The Paus family () is a
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
family that first appeared as members of the elite of 16th-century
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
and that for centuries belonged to Norway's "
aristocracy of officials "Aristocracy of officials" and "civil service aristocracy" (Danish and Norwegian: ''embedsaristokratiet'' or ''embetsaristokratiet'') are terms used by historians to denote the elite social class (aristocracy) of university-educated higher state o ...
" as priests of the
state church
A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular, is not necessarily a t ...
, judges and other higher government officials, especially in
Upper Telemark. The family is particularly known for its close association with
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential pla ...
.
Two brothers from Oslo who both became priests, Hans (1587–1648) and
Peder Povelsson Paus
Sir Peter Paulson Paus (1590 in Oslo – 21 July 1653, in Kviteseid), also rendered as Peder Povelsson Paus, was a Norwegian high-ranking cleric who served as the provost of Upper Telemark from 1633 until his death. He is known through a loving po ...
(1590–1653), have long been known as the family's earliest certain ancestors. In his book ''Slekten Paus'',
S.H. Finne-Grønn traced the family two further generations back, to
Hans Olufsson
Hans Olufsson (''c.'' 1495–1500 – 18 September 1570, in Oslo) was a Norwegian high-ranking cleric and nobleman during the 16th century.
He was a member of the royal clergy, the clergy in the personal service of the King of Norway and the effec ...
(died 1570), a high-ranking member of the
royal clergy.
The name Paus, believed to be of
Middle Saxon
Middle Low German or Middle Saxon (autonym: ''Sassisch'', i.e. "Saxon", Standard High German: ', Modern Dutch: ') is a developmental stage of Low German. It developed from the Old Saxon language in the Middle Ages and has been documented i ...
or
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic dialects whose ancestor was Old Dutch. It was spoken and written between 1150 and 1500. Until the advent of Modern Dutch after 1500 or c. 1550, there was no overarc ...
origin,
is known in Oslo since the 14th century, notably as the name of the
Lawspeaker
A lawspeaker or lawman ( Swedish: ''lagman'', Old Swedish: ''laghmaþer'' or ''laghman'', Danish: ''lovsigemand'', Norwegian: ''lagmann'', Icelandic: , Faroese: '' løgmaður'', Finnish: ''laamanni'', kl, inatsitinuk) is a unique Scandina ...
of Oslo
Nikolas Paus (mentioned 1329–1347) and as the name of one of medieval Oslo's "city farms", ''Pausinn'' (mentioned 1324–1482). The extant family is descended from Peder Povelsson Paus, who was
provost of
Upper Telemark from 1633. From the 17th to the 19th century, the family were among the foremost of the regional elite, the "
aristocracy of officials "Aristocracy of officials" and "civil service aristocracy" (Danish and Norwegian: ''embedsaristokratiet'' or ''embetsaristokratiet'') are terms used by historians to denote the elite social class (aristocracy) of university-educated higher state o ...
" in Upper Telemark,
[Jon Nygaard (2013). ''"...af stort est du kommen." Henrik Ibsen og Skien''. Centre for Ibsen Studies. ] where many family members served as priests, judges and other government officials and where several state and church offices in practice were hereditary in the family for extended periods. For example, the office of
chief district judge of Upper Telemark was continuously held by the family for 106 years (1668–1774) and passed on in an hereditary manner.
From the late 18th century family members successively established themselves as
ship's captain
A sea captain, ship's captain, captain, master, or shipmaster, is a high-grade licensed mariner who holds ultimate command and responsibility of a merchant vessel.Aragon and Messner, 2001, p.3. The captain is responsible for the safe and efficie ...
s,
shipowner
A ship-owner is the owner of a merchant vessel (commercial ship) and is involved in the shipping industry. In the commercial sense of the term, a shipowner is someone who equips and exploits a ship, usually for delivering cargo at a certain f ...
s, wealthy
merchant
A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...
s and bankers in the port towns of
Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the ...
and
Drammen
Drammen () is a city and municipality in Viken, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the south-eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen municipality also includes smaller towns and villages such as Konne ...
. From the 19th century several family members were prominent as steel industrialists in
Christiania; other family members founded the industrial company
Paus & Paus Paus & Paus AS is a former industrial company in Norway, active within the pulp and paper industry, chemical industry and pharmaceutical industry. It existed from 1906 from 2001, when it was acquired by Pemco. A number of former subsidiary companie ...
in Drammen and Oslo. Since the early 20th century family members have owned half a dozen
estates
Estate or The Estate may refer to:
Law
* Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations
* Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries.
** The Estates, representati ...
and castles in Sweden, of which the estates
Herresta
Herresta is a large estate in Södermanland County in Sweden, located outside Mariefred. It has been in the possession of the Paus family since 1923.
The manor lies beautifully adjacent to Herrestaviken, which was previously connected to Mälaren ...
and Näsbyholm in
Södermanland
Södermanland ( or ), locally Sörmland, sometimes referred to under its Latin form ''Sudermannia'' or ''Sudermania'', is a historical province or ''landskap'' on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västm ...
are still owned by the family; the Herresta/Näsbyholm branch is descended from
Tatiana Tolstoy-Paus
Tatiana "Tanja" Tolstoy-Paus (born Countess Tatyana Lvovna Tolstaya, russian: Графиня Татья́на Льво́вна Толста́я; 20 September 1914 – 29 January 2007) was a Russian-Swedish countess, socialite and a member of the T ...
,
Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
's last surviving grandchild.
Christopher Tostrup Paus, a papal chamberlain and heir to one of Norway's largest
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...
companies, was conferred the title of
count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York ...
by
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City f ...
in 1923. Outside of Norway, family members sometimes spelled the name ''de Paus'' or ''von Paus'' depending on linguistic context.
The family's best known descendant is the playwright
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential pla ...
, who named or modelled various
characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
after family members, for example the character Hedvig in ''
The Wild Duck''. Some episodes in plays such as ''The Wild Duck'' or ''
Peer Gynt
''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five- act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen published in 1876. Written in Norwegian, it is one of the most widely performed Norwegian plays. Ibsen believed '' Per Gynt'', the Norwegian fairy tale on ...
'' were based on Paus family traditions and real events that took place in the household of shipowner
Ole Paus in the early 19th century. Ibsen's relationship with the Paus family, his parents' closest relatives, was complex and both of his parents belonged to it in either a biological or social sense. The Paus family figures in Ibsen studies, and Jon Nygaard has argued that the emergence of "the new Puritan state of the officials" with the spirit of "Upper Telemark, the Paus family" is a major theme in Ibsen's work.
[Nygaard, Jon (2012).]
Henrik Ibsen og Skien: '... af stort est du kommen, og till stort skalst du vorde engang!'
. ''Bøygen''. 24 (1): 81–95 Modern family members include the troubadour
Ole Paus and his son, the composer
Marcus Paus
Marcus Nicolay Paus (; born 14 October 1979) is a Norwegian composer and one of the most performed contemporary Scandinavian composers. As a classical contemporary composer he is noted as a representative of a reorientation toward tradition, tonal ...
. Family members live in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the U.K. and Switzerland. In the course of its history, family members have used multiple
seals
Seals may refer to:
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...
and
coats of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in i ...
, including a
crane in its vigilance in the seal of
Povel Paus on the 1661
Sovereignty Act
The Sovereignty Act or the Absolute and Hereditary Monarchy Act ( da, Suverænitetsakten or ''Enevoldsarveregeringsakten''; no, Enevoldsarveregjeringsakten or sometimes even ''Suverenitetsakten'') refers to two similar constitutional acts that i ...
and a bull's head with golden star used since the 19th century. A village in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
,
Pauspur
Pauspur is a village in the state of Assam in India, located to the south of the Mornai Tea Estate within Kokrajhar district. It had its own Lutheran congregation and church, Pauspur Church, which was closed in 1951.
History
It was built ju ...
, was named in honour of the family in the 19th century.
The name Paus in Oslo in the 14th and 15th centuries
The name Paus is known in Oslo in the 14th and 15th centuries and was used by individuals who belonged to the same small elite social class as the family that is documented from the 16th century. The farm ''Pausinn'' ("The Paus") was one of the "city farms" that were part of medieval Oslo and is mentioned between 1324 and 1482, when it was owned by individuals who belonged to the city's elite. Paus is also used as the
cognomen
A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...
of several individuals in 14th and 15th century Oslo or its surroundings who appear to be related and who owned substantial property in nearby
Nes. The most notable individual named Paus in medieval Oslo was
Nikolas Sigurdsson Paus Nikolas Sigurdsson Paus (mentioned 1329–1347) was a Norwegian nobleman who served as the Lawspeaker of Oslo shortly before the Black Death.
He is mentioned in written sources in medieval Oslo between 1329 and 1347, and as lawspeaker in 1347, two ...
, who is mentioned as the
Lawspeaker
A lawspeaker or lawman ( Swedish: ''lagman'', Old Swedish: ''laghmaþer'' or ''laghman'', Danish: ''lovsigemand'', Norwegian: ''lagmann'', Icelandic: , Faroese: '' løgmaður'', Finnish: ''laamanni'', kl, inatsitinuk) is a unique Scandina ...
of Oslo in 1347, shortly before the
Black Death
The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
reached the city. There were around a dozen lawspeakers in the entire kingdom, and they were part of the nobility. Two seals used by Nikolas Paus are included in the ''Encyclopedia of Noble Families in Denmark, Norway and the Duchies'' (published 1782–1813). Medieval historians
P.A. Munch,
Alexander Bugge
Alexander Bugge (30 December 1870, Christiania – 24 December 1929, Copenhagen) was a Norwegian historian. and
Edvard Bull argued that ''Pausinn'' was probably named after Nikolas Paus or a member of his family; on the basis of the
Middle Saxon
Middle Low German or Middle Saxon (autonym: ''Sassisch'', i.e. "Saxon", Standard High German: ', Modern Dutch: ') is a developmental stage of Low German. It developed from the Old Saxon language in the Middle Ages and has been documented i ...
/
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic dialects whose ancestor was Old Dutch. It was spoken and written between 1150 and 1500. Until the advent of Modern Dutch after 1500 or c. 1550, there was no overarc ...
-sounding name, they argued that the family was of Low German/Dutch origin, and wrote that the Paus family was an influential immigrant family in medieval Oslo; the family may have immigrated as merchants in the 12th or 13th century from northern Germany or the Netherlands.
[ Edvard Bull, ]
Kristianias historie
', vol. I (''Oslos historie''), pp. 135, 180 and 245, Cappelen, 1922Alexander Bugge
Alexander Bugge (30 December 1870, Christiania – 24 December 1929, Copenhagen) was a Norwegian historian. :
Oslo i de første to–tre hundre aarene
" ''St. Hallvard'', vol. I, pp. 7–23 (here p. 15)[ P.A. Munch, ]
Det norske Folks Historie
', vol. 2, part 1, p. 256, 1862
Genealogist
S.H. Finne-Grønn presumed that the younger family's name was derived from the name of Nikolas Paus and his family and from the city farm of ''Pausinn'' in one way or the other; only a century separates the last mention of Pausinn and the birth of the modern family's earliest certain ancestors who were known by the name.
Oslo had a very small population in the time period, probably less than a thousand inhabitants in the years following the Black Death, and an even smaller elite, that family names were exceedingly rare in Norway both in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries and typically only used by nobles/clerics and merchants of an immigrant background, and that the name Paus is atypical of Norwegian. Genealogist
C. S. Schilbred noted that "the connection between the older and the younger family of the name has not been established, but on the other hand no convincing arguments against such a possibility have been made." It is however a possibility that the family acquired the name indirectly, e.g. from ''Pausinn'', rather than by direct descent. The modern family, believing itself to be related to the 14th century family, adopted an interpretation (itself dating to the 18th century) of Nikolas Paus' 1330 seal as its coat of arms in the late 19th century.
The family in the 16th century
![Oslo i 1567](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Oslo_i_1567.png)
According to genealogist
S.H. Finne-Grønn, the family is most likely descended from
Hans Olufsson
Hans Olufsson (''c.'' 1495–1500 – 18 September 1570, in Oslo) was a Norwegian high-ranking cleric and nobleman during the 16th century.
He was a member of the royal clergy, the clergy in the personal service of the King of Norway and the effec ...
(died 1570), a
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
at
St Mary's Church, the
royal chapel
A royal chapel is a chapel associated with a monarch, a royal court, or in a royal palace.
A royal chapel may also be a body of clergy or musicians serving at a royal court or employed by a monarch.
Commonwealth countries
Both the United King ...
in
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
.
As indicated by his
patronymic
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor.
Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
, Hans Olufsson's father was named Oluf. Due to his career as a member of the
royal clergy, Hans Olufsson almost certainly had a privileged family background. Most canons in Norway at the time were recruited from the lower nobility, and normally studied at universities abroad, which was normally only possible with an affluent background. Hans Olufsson served as a canon at St Mary's Church and a member of its
cathedral chapter
According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. ...
until it was merged with that of
Oslo Cathedral
, native_name_lang =
, image = Oslo Cathedral.jpg
, imagesize = 230px
, imagelink =
, imagealt =
, landscape =
, caption = Oslo Cathedral from Sto ...
in 1545, following the Reformation. St Mary's Church was a powerful political institution as the seat of government of Norway at the time, as its provost was also the
Chancellor of Norway
The Chancellor of Norway (modern Norwegian: ''Norges rikes kansler'', "Chancellor of Norway's Realm") was the most important aide of the King of Norway during the Middle Ages, and during the Union with Denmark. He issued laws and regulations, and ...
with one of the canons serving as Vice-Chancellor. Its clergy held high aristocratic rank ''ex officio'', as decreed by
Haakon V of Norway
Haakon V Magnusson (10 April 1270 – 8 May 1319) ( non, Hákon Magnússon; no, Håkon Magnusson, label= Modern Norwegian) was king of Norway from 1299 until 1319.
Biography
Haakon was the younger surviving son of Magnus the Lawmender, Ki ...
in a 1300 royal proclamation, with canons holding the rank of
Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
(the highest rank of nobility in Norway since 1308), and were granted significant privileges. Hans Olufsson held a
prebend
A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of t ...
(estate held for his lifetime), the prebend of
Saint Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
's
altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in pagan ...
, also known as the prebend of
Dillevik, that included the income of 43 church properties (36 ''huder'', hides) in
Eastern Norway
Eastern Norway ( nb, Østlandet, nn, Austlandet) is the geographical region of the south-eastern part of Norway. It consists of the counties Vestfold og Telemark, Viken, Oslo and Innlandet.
Eastern Norway is by far the most populous region ...
. After 1545, Hans Olufsson served as a priest at Oslo Cathedral, but retained his prebend affiliated with the estate of St Mary's Church. He died on the night between 17 and 18 September 1570 and was buried in Oslo Cathedral on 19 September. Following his death, his prebend passed to
Jens Nilssøn, the noted
Oslo humanist and later Bishop of Oslo.
Hans Olufsson's son, as documented by court proceedings from 1602, was ''Povel Hansson'' (probably born ''ca.'' 1545–50), who was a burgher and apparently a wealthy
merchant
A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...
in
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
. He was according to Finne-Grønn
most likely the father of the two clergymen who became the ancestors of two lineages of the family, and who have long been known as the family's earliest certain ancestors: ''Hans Povelsson Paus'' (1587–1648) and ''
Peder Povelsson Paus
Sir Peter Paulson Paus (1590 in Oslo – 21 July 1653, in Kviteseid), also rendered as Peder Povelsson Paus, was a Norwegian high-ranking cleric who served as the provost of Upper Telemark from 1633 until his death. He is known through a loving po ...
'' (1590–1653). Both brothers were born in Oslo in the late 16th century and clearly belonged to its social elite.
Hans and Peder Povelsson Paus and their descendants
''Hans Povelsson Paus'' (1587–1648) was born in
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
and entered the
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...
as a student under the name ''Johannes Paulli Asloensis'' (Asloensis meaning Oslo) around 1607–08. He earned the bachelor's degree in 1616, and shortly after became a chaplain at
Oslo Cathedral
, native_name_lang =
, image = Oslo Cathedral.jpg
, imagesize = 230px
, imagelink =
, imagealt =
, landscape =
, caption = Oslo Cathedral from Sto ...
. In 1622, he succeeded his presumed stepfather Anders Augustinusen as parish priest in Fredrikstad. He had a limited number of descendants, including his sons,
Magister ''Povel Hansson Paus'' (1620–1658), parish priest in
Lier,
Bragernes
Bragernes is one of the central areas of the city of Drammen in Viken, Norway.
Location
Bragernes is located on the northern side of the Drammen River (''Drammenselva'') and contains the famous town square Bragernes square (''Bragernes Torg'' ...
and
Strømsø
Strømsø is a borough of Drammen, Viken, Norway.
Strømsø is located at the southern side of the river Drammenselva. Until about 1600, Stømsø was an island surrounded by the Drammenselva, but was later made landfast. In 1728 Strømsø was gr ...
, and ''Anders Hansson Paus'' (1622–1689), parish priest in
Jevnaker.
![Kvitseid old church (1200 A](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Kvitseid_old_church_%281200_A.D.%29.jpg)
Hans' younger brother ''
Peder Povelsson Paus
Sir Peter Paulson Paus (1590 in Oslo – 21 July 1653, in Kviteseid), also rendered as Peder Povelsson Paus, was a Norwegian high-ranking cleric who served as the provost of Upper Telemark from 1633 until his death. He is known through a loving po ...
'' (1590–1653) was born in Oslo and entered the University of Copenhagen as a student under the name ''Petrus Paulli Asloensis''. Following his studies, he served as headmaster of
Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the ...
Latin School around 1617, as parish priest in
Vinje
Vinje is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Telemark in the Counties of Norway, county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional regions of Upper Telemark and Vest-Telemark. The administrative ...
and as parish priest in
Kviteseid Kviteseid is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Upper Telemark and Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kviteseid. The parish ...
and provost of
Upper Telemark from 1633. He was married to Johanne Madsdatter. The tradition of Peder's great physical powers have been handed down in Kviteseid until the modern age. Peder was buried under the
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
floor in
Kviteseid Old Church
Old Kviteseid Church ( no, Kviteseid gamle kyrkje) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Kviteseid Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is located about north of the village of Eidstod. It is one of the churches in th ...
, where his son Povel placed a beautiful poem in Latin in memory of his father.
![Aase Povelsdatter Paus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Aase_Povelsdatter_Paus.jpg)
Peder's son ''Povel Pedersson Paus'' (1625–1682) was parish priest in
Hjartdal
Hjartdal is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Upper Telemark and Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sauland. The mun ...
and married to ''Ingrid Corneliusdatter Trinepol'' (1632–1694), a daughter of timber merchant Cornelius Jansen Trinepol (1611–1678) and a member of the wealthy patriciate of
Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the ...
who was notably descended from
Jørgen von Ansbach. Povel Pedersson Paus was among the 87 representatives of the Norwegian
clerical estate who signed the 1661
Sovereignty Act
The Sovereignty Act or the Absolute and Hereditary Monarchy Act ( da, Suverænitetsakten or ''Enevoldsarveregeringsakten''; no, Enevoldsarveregjeringsakten or sometimes even ''Suverenitetsakten'') refers to two similar constitutional acts that i ...
,
Denmark-Norway's new constitution which introduced
absolute Absolute may refer to:
Companies
* Absolute Entertainment, a video game publisher
* Absolute Radio, (formerly Virgin Radio), independent national radio station in the UK
* Absolute Software Corporation, specializes in security and data risk manag ...
and
hereditary monarchy
A hereditary monarchy is a form of government and succession of power in which the throne passes from one member of a ruling family to another member of the same family. A series of rulers from the same family would constitute a dynasty.
It is h ...
.
[Allan Tønnesen (ed.), ''Magtens besegling, Enevoldsarveregeringsakterne af 1661 og 1662 underskrevet og beseglet af stænderne i Danmark, Norge, Island og Færøerne'', ]University Press of Southern Denmark
University Press of Southern Denmark () is Denmark's largest university press and was founded in 1966 as ''Odense University Press'' (''Odense Universitetsforlag''). The press publishes books from the world of science in the broadest sense of the ...
, 2013, p. 372, Magnus Brostrup Landstad
Magnus Brostrup Landstad (7 October 1802 – 8 October 1880) was a Norwegian parish priest and provost, hymn writer, and poet who published the first collection of authentic Norwegian traditional ballads in 1853.
Biography
Landstad was born in ...
describes Povel Pedersson Paus as a learned and pious priest who held on to Catholic customs in post-Reformation Norway. Well versed in Latin, he wrote a Latin poem about his father and personally educated his children. Among his ten children were parish priest in
Kviteseid Kviteseid is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Upper Telemark and Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kviteseid. The parish ...
''Hans Paus'' (1656–1715) and district judge in Upper Telemark ''Cornelius Paus'' (1662–1723), from which two living main lines of the family are descended.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the office of district judge of Upper Telemark was effectively hereditary in the family for 106 consecutive years and four generations.
[Hans Eyvind Næss, "Fra tingskriver til dommer," in Hans Eyvind Næss (ed.), ''For rett og rettferdighet i 400 år. Sorenskriverne i Norge 1591–1991'', p. 40]
Skien branch
![Ole Paus3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Ole_Paus3.jpg)
The ''
Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the ...
branch'' of the family is descended from district judge of Upper Telemark ''Cornelius Paus'' (1662–1723). He married Valborg Ravn (1673–1726), the daughter of his predecessor as district judge Jørgen Hansen Ravn and Margrethe Fredriksdatter
Blom
Blom is a European service provider within acquisition, processing and modelling of geographical information. Blom maintains European databases with collections of map, images and models. With particular focus on online services, Blom provides da ...
(born 1650). His father-in-law was appointed district judge in 1668 and stepped down in favour of his son-in-law in 1696.
Their son, the procurator (i.e.
advocate
An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However ...
) ''Paul Paus'' (1697–1768) served as his father's deputy judge and as acting district judge for some time, and married Martha
Blom
Blom is a European service provider within acquisition, processing and modelling of geographical information. Blom maintains European databases with collections of map, images and models. With particular focus on online services, Blom provides da ...
(1699–1755), a daughter of forest owner Christopher Blom (1651–1735) and Johanne Margrethe Ørn (1671–1745).
[Andreas Blom og Jon Lauritz Qvisling. «Familien Paus i Telemarken». I ''Efterladte historiske optegnelser : særlig vedkommende Skien, Laardal og Kviteseid'', 1904, pp. 31–64]
![Christian C Paus2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Christian_C_Paus2.jpg)
They were the parents of ''Johanne Paus'' (1723–1807), married to provost of
Raabyggelaget Johan Christopher
von Koss (1725–1778), forest inspector of Upper Telemark ''Cornelius Paus'' (1726–1799), and ''Cathrine (Medea Maj) Paus'' (1741–1776), married to Counselor of Justice Anthon Jacob de Coucheron (1732–1802).
Cornelius Paus sold the former district judge's farm Haatvet in
Lårdal
Lårdal is a village in Tokke Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located on the north shore of the lake Bandak and about south of the village of Høydalsmo and the European route E134 highway. The village is th ...
in 1788 and moved to Skien, where he died in the home of his son-in-law
Johan Andreas Altenburg in 1799. He was married to Christine Falck and was the father of Ole, Martha and Hedevig Paus, who all settled in
Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the ...
.
''Martha Paus'' (1761–1786) married ship-owner and timber merchant Hans Jensen
Blom
Blom is a European service provider within acquisition, processing and modelling of geographical information. Blom maintains European databases with collections of map, images and models. With particular focus on online services, Blom provides da ...
(1757–1808), and her descendants include supreme court justice
Knut Blom.
''Hedevig Christine Paus'' (1763–1848) married ship-owner and merchant
Johan Andreas Altenburg, and they were the maternal grandparents of playwright
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential pla ...
. Among their descendants are also Prime Minister
Sigurd Ibsen
Sigurd Ibsen (23 December 1859 – 14 April 1930) was a Norwegian author, lawyer and statesman, who served as the prime minister of Norway in Stockholm (1903–1905) and played a central role in the dissolution of the union between Norway and ...
, film director
Tancred Ibsen
Tancred Ibsen (11 July 1893 – 4 December 1978) was a Norwegian military officer, aviator, film director and screenwriter.
Background
Ibsen was the son of Sigurd Ibsen and Bergljot Bjørnson. He was the grandson of both Henrik Ibsen and Nobel l ...
and the actress
Beate Bille.
''
Ole Paus'' (1776–1855) became a
burgher
Burgher may refer to:
* Burgher (social class), a medieval, early modern European title of a citizen of a town, and a social class from which city officials could be drawn
** Burgess (title), a resident of a burgh in northern Britain
** Grand Bu ...
of Skien in 1798, and has numerous descendants. He married
Johanne Plesner, daughter of the wealthy merchant
Knud Plesner and Maria Kall, and who had formerly been married to ship's captain Henrich Ibsen (
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential pla ...
's grandfather). Ole Paus and Johanne Plesner were the parents of the lawyer ''Henrik Johan Paus'' (1799–1893), of the judge, magistrate, Member of Parliament and Governor of
Bratsberg Christian Cornelius Paus (1800–1879), and of the merchant and ship-owner
Christopher Blom Paus
Christopher Blom Paus (8 October 1810 – 28 October 1898) was a Norwegian shipowner, merchant and banker.
Biography
Paus was born at the estate Rising Nordre in Gjerpen, Norway.
Born into the patriciate of the port town of Skien, he was the ...
(1810–1898). Ole Paus also became the stepfather of
Knud Ibsen
Knud Plesner Ibsen (3 October 1797, in Skien – 24 October 1877, in Skien) was a Norwegian merchant from the city of Skien and the father of the playwright Henrik Ibsen. He is widely considered the model for many central characters in h ...
. As Henrik Ibsen pointed out in an 1882 letter to
Georg Brandes
Georg Morris Cohen Brandes (4 February 1842 – 19 February 1927) was a Danish critic and scholar who greatly influenced Scandinavian and European literature from the 1870s through the turn of the 20th century. He is seen as the theorist behind ...
, the Paus family was one of the
patrician families dominating the port town of
Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the ...
, where he grew up.
Henrik Johan Paus, a lawyer who owned the estate Østerhaug in
Elverum
is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum. Other settlements in the municipality include Heradsbygd, Sørskog ...
for some years, married Sophie Lintrup, a daughter of county chief physician (''amtsfysikus'')
Christian Lintrup. They were the parents of Major and War Commissioner ''Johan Altenborg Paus'' (1833–1894), who married his second cousin Agnes Tostrup, a daughter of timber merchant
Christopher Tostrup. They were the parents of land owner, art collector, philanthropist, papal chamberlain and
Knight of Malta ''
Christopher Tostrup Paus'' (1862–1943), who inherited much of his family's shares of the
Tostrup & Mathiesen company and who owned the
Trystorp and
Herresta
Herresta is a large estate in Södermanland County in Sweden, located outside Mariefred. It has been in the possession of the Paus family since 1923.
The manor lies beautifully adjacent to Herrestaviken, which was previously connected to Mälaren ...
estates in Sweden. A convert to
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, Christopher Tostrup Paus was conferred the hereditary title of
count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York ...
by
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City f ...
on 25 May 1923, and joined the
Ointroducerad Adels Förening in 1924, thus becoming part of Sweden's
unintroduced nobility.
He died in 1943 without issue. Among Henrik Johan Paus' descendants are also the British diplomat ''
Christopher Lintrup Paus
Christopher "Kiff" Lintrup Paus (; 6 November 1881 in – 28 May 1963) was a British diplomat, who served at the British Embassy in Oslo for several decades, as commercial counsellor and as the British consul in Oslo and head of the British ...
'' (b. 1881), the Director at the Directorate of Public Roads ''
Hans Wangensten Paus'' (b. 1891) and Ambassador in Iran, Brazil and Mexico ''
Thorleif Lintrup Paus Thorleif Lintrup Paus (6 January 1912 – 28 November 2006) was a Norwegian lawyer and diplomat.
Born at Rjukan, he finished law school in 1937 and worked as a judge before joining the diplomatic service after World War II. He was a bureau chief ...
'' (b. 1912).
Christopher Blom Paus was the father of iron and steel wholesaler, factory-owner and banker ''
Ole Paus'' (1846–1931) and engineer ''Carl Ludvig Paus'' (1856–1953).
![Pausvillaen Christian Benneches vei 6 Bygdøy Oslo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Pausvillaen_Christian_Benneches_vei_6_Bygd%C3%B8y_Oslo.jpeg)
Ole Paus was married to Birgitte Halvordine
Schou (a cousin of
Halvor Schou), and their children were ''Martha Marie Paus'' (b. 1876), married to historian
Otto von Munthe af Morgenstierne, businessman ''Christopher Blom Paus'' (1878–1959), Consul-General, businessman and estate owner ''
Thorleif Paus
Thorleif Paus (; 8 October 1881 – 9 June 1976), also known as Thorleif de Paus or Thorleif von Paus, was a Norwegian diplomat, estate owner and businessman. As a 23 year old consular secretary he became Norway's only diplomatic representative to ...
'' (1881–1976), ''Else Margrethe Paus'' (b. 1885), married to businessman Nicolay Nissen Paus (her distant relative), and ''Fanny Paus'' (1888–1971), married to businessman Trygve
Andvord (1888–1958).
Christopher Blom Paus (b. 1878) was the father of businessman Per Christian Cornelius Paus, married to his distant cousin Hedevig, Countess of
Wedel-Jarlsberg
The Count of Wedel-Jarlsberg (also ''Wedel Jarlsberg'') is a title of the Norwegian nobility and of the Danish nobility. The family of Wedel-Jarlsberg is a branch of the larger family von Wedel, which comes from Pomerania, Germany. Family members ...
, who owned the
Esviken
Esviken (formerly Esvigen) is a villa surrounded by an elaborate garden. It is located on a former farm on Leangbukta bay between
Vettre and Konglungen in Asker, Norway.
History
Industrialist Halvor Schou (1823–1879) and his wife Anna Cecilie ...
manor, and ''Else Birgitte Paus'', married to Danish lawyer and papal chamberlain Gunnar Garth-Grüner (1903–93). Per and Hedevig were the parents of ''Cornelia Paus'', businessman ''
Peder Nicolas Paus Peder Nicolas Paus (; born 22 November 1945) is a Norwegian banker and investor in the petroleum industry. He is a co-founder and former chairman of the international oil and gas exploration company Questerre Energy Corporation.
Background
He is ...
'' and businessman ''Christopher Paus'', married to Cecilie Wilhelmsen, whose family owns the
Wilh. Wilhelmsen
Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding ASA (WWH) is a Norwegian multinational maritime industry, maritime group, headquartered in Lysaker, Norway. The group employs more than 21,000 people and has operations in 75 nations. The Wilhelmsen group operates the la ...
shipping company. Their daughters are designer
Pontine Paus
Cecilie Alexandra Pontine Paus (born 15 June 1973) is a London-based Norwegian designer and shipping heiress. A member of the billionaire Wilhelmsen family on her mother's side, she is one of the owners of Wilh. Wilhelmsen, one of the world's la ...
and
Olympia Paus
Caroline Victoria Olympia Paus (born 11 November 1976), known as just Olympia Paus (), is a Norwegian shipping magnate and equestrienne, who lives in the United Kingdom. She is married to Alexander Nix, former CEO of Cambridge Analytica.
Born i ...
; Pontine is the girlfriend of the chairman of
Sotheby's
Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...
,
Harry Primrose, Lord Dalmeny
Harry Ronald Neil Primrose, Lord Dalmeny (born 20 November 1967), known as Harry Dalmeny, is a British aristocrat and the Chairman of Sotheby's in the United Kingdom. A member of the British British nobility, aristocracy, he is the heir to ten n ...
, the heir to the
Earldom of Rosebery, while Olympia is married to former
Cambridge Analytica
Cambridge Analytica Ltd (CA), previously known as SCL USA, was a British political consulting firm that came to prominence through the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal. It was started in 2013, as a subsidiary of the private intellig ...
CEO
Alexander Nix
Alexander James Ashburner Nix (born 1 May 1975) is a British businessman, the former CEO of Cambridge Analytica and a former director of the Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL) Group, a behavioural research and strategic communications ...
.
Thorleif Paus
Thorleif Paus (; 8 October 1881 – 9 June 1976), also known as Thorleif de Paus or Thorleif von Paus, was a Norwegian diplomat, estate owner and businessman. As a 23 year old consular secretary he became Norway's only diplomatic representative to ...
served as Norwegian consul-general in Vienna, owned two factories and became owner of
Kvesarum Castle in Sweden. He was married to Ella Stein and secondly to Countess Ella
Moltke
The House of Moltke is the name of an old German noble family. The family was originally from Mecklenburg, but apart from Germany, some of the family branches also resided throughout Scandinavia. Members of the family have been noted as pigfarme ...
née
Glückstadt
Glückstadt (; da, Lykstad) 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. Glückstadt is part of th ...
. He was the father of Major-General
Ole Otto Paus
Ole Otto Paus (26 October 1910 – 6 April 2003), né ''Ole von Paus'', was a Norwegian General, diplomat and NATO official. He was head of the army group in the military intelligence service of the exile Norwegian High Command in London during th ...
, the grandfather of troubadour
Ole Paus and the great-grandfather of composer
Marcus Paus
Marcus Nicolay Paus (; born 14 October 1979) is a Norwegian composer and one of the most performed contemporary Scandinavian composers. As a classical contemporary composer he is noted as a representative of a reorientation toward tradition, tonal ...
. Else and Nicolay Nissen Paus were the parents of ''Lucie Paus'', married to land-owner
Axel Løvenskiold Carl Axel Løvenskiold (13 January 1912 – 28 September 1980) was a Norwegian landowner and painter.
Personal life
He was born in Ullern as a son of landowner Carl Løvenskiold (1874–1949) and Elise Bruun (1879–1950). He was a grandson of Lor ...
, and ''Fanny Paus'', married to Ambassador
Henrik Andreas Broch.
Herresta branch
![Herresta herrgård 2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Herresta_herrg%C3%A5rd_2016.jpg)
Carl Ludvig Paus (b. 1856) was the father of land-owner ''Herman Christopher Paus'' (1897–1983), who bought
Herresta
Herresta is a large estate in Södermanland County in Sweden, located outside Mariefred. It has been in the possession of the Paus family since 1923.
The manor lies beautifully adjacent to Herrestaviken, which was previously connected to Mälaren ...
, one of the largest estates of
Södermanland County
Södermanland County ( sv, Södermanlands län) is a county or ''län'' on the southeast coast of Sweden. In the local Sörmlandic dialects it is virtually universally shortened and pronounced as Sörmlands län, or simply Sörmland, which is th ...
in Sweden, from his relative, Count Christopher Tostrup Paus, in 1938. He was married to Countess Tatyana
Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
, a granddaughter of
Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
. Their descendants own several estates in Sweden and form the Herresta branch of the family. Today, Herresta is managed by their grandson Fredric Christopherson Paus.
Christopher Tostrup Paus owned many family portraits dating back to the 17th century, which were found at Herresta and some of which are still found there. They included a
silhouette
A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...
of members of the
Altenburg and Paus families from shortly after the Napoleonic Wars, including
Marichen Altenburg
Marichen Cornelia Martine Altenburg (24 April 1799 – 3 June 1869) was the mother of the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen and is known as the model for several characters in some of Ibsen's most famous plays, including Åse in '' Peer Gynt''.Rob ...
—the only existing portrait of any of
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential pla ...
's parents.
Drammen branch
![Hans P Paus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Hans_P_Paus.jpg)
The Drammen branch is descended from ''
Hans Paus'' (b. 1656). He was married to Susanne Morland (1670–1747), who was the daughter of provost of Upper Telemark Amund Morland (1624–1700) and the granddaughter of land-owners Christen Andersen and Anne Gundersdatter, who owned
Borgestad Manor
Borgestad Manor ( no, Borgestad gård) is an estate and manor house in the municipality of Skien in Vestfold og Telemark, Norway.
History
Borgestad is located in the former parish of Gjerpen near Porsgrunn. It is one of the largest estates in ...
. Hans Paus wrote the poem ''
Stolt Anne'' about his wife's first cousin
Anne Clausdatter
Anne Clausdatter, also known as Anne Arnold and ''Anna Clausdatter'' (born 5 June 1659 in Skien, died 11 April 1713 at Borgestad Manor) was a Norwegian landowner; owner of Borgestad Manor in Skien, one of the largest estates of Bratsberg.
Anne ...
, which is noted for being the first written in
dialect
The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of Linguistics, linguistic phenomena:
One usage refers to a variety (linguisti ...
in Norway. Their son ''Peder Paus'' (1691–1759) succeeded his uncle Cornelius as district judge of Upper Telemark in 1723, and was in turn succeeded by his son, ''Hans Paus'' (1720–1774) in 1751. Peder Paus was married in his first marriage to Danish-born Cathrine Medea
May
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the third of seven months to have a length of 31 days.
May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, May ...
Hermansdatter Arentsen (died 1736), daughter of the parish priest in
Ølsted northwest of
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
Herman Arentsen and granddaughter of
Arent Berntsen and
Søren Nielsen May
Søren Nielsen May (born in Helsingborg, died 16 September 1679 in Holbæk), also spelled Søren Nielsen Maj, was a Danish priest, who was parish priest and provost in Holbæk. He was an uncle of the statesman Peder Griffenfeld
Count Peder G ...
. In his second marriage, he married his cousin Hedvig Coldevin Corneliusdatter Paus. Hans Paus, a son of the first marriage, was married to Danish-born Andrea Jaspara
Nissen (1725–1772), daughter of Captain Nicolai von Nissen and Christence Groll and a member of a prominent and partially ennobled Danish family of land-owners who were descended from most of the Danish ''
Uradel
(, German: "ancient nobility"; adjective or ) is a genealogical term introduced in late 18th-century Germany to distinguish those families whose noble rank can be traced to the 14th century or earlier. The word stands opposed to '' Briefadel'', ...
'' including Banner-Høeg,
Kaas, Grubbe, Ulfstand,
Bille, Reventlow, Juel, Lykke,
Gyldenstierne
Gyldenstjerne, also spelled ''Gyldenstierne'' and in Swedish ''Gyllenstierna'' (English: ''Golden Star''), is a Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish noble family divided into various branches and ranks. It is one of the oldest noble families in Scandi ...
,
Rosenkrantz
Rosenkranz is the German word for rosary.
Rosenkranz, Rosenkrantz, Rosencrance, Rosencrans or Rosencrantz may refer to:
* Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two characters in Shakespeare's ''Hamlet''
* ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'', a 1966 ...
, Walkendorff, Ulfeldt, Rantzau and
Brahe
Brahe (originally ''Bragde'') is the name of two closely related Scanian noble families who were influential in both Danish and Swedish history.
Danish family
The first member of the family using the name Brahe is speculated to have been Verner B ...
. Numerous of their descendants are named for the Nissen family to this day.
![Susanne Morland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Susanne_Morland.jpg)
Hans' and Andrea's grandson was shipmaster in
Drammen
Drammen () is a city and municipality in Viken, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the south-eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen municipality also includes smaller towns and villages such as Konne ...
''Isach Nicolai Nissen Pauss'' (1780–1849), the father of ship-owner and shipmaster ''Nicolai Nissen Pauss'' (1811–1877) and ''Gustava Hanna Andrea Pauss'' (born 1815), married to ship-owner Hartvig Eckersberg (born 1813). Nicolai Nissen Pauss was married to Caroline Louise Salvesen, a granddaughter of wealthy ship-owner and timber merchant Jacob Fegth (1761–1834), who contributed to the establishment of the
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...
. Their children were ship-owner ''Ismar Mathias Pauss'' (1835–1907), ''Nicoline Louise Pauss'', married to ship-owner Peter Hannibal Høeg, and
cand.theol. ''
Bernhard Cathrinus Pauss
Bernhard Cathrinus Pauss (born 6 April 1839 at Tangen, Drammen, died 9 November 1907 in Christiania) was a Norwegian theologian, educator, author and humanitarian and missionary leader, who was a major figure in girls' education in Norway in his ...
'' (1839–1907), who became the owner of
Nissen's Girls' School, a private
girls' school
Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education and gender-isolated education, is the practice of conducting education with male and female students attending separate classes, perhaps in separate buildings or schools. The practice of ...
in Oslo which served the city's higher bourgeoisie. He also established the first
tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...
for women in Norway, a women's teacher's college. The village of
Pauspur
Pauspur is a village in the state of Assam in India, located to the south of the Mornai Tea Estate within Kokrajhar district. It had its own Lutheran congregation and church, Pauspur Church, which was closed in 1951.
History
It was built ju ...
in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
was named in his honour. Two of Ismar Mathias Pauss' sons founded the
Paus & Paus Paus & Paus AS is a former industrial company in Norway, active within the pulp and paper industry, chemical industry and pharmaceutical industry. It existed from 1906 from 2001, when it was acquired by Pemco. A number of former subsidiary companie ...
industrial company, which existed 1906–2001. Another son,
Olav Eduard Pauss, was a ship-owner and consul-general in Sydney.
![Paus family portrait NFB-18645](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Paus_family_portrait_NFB-18645.jpg)
Bernhard Cathrinus Pauss was married to Anna Henriette Wegner (1841–1918), a daughter of industrialist and land-owner
Benjamin Wegner
Jacob Benjamin Wegner (21 February 1795 – 9 June 1864) was a Norwegian business magnate, estate owner and timber merchant.
Born in Königsberg, East Prussia, he moved to London in 1819 and to Berlin in 1820, where he established an independ ...
of
Frogner Manor
Frogner Manor (''Frogner Hovedgård'') is a manor house and former estate in today's borough of Frogner in Oslo, Norway. The estate comprised most of the modern borough of Frogner, which has been named after the estate, and Frognerseteren wit ...
and Henriette
Seyler, whose
Hanseatic
The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=German language, Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Norther ...
family owned
Berenberg Bank. Henriette Seyler was mostly descended from Hamburg Hanseatic families such as
Berenberg/Gossler and
Amsinck
Amsinck is a Dutch people, Dutch-origined patrician (post-Roman Europe), patrician family whose members were prominent merchants in multiple countries including the Netherlands, Hamburg, Portugal, England, France, Kingdom of Hanover, Hanover, Ho ...
and families of the Basel patriciate such as
Merian,
Burckhardt
Burckhardt, or (de) Bourcard in French, is a family of the Basel patriciate, descended from Christoph (Stoffel) Burckhardt (1490–1578), a merchant in cloth and silk originally from Münstertal, Black Forest, who received Basel citizenship i ...
and
Faesch
Faesch, also spelled Fesch, is a prominent Swiss, French, Belgian, Corsican and Italian noble family, originally a patrician family of Basel. Known since the early 15th century, the family received a confirmation of nobility from the Holy Roman E ...
, and more distantly from the
Welser
Welser was a German banking and merchant family, originally a patrician family based in Augsburg and Nuremberg, that rose to great prominence in international high finance in the 16th century as bankers to the Habsburgs and financiers of C ...
banking family. Bernhard and Henriette were the parents of surgeon and President of the
Norwegian Red Cross
The Norwegian Red Cross (''Norges Røde Kors'') was founded on 22 September 1865 by prime minister Frederik Stang. In 1895 the Norwegian Red Cross began educating nurses, and in 1907 the Norwegian Ministry of Defence authorized the organization f ...
''
Nikolai Nissen Paus
Nikolai Nissen Paus (4 June 1877, in Christiania – 23 December 1956, in Tønsberg) was a Norwegian surgeon, hospital director and humanitarian. He served as President of the Norwegian Red Cross 1945–1947, and as Vice President 1930–1945 an ...
'' (1877–1956), engineer and CEO of
Akershus Energi ''Augustin Thoresen Paus'' (1881–1945), and lawyer and Director at the
Norwegian Employers' Confederation The Norwegian Employers' Confederation ( no, Norsk Arbeidsgiverforening, NAF) was an employers' organisation in Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comp ...
''
George Wegner Paus
George Wegner Paus (14 October 1882 – 22 December 1923), often known as ''George Paus'', was a Norwegian lawyer, mountaineer, skiing pioneer and business executive. He was Director at the Norwegian Employers' Confederation. As such, he played a ...
'' (1882–1923).
Nikolai Nissen Paus was the father of surgeon and Grand Master of the
Norwegian Order of Freemasons
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
*Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
*Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including the ...
''
Bernhard Paus'' (1910–1999), who was married to humanitarian
Brita Collett (1917–1998), daughter of land-owner
Axel Collett. Their children included Secretary of State ''
Lucie Paus Falck'', former CEO of
NCC in Norway ''
Nikolai Paus'' and surgeon ''Albert
Collett Paus''.
Seals and coats of arms
Parish priest in
Hjartdal
Hjartdal is a municipality in Telemark in the county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Upper Telemark and Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sauland. The mun ...
Povel Pedersson Paus (1625–1682), who signed the 1661
Sovereignty Act
The Sovereignty Act or the Absolute and Hereditary Monarchy Act ( da, Suverænitetsakten or ''Enevoldsarveregeringsakten''; no, Enevoldsarveregjeringsakten or sometimes even ''Suverenitetsakten'') refers to two similar constitutional acts that i ...
—the new Constitution of Denmark-Norway—as one of the 87 representatives of the clerical
estate, used a seal with a reversed
crane in its vigilance. His name is written in Latin as ''Paulus Petri Windius'', i.e. with his patronymic and place of birth,
Vinje
Vinje is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Telemark in the Counties of Norway, county of Vestfold og Telemark in Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional regions of Upper Telemark and Vest-Telemark. The administrative ...
.
He used the same seal on the 1664–1666 census.
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic '' ...
wrote down the ancient
legend
A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...
that cranes would appoint one of their number to stand guard while they slept. The sentry would hold a stone in its claw, so that if it fell asleep it would drop the stone and wake the other cranes.
Hans Krag includes two coats of arms used by family members in the first volume of ''Norsk heraldisk mønstring'' with arms of Norwegian higher officials from
Frederick IV's reign: Povel Paus' son, district judge of
Upper Telemark Cornelius Paus (1662–1723) used a coat of arms featuring a
wild man
The wild man, wild man of the woods, or woodwose/wodewose is a mythical figure that appears in the art and literature of medieval Europe, comparable to the satyr or faun type in classical mythology and to '' Silvanus'', the Roman god of the woodl ...
, and Cornelius' nephew and successor as district judge, Peder Paus (1691–1759), used a coat of arms featuring a
dove
Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...
with
olive branch
The olive branch is a symbol of peace and victory associated with customs of ancient Greece and connected with supplication to gods and persons in power. It is found in most cultures of the Mediterranean basin and became associated with peace ...
standing on a
serpent
Serpent or The Serpent may refer to:
* Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes
Mythology and religion
* Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature
* Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts
* Serp ...
.
The modern coat of arms was adopted in the late 19th century, based on an 18th-century interpretation of an ambiguous seal from 1330 used by the
lawspeaker
A lawspeaker or lawman ( Swedish: ''lagman'', Old Swedish: ''laghmaþer'' or ''laghman'', Danish: ''lovsigemand'', Norwegian: ''lagmann'', Icelandic: , Faroese: '' løgmaður'', Finnish: ''laamanni'', kl, inatsitinuk) is a unique Scandina ...
of Oslo, Nikolas Paus. It was later given its current design by
Hallvard Trætteberg Hallvard Trætteberg (1898 in Løten – 21 November 1987 in Oslo) was the leading Norwegian heraldic artist and the expert adviser on heraldry to the Government of Norway and the Norwegian Royal Family for much of the 20th century. From about ...
, Norway's preeminent heraldic artist in the 20th century. It is
blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...
ed in Trætteberg's book ''Norske By- og Adelsvåben'' as "in red, silver bull's head with neck, at the top dexter
ix-pointedgolden star."
This coat of arms is also used in the comital
letters patent of Christopher Paus.
In his book ''Heraldisk nøkkel'',
Herman Leopoldus Løvenskiold
Herman may refer to:
People
* Herman (name), list of people with this name
* Saint Herman (disambiguation)
* Peter Noone (born 1947), known by the mononym Herman
Places in the United States
* Herman, Arkansas
* Herman, Michigan
* Herman, Min ...
mentions four arms associated with the name Paus, including the two arms mentioned in Krag's book, the arms with a bull's head and star, and an arms with six
roundel
A roundel is a circular disc used as a symbol. The term is used in heraldry, but also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of diff ...
s (3.3) under a
fess
In heraldry, a fess or fesse (from Middle English ''fesse'', from Old French ''faisse'', from Latin ''fascia'', "band") is a charge on a coat of arms (or flag) that takes the form of a band running horizontally across the centre of the shiel ...
.
File:Segl Povel Pedersson Paus manntallet 1664-1666.jpg, Povel Paus (1625–1682) used a reversed crane in its vigilance in his seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...
. His seal as used on the 1664–1666 census. The same seal was used on the 1661 Sovereignty Act
The Sovereignty Act or the Absolute and Hereditary Monarchy Act ( da, Suverænitetsakten or ''Enevoldsarveregeringsakten''; no, Enevoldsarveregjeringsakten or sometimes even ''Suverenitetsakten'') refers to two similar constitutional acts that i ...
.
File:Paus seal on the 1661 Sovereignty Act.svg, Stylized modern drawing of Povel Paus' seal.
File:Cornelius Paus COA by Hans Krag 1699.png, Coat of arms as used by district judge of Upper Telemark Cornelius Paus (1662–1723), drawn by Hans Krag
File:Peder Paus COA by Hans Krag 1728.png, Coat of arms as used by district judge of Upper Telemark Peder Paus (1691–1759), drawn by Hans Krag
File:Seal-c-paus-1862.svg, Coat of arms as used by count Christopher Paus, drawn in the older style.
File:Paus COA (comital).svg, Arms with comital heraldic crown
A crown is often an emblem of a sovereign state, usually a monarchy (see The Crown), but also used by some republics.
A specific type of crown is employed in heraldry under strict rules. Indeed, some monarchies never had a physical crown, just ...
as used by Christopher Paus, e.g. in the painting seen above, drawn in the modern style.
File:Bernhard Paus våpen som stormester for Frimurerordenen.jpg, Coat of arms of Bernhard Paus as Grand Master of the Norwegian Order of Freemasons
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
*Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
*Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including the ...
. The same arms were used by his father Nikolai Nissen Paus
Nikolai Nissen Paus (4 June 1877, in Christiania – 23 December 1956, in Tønsberg) was a Norwegian surgeon, hospital director and humanitarian. He served as President of the Norwegian Red Cross 1945–1947, and as Vice President 1930–1945 an ...
, who held the third highest position in the order.
Name
The name Paus is known in Oslo since the 14th century, notably as the name of the
Lawspeaker
A lawspeaker or lawman ( Swedish: ''lagman'', Old Swedish: ''laghmaþer'' or ''laghman'', Danish: ''lovsigemand'', Norwegian: ''lagmann'', Icelandic: , Faroese: '' løgmaður'', Finnish: ''laamanni'', kl, inatsitinuk) is a unique Scandina ...
of Oslo
Nikolas Paus (mentioned 1329–1347) and as the name of one of medieval Oslo's "city farms", ''Pausinn'' (mentioned 1324–1482). Genealogist
S. H. Finne-Grønn wrote that the name of the modern family was in one way or the other in all likelihood derived from individuals with the name Paus in 14th and 15th century Oslo (usually spelled Paus, but occasionally Paue, Pafue or other similar spellings), and/or from the "city farm" of ''Pausinn'' in Oslo which was probably named after them.
The name is believed to be of
Middle Saxon
Middle Low German or Middle Saxon (autonym: ''Sassisch'', i.e. "Saxon", Standard High German: ', Modern Dutch: ') is a developmental stage of Low German. It developed from the Old Saxon language in the Middle Ages and has been documented i ...
or
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic dialects whose ancestor was Old Dutch. It was spoken and written between 1150 and 1500. Until the advent of Modern Dutch after 1500 or c. 1550, there was no overarc ...
origin;
the influence of these languages upon Scandinavian during the late medieval and early modern period was profound due to trade and immigration to the cities of merchants and craftsmen from the continent. A significant proportion of the merchants and craftsmen in Oslo from the 13th century were immigrants from Northern Germany or the Low Countries. Medieval historians
P.A. Munch,
Alexander Bugge
Alexander Bugge (30 December 1870, Christiania – 24 December 1929, Copenhagen) was a Norwegian historian. and
Edvard Bull all believed that the name was derived from Middle Saxon/Middle Dutch (, and other spellings), used as a nickname or as a title of a priest. It is ultimately derived from Greek πάππας (, "father") and is cognate with the word
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
.
The ''Dictionary of American Family Names'' describes it as "Dutch, North German, and Scandinavian: from Middle Low German ''paves'', ''pawes'' ‘pope’, perhaps applied as a nickname for someone renowned for his piety." ''Norsk etternamnleksikon'' (2000)
orwegian Encyclopedia of Family Namesalso explains the name as derived from Middle Saxon/Middle Dutch ''paus''.
[Veka, Olav, ed. (2000). ''Norsk etternamnleksikon: norske slektsnamn: utbreiing, tyding og opphav''. Oslo: Samlaget. p. 321.]
Family names were not widely used in Norway until relatively recently, and were rarely used during the 16th and 17th centuries. Hence, the extant family's earliest known certain ancestors often used given names and patronymics. However, occasional use of the name Paus is documented for the first known certain ancestors; in 1644 the name was used in an oration in Greek, printed by Ulrich Balck at the
University of Franeker
The University of Franeker (1585–1811) was a university in Franeker, Friesland, the Netherlands. It was the second oldest university of the Netherlands, founded shortly after Leiden University.
History
Also known as ''Academia Franekerensis'' ...
, where Anders Hansson Paus (b. 1622) thanked his father ''Johannes Paulinus Pausius'' (i.e. Hans Povelsson Paus b. 1587) and four other benefactors (Chancellor Jens Bjelke, Bjelke's son-in-law Sten Willumsen Rosenvinge (noble family), Rosenvinge, Daniel Bildt and Bishop of Oslo Oluf Boesen) who paid for his education. A copy is held by The Royal Library, Denmark.
From the mid 17th century family members started to use the name more regularly, as the custom of using family names became more widespread in families of the clergy, nobility and eventually the bourgeoisie.
Outside of Norway, family members sometimes spelled the name ''de Paus'' or ''von Paus'' depending on linguistic context since the late 19th century. Christopher Tostrup Paus (b. 1862), a papal chamberlain, was ennobled under the name de Paus by Pope Pius XI in 1923, and the spelling is used e.g. in the ''Acta Apostolicae Sedis'' and ''Annuario Pontificio'';
Thorleif Paus (b. 1881), the Norwegian consul-general in Vienna, was officially known as von Paus in Austria-Hungary since he became attached to the consulate-general in 1902, as was his family. Some family members spelled the name ''Pauss'' during most of the 19th century, but reverted to the older spelling ''Paus'' around the turn of the century.
In Henrik Ibsen's plays
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential pla ...
's relationship with the Paus family, his parents' closest relatives, was complex and both of his parents belonged to it in either a biological or social sense. The Paus family figures in Ibsen studies, and Jon Nygaard has argued that the emergence of "the new Puritan state of the officials" with the spirit of "Upper Telemark, the Paus family" is a major theme in Ibsen's work.
Ibsen modelled and named many literary characters for his relatives, and his plays are often set in places reminiscent of his childhood milieu in Skien. In a letter to
Georg Brandes
Georg Morris Cohen Brandes (4 February 1842 – 19 February 1927) was a Danish critic and scholar who greatly influenced Scandinavian and European literature from the 1870s through the turn of the 20th century. He is seen as the theorist behind ...
, Ibsen noted that he had used his family and childhood memories "as a kind of model" for the Gynt family and milieu in the play ''
Peer Gynt
''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five- act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen published in 1876. Written in Norwegian, it is one of the most widely performed Norwegian plays. Ibsen believed '' Per Gynt'', the Norwegian fairy tale on ...
''. In another letter, he confirmed that the character of "Åse" in ''Peer Gynt'' was based on his mother. The character of "Hedvig" in ''
The Wild Duck'' is named for Ibsen's sister Hedvig and/or their grandmother Hedvig Paus. Episodes in plays such as ''The Wild Duck'' and ''Peer Gynt'' were also based on events that took place in the Altenburg/Paus household and the Paus household at Rising near Skien in the early 19th century. In an earlier draft of ''Hedda Gabler'', Ibsen used the name "Mariane Rising," obviously named for his aunt Mariane Paus from the Rising estate, but later renamed the character "Juliane Tesman," and the warm portrayal of her in the final edition is also based on his aunt. His uncle
Christian Cornelius Paus, who was both the magistrate, chief of police and district judge in Skien, is regarded as an inspiration for the character of Peter Stockmann, the magistrate, chief of police etc. in ''An Enemy of the People''; they were also both descended from the real Stockmann family of Telemark.
Quote
*"When the Pauses are dead, they are dead, but my name will live on." (
Knud Ibsen
Knud Plesner Ibsen (3 October 1797, in Skien – 24 October 1877, in Skien) was a Norwegian merchant from the city of Skien and the father of the playwright Henrik Ibsen. He is widely considered the model for many central characters in h ...
, father of
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential pla ...
, referring to his and his wife's relatives following his own bankruptcy.)
Notes
References
{{Unintroduced nobility of Sweden
Paus family,
Norwegian families
Norwegian noble families
Italian noble families
Nobles of the Holy See
Swedish unintroduced nobility
Patriciate of Norway