Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, Landgrave of Laurvig (20 July 1638 – 17 April 1704) was the illegitimate son of
Frederick III of Denmark-Norway. A good relationship to his half brother,
Christian V
Christian V (15 April 1646 – 25 August 1699) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1670 until his death in 1699.
Well-regarded by the common people, he was the first king anointed at Frederiksborg Castle chapel as absolute monarch since the de ...
, secured him a position as one of the leading statesmen and largest landowners in
Denmark-Norway. He was the leading general in Norway during the
Scanian War
The Scanian War (; ; ; ) was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark–Norway, Electorate of Brandenburg, Brandenburg and Swedish Empire, Sweden. It was fought from 1675 to 1679 mainly on Scanian soil, in the former Danish ...
, whose Norwegian leg is conventionally named the
Gyldenløve War after him. He later served as
Governor-general of Norway (''Stattholdere i Norge'') from 1664 to 1699. In Norway, he established the
Countship of Laurvig and succeeded
Peter Griffenfeld to the
Countship of Tønsberg (until then Griffenfeld and later
Jarlsberg
Jarlsberg was a former countship that forms a part of today's Vestfold county in Norway. The name translates as "Earl's Hill".
The former countships of Jarlsberg and Larvik were merged into a county in 1821. Jarlsberg and Larvik's County (''Jarl ...
). His extensive holdings in Denmark included
Gyldenholm,
Sorgenfri and
Skjoldenæsholm
Skjoldenæsholm Castle (Danish language, Danish: ) is a manor house located 11 kilometres north-east of Ringsted, Denmark, standing on the west side of one of the many lakes which dominate the area. The Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical main ...
.
Early life
Gyldenløve was born in
Bremen
Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, the illegitimate son of Prince Frederick, later King
Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III (; 18 March 1609 – 9 February 1670) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death in 1670. He also governed under the name Frederick II as diocesan administrator (colloquially referred to as prince-bishop) of the ...
, who was at the time
Prince-Archbishop of Bremen and coadjutor of the
. His mother was
Margrethe von Pape (1620–1684), a minor
German noblewoman who was made Baronesse of Løvendal by King
Christian IV
Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years and 330 days is the longest in Scandinavian history.
A member of the H ...
on September 15 that same year. When his father became King of
Denmark-Norway in 1648, Ulrik Frederik assumed the surname
Gyldenløve
Gyldenløve (; "Golden Lion") was a surname for several illegitimate children of Oldenburg kings of Denmark-Norway in the 17th century.
Kings
The surname Gyldenløve was given to the sons of the following Dano-Norwegian kings:
* Christian IV ...
which was used by illegitimate sons of Danish kings.
During the first half of the 1650s, he traveled in Europe, visiting
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. He attended the
University of Siena
The University of Siena (, abbreviation: UNISI), located in Siena, Tuscany, holds the distinction of being Italy's first publicly funded university as well as one of the oldest, originally established as ''Studium Senese'' in 1240. As of 2022, it ...
in 1654 and in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
in 1655.
On 21 August 1655 he became a naturalised Danish noble.
Military career
In 1661, he was put in charge at
Vordingborg
Vordingborg () is a market town and old ferry town on the south coast of the island of Zealand in Denmark. Because of three large estates surrounding the town, a coherent urban development has not been possible, which is the reason why three sat ...
and appointed commander of
Kalø Castle
Kalø Castle () is a ruined castle located in eastern Jutland, in Denmark, 20 km from the city of Aarhus within Mols Bjerge National Park.
History
The castle was constructed in 1313 by the Danish king Eric VI of Denmark, Erik Menved (Erik ...
at
Ã…rhus
Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Ã…rhus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...
. In 1657 he became colonel in Norway. Gyldenløve participated in the
Dano-Swedish War (1658–1660)
The Dano-Swedish War of 1658–1660 was a war between Denmark–Norway and Sweden, with the former backed by the Dutch Republic and Poland. It is known in Denmark as the Second Karl Gustav War (), in Norway as Bjelkes Feud () in Sweden as Karl G ...
, where he distinguished himself in the
Battle of Nyborg
The Battle of Nyborg took place between Sweden and the combined forces of Denmark, Dutch naval forces under Michiel de Ruyter, troops of Brandenburg-Prussia, and Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth forces under Stefan Czarniecki. The battle was en ...
on 14 November 1659.
Civil career and holdings in Norway
In 1664 Gyldenløve was appointed
viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory.
The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...
(''Statholder'') of Norway, replacing
Iver Krabbe (1602- 1666). He studied conditions in Norway very carefully, and became a strong advocate for many important reforms, such as a simplified tax system and the establishment of a Court of appeals in Norway separate from the one in Denmark. He is also remembered for his role in the construction and improvement of nine fortresses along the Swedish border.
Gyldenløve took part in the 17th-century
Dano-Swedish wars where he was particularly successful at the
Battle of Nyborg
The Battle of Nyborg took place between Sweden and the combined forces of Denmark, Dutch naval forces under Michiel de Ruyter, troops of Brandenburg-Prussia, and Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth forces under Stefan Czarniecki. The battle was en ...
on 14 November 1659. In 1666, he became commander-in-chief of the Norwegian army which was victorious in the
Scanian War
The Scanian War (; ; ; ) was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark–Norway, Electorate of Brandenburg, Brandenburg and Swedish Empire, Sweden. It was fought from 1675 to 1679 mainly on Scanian soil, in the former Danish ...
s (1675–1679).
Gyldenløve implemented the reforms initiated by the prior Governor-general
Hannibal Sehested (1609–1666) effecting taxation, defence and justice and protection for
tenant farmer
A tenant farmer is a farmer or farmworker who resides and works on land owned by a landlord, while tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and ma ...
s.
In 1671, Gyldenløve founded the city of Laurvig (modern-day
Larvik
Larvik () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Larvik (town) ...
), and was named Count of Laurvig. In Larvik, he is remembered for the construction of Larvik Church (''Larvik kirke''), its main church as well as Laurvig Manor House (''Laurvig Herregården''), which is still one of the largest wooden structures in Norway. Larvik Church was inaugurated in 1677. Gyldenløve issued a gift to the church where the interest on the capital was to be used for maintenance. Laurvig Manor House was built beginning in 1674 and was completed for his third wedding with Antoinette Augusta von Aldenburg in 1677.
Career and holdings in Denmark
Gyldenløve spent long periods away from Norway, either in Copenhagen or on diplomatic missions abroad. Between August 1778 and July 1673, he only visited Norway on one occasion in the summer of 1668. 1671 saw him appointed as Lord Chamberlain (''Overkammerherre''). In 1661, he was created a Blue Knight. In 1671, he was created a White Knight.
He played a central role in Danish politics. Together with
Frederik Ahlefeldt and
Peder Schumacher Griffenfeld
Count Peder Griffenfeld (before nobility, ennoblement Peder Schumacher) (24 August 1635 – 12 March 1699) was a Danish statesman and royal favourite. He became the principal adviser to King Christian V of Denmark from 1670 and the ''de facto'' ...
, he played a key role in
Christoffer Gabel
Christoffer Gabel (6 January 1617 – 13 October 1673) was a Danish statesman. He was the father of Vice Governor-general of Norway, Frederik Gabel.
Biography
He was born on 6 January 1617 at Glückstadt.Bruun (2008), p.110Bricka (1891), p ...
's fald in 1670. A dispute with Griffenfeld, who served as Chancellor of Denmark, in 1673 forced him back to Norway.
In 1679, he moved back to Copenhagen. He would only visit Norway four more times during his remaining years as governor-general of Norway.
His holdings in Denmark included Kalø (1661-70), Østrup im
Asminderød (1670-78),
Mørup in
Fjenneslev (1672-78),
Tybjerggaard at
Præstø
Præstø () is a town with a population of 3,880 (1 January 2024) in Vordingborg Municipality in Region Sjælland on the east coast of the island of Zealand (Denmark), Zealand (''Sjælland'').
The islands of Maderne, Storeholm, and Lilleholm are ...
(1672-78), Christiansholm,
Turø (1674-1702),
Gyldenlund (1671-83),
Skjoldenæsholm
Skjoldenæsholm Castle (Danish language, Danish: ) is a manor house located 11 kilometres north-east of Ringsted, Denmark, standing on the west side of one of the many lakes which dominate the area. The Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical main ...
at
Ringsted
Ringsted is a city located centrally in the Danish island of Zealand. It is the seat of a municipality of the same name.
Ringsted is situated approximately from Copenhagen.
History
Ringsted was the site of ''Sjællands Landsting'' (lit. ''Z ...
and
Sorgenløss at
Kongens Lyngby
Kongens Lyngby (, Danish for "the King's Heather Town"; short form Lyngby) is the seat and commercial centre of Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. Lyngby Hovedgade is a busy shopping street and the site ...
(1692?-1702).
On 22 March 1669, King
Christian V of Denmark
Christian V (15 April 1646 – 25 August 1699) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1670 until his death in 1699.
Well-regarded by the common people, he was the first king anointed at Frederiksborg Castle chapel as absolute monarch since the dec ...
m Gyldenløve's half brother, presented him with a large parcel of land on the new square
Kongens Nytorv
Kongens Nytorv (literal translation, lit. "The King's New Square") is a town square, public square in Copenhagen, Denmark, centrally located at the end of the Pedestrian zone, pedestrian street Strøget. The largest square of the city, it was l ...
in Copenhagen. Gyldenløve built his new mansion (now known as
Charlottenborg Palace
Charlottenborg Palace () is a large town mansion located on the corner of Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn in Copenhagen, Denmark. Originally built as a residence for Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, it has served as the base of the Royal Danish Academy ...
after a later owner) from 1672 to 1683 as the first building on the new square. The adjacent
Nyhavn
Nyhavn (; New Haven) is a 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district in Copenhagen, Denmark. Stretching from Kongens Nytorv to the Inner Harbour just south of the Royal Playhouse, it is lined by brightly coloured 17th and early ...
canal was initially known as Gyldenløve's (New) Canal. The Gyldenløve Mansion's extensive garden occupied most of the land on the south side of the canal.
In 1700, he 1800, he sold the Gyldenløve Mansion to dowager queen Charlotte Amalie. In Copenhagen, he also owned
Gyldenløve's Little Mansion on
Bredgade
Bredgade (literal translation, lit. "Broad Street") is one of the most prominent streets in Copenhagen, Denmark. Running in a straight line from Kongens Nytorv for just under one kilometre to the intersection of Esplanaden, Copenhagen, Esplanaden ...
and
Nlågård outside the city.
Personal life and legacy
Count Ulrik Frederik married three times: He first married in 1659 Sophie Urne (1629–1714), daughter of Jørgen Urne and Margrete Marsvin, who he had to leave for his second marriage with
Marie Grubbe
Fru Marie Grubbe (1643–1718) was a member of the Danish nobility who drew a lot of attention by her many extramarital affairs. She has been the inspiration for books, plays and operas.
Biography
Daughter of the statesman and nobleman Erik Gr ...
(1643–1718) 1660, from whom he was divorced after nine years in 1670. His third wife was Countess Antoinette Augusta von Aldenburg (1660–1701), eldest daughter of Anton I, Count von Aldenburg und Knyphausen (by his first wife, Countess Auguste Johanna zu
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein was a county and later principality between Hesse-Darmstadt and Westphalia.
History
The county with imperial immediacy was formed by the 1657 partition of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Wittgenstein and raised from a county t ...
),
legitimated son of
Anton Gunther, who belonged to the
Delmenhorst
Delmenhorst (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Demost'') is an urban district (''List of German urban districts, Kreisfreie Stadt'') in Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of 74,500 and is located west of downtown Bremen (city), Bremen with which ...
cadet branch
A cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets (realm, titles, fiefs, property and incom ...
of the
House of Oldenburg
The House of Oldenburg is a Germans, German dynasty whose members rule or have ruled in Danish Realm, Denmark, Kingdom of Iceland, Iceland, Kingdom of Greece, Greece, Norway, Russian Empire, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, the United Kingdom, King ...
whose senior line became hereditary kings of Denmark. Ulrik Frederik's two first marriages ended in divorces, but he has descendants from the first and third.
He had many children, both legitimate and illegitimate, four of whom lived to adulthood, married and left descendants:
By Sophie Urne:
#
Woldemar Gyldenløve (1660–1740), later Baron of Lowendal, father of German officer and statesmen
Ulrich Frédéric Woldemar, Comte de Lowendal Ulrich () is a Germanic given name derived from Old High German ''Uodalrich'', ''Odalric''. It is composed of the elements '' uodal-'' meaning "heritage" and ''-rih'' meaning "king, ruler". Attested from the 8th century as the name of Alamannic nobi ...
(1700–1755)
#Carl Løvendal (1660–1689), committed suicide on a ship near the island
Saint Thomas in the
Danish West Indies
The Danish West Indies () or Danish Virgin Islands () or Danish Antilles were a Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas with , Saint John () with , Saint Croix with , and Water Island.
The islands of St ...
)
By Countess Antoinette Augusta von Aldenburg:
#Countess Charlotte Amalie af Danneskiold-Samsøe (1682–1699), wed
Christian Gyldenløve
Christian Gyldenløve, Landgrave of Samsøe (Copenhagen, 28 February 1674 – Odense, 16 July 1703), was a Danish nobleman and military officer. He was one of five illegitimate children fathered by Christian V of Denmark with Sophie Amalie Moth. ...
(1674–1703), an illegitimate son of
Christian V of Denmark
Christian V (15 April 1646 – 25 August 1699) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1670 until his death in 1699.
Well-regarded by the common people, he was the first king anointed at Frederiksborg Castle chapel as absolute monarch since the dec ...
#Ulrikke Amalie Antoinette af Danneskiold-Samsøe (1686–1755), wed Count
Carl von Ahlefeldt (1670–1722)
#
Ferdinand Anton Danneskiold-Laurvig, Count af Danneskiold-Samsøe (1688–1754), wed Countess
Ulrikke Eleonore af Reventlow (1690–1754)
Through his daughter, Charlotte Amalie, and her daughter, Countess Frederikke Louise af Danneskiold-Samsø, Ulrik Frederik became the ancestor of the
Dukes of Augustenborg
The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg () was a branch of the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg of the House of Oldenburg. The line descended from Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg. Like all of the secondary ...
and thus, among others, of
Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein
Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (; ; 6 July 1829 – 14 January 1880) was the German pretender to the throne of second duke of Schleswig-Holstein from 1863, although in reality Prussia to ...
and the
German Empress Augusta.
Gyldenløve died on 17 April 1704 in
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
. He was buried in the
Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen. The church was destroyed in the
British bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807. Fragments of his sarcophagus have survived.
See also
*
Gyldenløve
Gyldenløve (; "Golden Lion") was a surname for several illegitimate children of Oldenburg kings of Denmark-Norway in the 17th century.
Kings
The surname Gyldenløve was given to the sons of the following Dano-Norwegian kings:
* Christian IV ...
References
Other sources
*''A History of Norway'' by Karen Larson (Princeton University Press), 1948
*''The History of the Norwegian People'' by
Knut Gjerset
Knut Gjerset (September 15, 1865 – October 29, 1936) was a Norwegian-American author, historian and college professor.
Biography
Knut Gjerset was born at Fræna in Møre og Romsdal, Norway. He was the son of Ole Sørensen Gjerset and Karen Mari ...
(MacMillan), 1915
*''Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve'' by
Otto von Munthe af Morgenstierne(København, E. Munksgaard), 1944
External links
Larvik Herregården websiteLarvik kirke website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gyldenlove, Ulrik Frederick
17th-century Danish landowners
17th-century Danish military officers
17th-century Danish diplomats
17th-century Danish nobility
Danish mining businesspeople
Larvik
Governors-general of Norway
Illegitimate children of Danish monarchs
Illegitimate children of Norwegian monarchs
Politicians from Copenhagen
Nobility from Copenhagen
17th-century Norwegian military personnel
1704 deaths
1638 births
People of the Scanian War
Sons of kings
Sons of dukes
Children of Frederick III of Denmark
Sons of counts