Axel Arenfeldt (26 November 1590 - 4 October 1647) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

government official and landowner. He served as Treasurer (''rentemester'') in 1623–27 and also as War Commissioner during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...

in 1626–27. He was on several occasions also used as a diplomatic messenger. He owned

Basnæs Basnæs is a manor house and estate located southeast of Skælskør, Slagelse Municipality, Denmark. The Gothic Revival style main building is a three-storey building with three corner towers designed by Gustav Friedrich Hetsch. The estate covers ...

Skælskør Skælskør () is a town in Zealand, Denmark. It is located in Slagelse Municipality. Until 2007 Skælskør was the seat of Skælskør Municipality. The town is located 17 km southwest of Slagelse and 12 km southeast of Korsør. Skæls ...

from 1625 to 1647 and was

lensmann in modern Norwegian or in Danish and older Norwegian spelling (; ) is a term with several distinct meanings in Nordic history. The Icelandic equivalent was a . Fief-holder The term traditionally referred to a holder of a royal fief in Denmark ...

of first Giske (1623–43) and then Stjernholm (1643–46) in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

Early life and education

Arenfeldt was the son of Hans Axelsen Arenfeldt of Rugård (died 1611) and Anne Jørgensdatter Marsvin (1569–1610) and the brother of Mogens Arenfeldt. He studied in Tübingen (1607), Giesen (1608) and Siena (1614).

Career

Arenfeldt was secretary of Danish Chancellery in 1615–23. In 1620, on behalf of the king, he was prosecutor in the trial against Christoffer Dybvad. He served as Treasurer (''rentemester'') in 1623–27 and also as War Commissioner in connection with the king's involvement in the

in 1626–27. He was on several occasions also used as a diplomatic messenger, for instance to Spain in 1621, Sweden in 1624, and the Netherlands in 1630. In 1634, he was created a Knight in the Order of the Dannebrog. In 1643, he was a tax commissioner in

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

Property

Arenfeldt was in 1623–43

of Giske and in 1643–46 of Stjernholm in

. During the war with Sweden he was for a while imprisoned by the Swedish troops. In the mid-1720s, he purchased

in Denmark. He constructed a lavish new main building and was in general known for his luxurious and wasteful lifestyle.

Personal life

Arenfeldt married Marie Margrethe Ulfeldt (1619-1694), a daughter of Jakob Ulfeldt (1567–1630) and Birgitte Brockenhuus (1580–1656), on 13 April 1634 in Odense. He was the father of Jørgen Arenfeldt. He was not particularly popular and was frequently involved in disputes with his neighbours. Rumour had it that he was quilty of embezzlement during his years as a war commissioner. He died on 4 October 1647 at Basnæs and is buried at St. Peter's Church in Næstved.

References

External links

Axel Arenfeldt
at geni.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Arenfeldt, Axel 17th-century Danish landowners Danish civil servants 1590 births 1647 deaths da:Axel Arenfeldt