The Count of Wedel-Jarlsberg (also ''Wedel Jarlsberg'') is a title of the

Norwegian nobility Aristocracy of Norway refers to Modern history, modern and Medieval Ages, medieval Aristocracy (class), aristocracy in Norway. Additionally, there have been economical, political, and military elites thatrelating to the main lines of History of N ...

and of the

Danish nobility Danish nobility is a social class and a former estate in the Kingdom of Denmark. The nobility has official recognition in Denmark, a monarchy. Its legal privileges were abolished with the constitution of 1849. Some of the families still own and ...

. The family of Wedel-Jarlsberg is a branch of the larger family

von Wedel The House of Wedel (or Wedell) is an old and distinguished German noble family, from Stormarn in what is now Schleswig-Holstein. The family members held the title of Prince, Count and Baron. History The family is first mentioned in records thr ...

, which comes from

Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Family members have had a significant position in the 18th and 19th centuries' Norwegian history. Wedel

Feudal Count

Johan Caspar Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg Count Johan Caspar Herman Wedel Jarlsberg (21 September 1779 – 27 August 1840) was a Norwegian statesman and nobleman. He played an active role in the constitutional assembly at Eidsvoll in 1814 and was the first native Norwegian to hold the ...

played in 1814 an active role in the constitutional assembly at

Eidsvoll Eidsvoll (; sometimes written as ''Eidsvold'') is a municipality in Akershus in Viken county, Norway. It is part of the Romerike traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sundet. General information E ...

, and was the first native Norwegian to hold the post of Governor-general of Norway (representing the absent king as head of the Norwegian cabinet) during the union with Sweden.

History

The family's oldest known ancestors lived in

, but it is assumed that the family originated in Holstein and that is named for

Wedel Wedel is a town in the district of Pinneberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, approximately south of Elmshorn, and west of Hamburg. History Foundation and Middle Ages The first known mention of ...

, a small town (now a suburb) just outside

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

. Gustav Wilhelm von Wedel (1641–1717) entered the service of

Denmark–Norway Denmark–Norway (Danish and Norwegian: ) was an early modern multi-national and multi-lingual real unionFeldbæk 1998:11 consisting of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Kingdom of Norway (including the then Norwegian overseas possessions: the Faroe I ...

and became commanding general in Norway in 1681. He bought the estate of Jarlsberg and received the title of count in 1684. Among his descendants were count

Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg Count Johan Caspar Herman Wedel Jarlsberg (21 September 1779 – 27 August 1840) was a Norwegian statesman and nobleman. He played an active role in the constitutional assembly at Eidsvoll in 1814 and was the first native Norwegian to hold the ...

, a noted politician in the first part of the 19th century.

Peder Anker Wedel-Jarlsberg Peder Anker, Count of Wedel-Jarlsberg (born 18 August 1875, died 13 October 1954) was a Norwegian courtier, military officer and estate owner. He served as Lord Chamberlain for King Haakon VII of Norway from 1931 to 1945 and was one of the King's ...

(1875–1954) served as Lord Chamberlain for King Haakon VII from 1931 to 1945 and was one of the King's closest confidants for over thirty years. He was married to Hermine Egeberg, a daughter of the major industrialist

Einar Westye Egeberg Einar Westye Egeberg Sr. (23 July 1851 – 7 June 1940) was a Norwegian businessperson and politician for the Conservative Party. Personal life He was born in Kristiania as a son of Peder Cappelen Egeberg (1810–1874) and Hanna Wilhelmine Scheel ...

. Among their descendants are the last three counts and owners of Jarlsberg, his son Johan Caspar Herman Wedel Jarlsberg (1902–1970), his grandson Gustav Wilhelm Wedel-Jarlsberg (1931–1999) and his great-grandson

Carl Nicolaus Wedel Jarlsberg Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...

(born 1973). Peder Anker Wedel-Jarlsberg was also the grandfather of the businessmen Christopher Paus and Peder Paus, and the great-grandfather of the 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 ...

Barons of Wedel-Jarlsberg

Several members of the Wedel-Jarlsberg family, and mainly younger sons and daughters of the count, had baronial dignity.

1821

The 1821 Law of Nobility abolished noble privileges and the recognition of noble titles in Norway, but, however, allowed the current bearers to keep the recognised noble status and titles for their lifetime. Thus, the title Feudal Count of Wedel-Jarlsberg did not end until the death of Feudal Count Peder Anker Wedel-Jarlsberg (1809–1893).

Jarlsberg Hovedgård

Jarlsberg Manor three kilometres northwest of the centre of the town of Tønsberg in

Vestfold Vestfold is a traditional region, a former county and a current electoral district in Eastern Norway. In 2020 the county became part of the much larger county of Vestfold og Telemark. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it bordered th ...

, Norway has traditionally been the residence of members of the Wedel-Jarlsberg family.

Gallery

File:Georg Ernst Wedel Jarlsberg.jpg, Gustav Wilhelm Wedel Jarlsberg (1641-1717) File:JCH_Wedel-Jarlsberg.jpg, Count Johan Caspar Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg (1779-1840) File:Carl_Maria_Wedel-Jarlsberg.jpg, Ferdinand Carl Maria Wedel Jarlsberg(1781-1857) File:Fritz_Wedel_Jarlsberg.jpg, Baron Fredrik Hartvig Herman Wedel Jarlsberg (1855-1942)

References

External links

Tönsbergsfjord to JarlsbergJarlsberg hovedgård
{{Norwegian nobility 1824 Norwegian families Wedel-Jarlsberg family Norwegian noble families