Johan Vibe (also Wibe) (16 April 1637 – 20 February 1710) was a Danish military officer and engineer, who was appointed Governor-General of Norway from 10 April 1708 until his death.

Biography

Johan Vibe was born on as one of two illegitimate children of the Danish nobleman Peder Wibe (–1658) and an unnamed French woman. He was raised as a legitimate son and knighted using his father's arms. He received a military education in the Netherlands, finishing in 1659 and joined the Norwegian Army shortly after. For his performance in the

Gyldenløve War The Scanian War ( da, Skånske Krig, , sv, Skånska kriget, german: Schonischer Krieg) was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark–Norway, Brandenburg and Sweden. It was fought from 1675 to 1679 mainly on Scanian soil, ...

, for which the Norwegian offensives were generally successful but only served to offset the Danish setbacks elsewhere, he was promoted to major in 1675 and lieutenant colonel in 1676. He was given command of the squadron which gave support to the fleet with which Governor-General Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve attacked the historically Norwegian Province of Bohuslan, which had been ceded to Sweden by the

Treaty of Roskilde The Treaty of Roskilde (concluded on 26 February ( OS), or 8 March 1658) ( NS) during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Karl X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde. After a devastating defeat, ...

in 1658. Vibe kept enemy ships trapped in Alfsborg and prevented them from going out. Johan Vibe was named a Knight of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

in 1693. In 1708 he was elevated to counselor of the Danish realm (geheimeråd). Vibe advanced to major general in 1682 and was transferred to

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...

as commander of the Norwegian military forces north of the

Dovrefjell Dovrefjell is a mountain range in Central Norway that forms a natural barrier between Eastern Norway and Trøndelag. The mountain range is located in Innlandet, Møre og Romsdal, and Trøndelag counties in Norway. As a result of its central loca ...

mountains. He appointed Governor-General of Norway by the Danish-Norwegian crown from 1708 as successor to Frederik Gabel. Following his death in 1710, he was succeeded as Governor-General by Woldemar Gyldenløve (1660–1740), son of

Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, Count of Laurvig (20 July 1638 – 17 April 1704) was Governor-general of Norway (''Stattholdere i Norge'') from 1664–1699. He was the leading general in Norway during the Scanian War, whose Norwegian leg is conventio ...

and Sophie Urne.

References

1710 deaths 1637 births Governors-general of Norway 17th-century Danish nobility 18th-century Norwegian civil servants Norwegian Army generals Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog 17th-century Norwegian nobility 18th-century Norwegian nobility J {{Norway-mil-bio-stub