.As a constitutional monarch, the Queen is limited to non-partisan, ceremonial functions...
as King Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark and Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in western historiography. He was born the second-eldest son of Christian IV of Denmark and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg...
, Gabel followed him to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
as his private secretary and man of business, holding great influence over the irresolute king.
During the brief interval of peace between King Charles X's first and second attack upon Denmark, Gabel was employed in several secret missions to Sweden
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....
; and he took part in the intrigues which resulted in the autocratic revolution of 1660
1660 state of emergency in Denmark
A state of emergency was declared by the King of Denmark in 1660. Its purpose was to put pressure on the first estate, which were reluctant to a proposal from the second and third estates to replace the elective monarchy with hereditary monarchy....
. While not the originator of the revolution, he was certainly the chief intermediary between Frederick III and the Conjoined Estates in the mysterious conspiracy which established absolutism in Denmark. His activities won the king's lifelong gratitude. He was enriched, ennobled, and in 1664 made governor of Copenhagen. From 1660 to 1670 he was regarded as the most influential figure at court, and very largely employed in financial and diplomatic affairs. During this period he carried out a pro-French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
foreign policy, while his domestic policy was affected by laziness and corruption.
When Frederick III died, in February 1670, Gabel's power was at an end. The new ruler, Christian V
Christian V of Denmark
Christian V , was king of Denmark and Norway from 1670 to 1699, the son of Frederick III of Denmark and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
did not favour him, and accusations against Gabel poured in from every quarter. When, on April 18, 1670, he was dismissed, there was no public sympathy for a man who had grown wealthy in a time of widespread poverty. He was stripped of all titles and privileges, except the financial control of the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
. He spent his remaining time at the Faroe Islands, and died on October 13, 1673, in Tórshavn
Tórshavn
Tórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
.
Sources
- Christian Bruun, "Gunde Rosenkrantz: Et Bidrag Til Danmarks Historie Under Frederik Den Tredie", 2008, ISBN 0559246404 Google Books edition
- Carl Frederik BrickaCarl Frederik BrickaCarl Frederik Bricka was a Danish archivist, historian, and biographer. He was the publisher of the Dansk biografisk lexikon: tillige omfattende Norge for Tidsrummet 1537–1814, a large Danish biographic encyclopedia published in 19 volumes from 1887 to 1905.- References :*L.L.: , in Blangstrup,...
, "Dansk biografisk Lexikon : Volume V : Faaborg - Gersdorff", Copenhagen, 1891 Online edition