Povel Huitfeldt
Encyclopedia
Povel Ottesen Huitfeldt who was the first Danish-Norwegian Governor-general of Norway
, was born circa 1520 and died 21 September 1592 at Tryggevælde Manor (on the Øresund) in Zealand. He was buried at Halmstad church, Sweden
. His parents were Otte Clausen Huitfeldt of Krumstrup, Skibelundgaard and Lørup (who died between 1517 and 1529) and Barbara Eriksdatter Blaa (who died before 1558). On 4 February 1554 he married Margrethe Breide, the daughter of Hans Breide and Thale Emmiksdatter. Christoffer Huitfeldt (ca. 1501-1559) and Peder Huitfeldt (died 1584) were his bothers.
From 1572 through 1577 Povel Huitfeldt was the first in a long line of foreign Governors-general of Norway (stattholder), but neither the government in Copenhagen nor Huitfeldt managed to achieve the goals the ministry had established for his role.
in Bergen
. In the summers of 1552-54 and over the winter of 1554-55, he served as the king's representative on Iceland
. Accompanied by a military force, he completed the conversion of Icelanders to the Lutheran faith after the last Catholic
bishop, Jon Arason
, had been executed in 1550. Huitfeldt’s wife had been a lady-in-waiting to Christian III of Denmark
’s Queen Dorothea
, and 1556-59, Huitfeldt served as sheriff at Copenhagen
Castle. In 1559-63 the widowed Queen granted him Koldinghus
, the last of the ancient royal castles on Jutland
, which was hers to award since she had the right to the income there as widow of a king.
broke down, Erik XIV in Sweden and Frederik II
in Denmark were at odds. On August 13, 1563, Denmark and Lübeck emissaries declared war in Stockholm
. During the Northern Seven Years' War
Huitfeldt was in charge of Halmstad
, a port town in the then-Danish province of Halland
, which he held during a siege by Swedish forces in the autumn of 1563. Danish King Fredrik II attacked the only Swedish port on the west coast, Älvsborg
, advancing from Halland
with an army 25,000 strong and captured Sweden's gateway to the west with three days of bombardment followed by a 6 hours assault on September 4. This achieved the Danish aim of cutting off Sweden from the North Sea, blocking critical salt imports. Erik XIV then countered by attacking Halmstad
in October, managing to breach the walls with artillery, but two assaults were beaten back.
gained a dominant position in Norway until 1572 there was no central Norwegian government to link the king in Denmark, the king's royal officials and the common citizens. Each feudal lord (lensherre) was the highest authority in his district and was responsible, through the Norwegian Chancellor who was in the Chancellery (Kancelli) in Copenhagen, only to the king. Since the former Norwegian Royal Council represented Norway's historic right to elect their own king, it is likely that the lack of central authority was initially promoted by the reigning Danish-Norwegian monarch. However conflicts with Sweden such at the Northern Seven Years' War
(1563-1570) highlighted the weaknesses to this approach. Sweden had established a standing army, invading the Norwegian Østerdal, Hedmark
and as far west as Skiensfjord. Further Sweden invested Akershus Fortress
in Oslo, burned Hamar
Cathedral and destroyed the bishop’s fortified palace Hamarhus
. Since no standing Norwegian army was maintained, districts in Norway had proven unable to defend themselves against even relatively small invading forces.
The statholder was given responsibility for royal property, supervision of the church and clergy, the courts, and oversight of the feudal lords so that they should not oppress their people as well as faithfully collecting the king's tax share. The lands for which he was responsible included a large number of properties since the crown had traditionally owned land and in addition had confiscated large amounts of church land during the Reformation. Although subsequent to Huitfeldt's tenure, on 5 July 1588 the statholder was also charged to be commander in chief of the Norwegian military forces.
and Tromsø
. On 10 May 1572 he was directed to serve as Governor-general of Norway
and serve as a judge at the lagting
s in Oslo
, Bergen
and Trondheim
. He was to hear and resolve complaints on the various provinces and to lead and carefully control the local officials, ensure that the king's revenue was collected in a timely fashion, to investigate whether the crown goods were properly administered and supervise the administration of the Church. Huitfeldt probably contributed to Chancellor Johan Venstermand’s removal that same autumn, for he was the only governor who was assigned a coordinating role over the judiciary.
Huitfeldt traveled to court meetings in Bergen and Trondheim for the first couple of years, but in 1575 he received the king's exemption from travel to Bergen. He was unable to control the local officials; Ludvig Munk
and others were undisturbed their abuse of tax collections and their violent oppression of peasant resistance in Trøndelag. Further, Munk became Huitfeldt’s successor as governor in 1577.
Huitfeldt activities in church administration produced better results. On his own initiative, in 1574 he appointed three officials who supervised collection of church tithes and the church economy. In addition they prepared jordebøker (a cadastral survey
of the time that provides a comprehensive register
of the metes-and-bounds
for real property
) for all ecclesiastical property in Norway. This work was printed in the Diocese of Oslo 1575 and for the Diocese of Hamar in 1577. This jordebøker collection was called Povel Huitfeldt stiftsbok; the original has been lost, but a copy from 1601 has been preserved which includes additions and corrections up to and including the year 1600. A jordebøker was also produced for the Diocese of Stavanger
, the first which was completed, but it has been lost. In other dioceses no stiftsbok was prepared and the system was abolished, in general by 1578, and in Akershus by 1581. Thus control of the economy reverted back to local church officials and local bailiffs.
He also actively promoted education. Næss indicates; "Though smaller than Bergen, Oslo surpassed that city as a seat of learning, partly because of the support of the Danish governors Povel Huitfeld and Aksel Gyldenstjerne."
Huitfeldt led a 1576 meeting in Skien
between delegates from the clergy and farmers in Stavanger
county to mediate a conflict about the tithe, and afterwards he announced the agreement on how the tithe was to be shared. Farmers would keep the quarter of the tithe which from days of old had been used to provide for the poor, but instead they agreed to provide the funds to support the students at Stavanger Cathedral School. Diocese elsewhere continued in conflict, but what became known as Povel Huitfeldt’s agreement was confirmed by the king and became the national guidance.
, where he held property. From 1581 forward to his death he also was feudal lord of Tromsø
. He died in 1592 during a stay at his nephew, Chancellor and historian Arild Huitfeldt
, on the Tryggevælde manor south of Køge
.
Governor-general of Norway
The Governor-general of Norway, styled Rigsstatholder in Danish or Riksståthållare in Swedish, both meaning 'Lieutenant of the realm' , was the appointed head of the Norwegian Government in the absence of the Monarch....
, was born circa 1520 and died 21 September 1592 at Tryggevælde Manor (on the Øresund) in Zealand. He was buried at Halmstad church, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. His parents were Otte Clausen Huitfeldt of Krumstrup, Skibelundgaard and Lørup (who died between 1517 and 1529) and Barbara Eriksdatter Blaa (who died before 1558). On 4 February 1554 he married Margrethe Breide, the daughter of Hans Breide and Thale Emmiksdatter. Christoffer Huitfeldt (ca. 1501-1559) and Peder Huitfeldt (died 1584) were his bothers.
From 1572 through 1577 Povel Huitfeldt was the first in a long line of foreign Governors-general of Norway (stattholder), but neither the government in Copenhagen nor Huitfeldt managed to achieve the goals the ministry had established for his role.
Early career
Huitfeldt was the youngest of the four Huitfeldt brothers who eventually came to Norway; around 1548 he was with his brother Christoffer, the bailiff at Bergenhus FortressBergenhus Fortress
Bergenhus fortress is a fortress located in Bergen, Norway. Bergenhus fortress is located in the entrance to the harbor in Bergen. This is one of the oldest and best preserved castles in Norway.-History:...
in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. In the summers of 1552-54 and over the winter of 1554-55, he served as the king's representative on Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. Accompanied by a military force, he completed the conversion of Icelanders to the Lutheran faith after the last Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
bishop, Jon Arason
Jón Arason
Jón Arason was an Icelandic Roman Catholic bishop and poet, who was executed in his struggle against the imposition of the Protestant Reform in Iceland.-Background:...
, had been executed in 1550. Huitfeldt’s wife had been a lady-in-waiting to Christian III of Denmark
Christian III of Denmark
Christian III reigned as king of Denmark and Norway. He was the eldest son of King Frederick I and Anna of Brandenburg.-Childhood:...
’s Queen Dorothea
Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg
Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg , consort of Christian III from 1525 and Queen consort of Denmark and Norway. She was daughter of Duke Magnus I of Saxe-Lauenburg and Catherine, daughter of Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, and 1556-59, Huitfeldt served as sheriff at Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
Castle. In 1559-63 the widowed Queen granted him Koldinghus
Koldinghus
Koldinghus is a Danish royal castle on the south central part of the Jutland peninsula in the town of Kolding. The castle was founded in the 11th century and was expanded since with many functions ranging from fortress, royal residency, ruin, museum, and the location of numerous wartime...
, the last of the ancient royal castles on Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
, which was hers to award since she had the right to the income there as widow of a king.
Seven Years' War
As the Kalmar UnionKalmar Union
The Kalmar Union is a historiographical term meaning a series of personal unions that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway , and Sweden under a single monarch, though intermittently and with a population...
broke down, Erik XIV in Sweden and Frederik II
Frederick II of Denmark
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death.-King of Denmark:Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg. Frederick II stands as the typical renaissance ruler of Denmark. Unlike his father, he...
in Denmark were at odds. On August 13, 1563, Denmark and Lübeck emissaries declared war in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. During the Northern Seven Years' War
Northern Seven Years' War
The Northern Seven Years' War was the war between Kingdom of Sweden and a coalition of Denmark–Norway, Lübeck and the Polish–Lithuanian union, fought between 1563 and 1570...
Huitfeldt was in charge of Halmstad
Halmstad
Halmstad is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of Nissan in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County...
, a port town in the then-Danish province of Halland
Halland
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , on the western coast of Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat.-Administration:...
, which he held during a siege by Swedish forces in the autumn of 1563. Danish King Fredrik II attacked the only Swedish port on the west coast, Älvsborg
Älvsborg
Älvsborg is the name of a geographical region in Sweden, which can refer to:*Älvsborg, Gothenburg, one of 21 boroughs of Gothenburg, Sweden.*Älvsborg County, a former county of Sweden*Älvsborg Fortress, a sea fortress at Gothenburg...
, advancing from Halland
Halland
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , on the western coast of Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat.-Administration:...
with an army 25,000 strong and captured Sweden's gateway to the west with three days of bombardment followed by a 6 hours assault on September 4. This achieved the Danish aim of cutting off Sweden from the North Sea, blocking critical salt imports. Erik XIV then countered by attacking Halmstad
Halmstad
Halmstad is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of Nissan in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County...
in October, managing to breach the walls with artillery, but two assaults were beaten back.
Background
From the collapse of the Norwegian Royal Council in 1536 as the ReformationProtestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
gained a dominant position in Norway until 1572 there was no central Norwegian government to link the king in Denmark, the king's royal officials and the common citizens. Each feudal lord (lensherre) was the highest authority in his district and was responsible, through the Norwegian Chancellor who was in the Chancellery (Kancelli) in Copenhagen, only to the king. Since the former Norwegian Royal Council represented Norway's historic right to elect their own king, it is likely that the lack of central authority was initially promoted by the reigning Danish-Norwegian monarch. However conflicts with Sweden such at the Northern Seven Years' War
Northern Seven Years' War
The Northern Seven Years' War was the war between Kingdom of Sweden and a coalition of Denmark–Norway, Lübeck and the Polish–Lithuanian union, fought between 1563 and 1570...
(1563-1570) highlighted the weaknesses to this approach. Sweden had established a standing army, invading the Norwegian Østerdal, Hedmark
Hedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
and as far west as Skiensfjord. Further Sweden invested Akershus Fortress
Akershus Fortress
Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo, the capital of Norway. It has also been used as a prison.- Construction :...
in Oslo, burned Hamar
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
Cathedral and destroyed the bishop’s fortified palace Hamarhus
Hamarhus
Hamarhus castle, the fortified palace of the bishop, in Hamar was destroyed in 1570 by the Swedish armies during the Nordic Seven Years' War.-References:* History of the Norwegian People by Knut Gjerset, The MacMillan Company, 1915, Volumes II...
. Since no standing Norwegian army was maintained, districts in Norway had proven unable to defend themselves against even relatively small invading forces.
The statholder was given responsibility for royal property, supervision of the church and clergy, the courts, and oversight of the feudal lords so that they should not oppress their people as well as faithfully collecting the king's tax share. The lands for which he was responsible included a large number of properties since the crown had traditionally owned land and in addition had confiscated large amounts of church land during the Reformation. Although subsequent to Huitfeldt's tenure, on 5 July 1588 the statholder was also charged to be commander in chief of the Norwegian military forces.
Huitfeldt's tenure
After the war was Huitfeldt sent to Norway, where he was the feudal lord of Brunla from 1570 to 1574. In April 1572 he was also charged to serve as feudal lord for AkershusAkershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
and Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
. On 10 May 1572 he was directed to serve as Governor-general of Norway
Governor-general of Norway
The Governor-general of Norway, styled Rigsstatholder in Danish or Riksståthållare in Swedish, both meaning 'Lieutenant of the realm' , was the appointed head of the Norwegian Government in the absence of the Monarch....
and serve as a judge at the lagting
Lagting
Lagting, literally "Law Ting", can refer to:*Lagting, the Parliament of Åland*Lagting, the former quasi-upper house of the parliament of Norway *Løgting, the parliament of the Faroe Islands...
s in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
and Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. He was to hear and resolve complaints on the various provinces and to lead and carefully control the local officials, ensure that the king's revenue was collected in a timely fashion, to investigate whether the crown goods were properly administered and supervise the administration of the Church. Huitfeldt probably contributed to Chancellor Johan Venstermand’s removal that same autumn, for he was the only governor who was assigned a coordinating role over the judiciary.
Huitfeldt traveled to court meetings in Bergen and Trondheim for the first couple of years, but in 1575 he received the king's exemption from travel to Bergen. He was unable to control the local officials; Ludvig Munk
Ludvig Munk
Ludvig Ludvigsen Munk was born in 1537 in Vejle, and died 8 April 1602 at Nørlund Slot in Funen. He was a Danish-Norwegian official and Count. He was the son of Ludvik Munk , and is also referred to as Ludvig Ludvigsen Munk von Schleswig-Holstein and Ludvig Munk til Nørlund.He was a Junker at the...
and others were undisturbed their abuse of tax collections and their violent oppression of peasant resistance in Trøndelag. Further, Munk became Huitfeldt’s successor as governor in 1577.
Huitfeldt activities in church administration produced better results. On his own initiative, in 1574 he appointed three officials who supervised collection of church tithes and the church economy. In addition they prepared jordebøker (a cadastral survey
Cadastre
A cadastre , using a cadastral survey or cadastral map, is a comprehensive register of the metes-and-bounds real property of a country...
of the time that provides a comprehensive register
Land registration
Land registration generally describes systems by which matters concerning ownership, possession or other rights in land can be recorded to provide evidence of title, facilitate transactions and to prevent unlawful disposal...
of the metes-and-bounds
Metes and bounds
Metes and bounds is a system or method of describing land, real property or real estate. The system has been used in England for many centuries, and is still used there in the definition of general boundaries...
for real property
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
) for all ecclesiastical property in Norway. This work was printed in the Diocese of Oslo 1575 and for the Diocese of Hamar in 1577. This jordebøker collection was called Povel Huitfeldt stiftsbok; the original has been lost, but a copy from 1601 has been preserved which includes additions and corrections up to and including the year 1600. A jordebøker was also produced for the Diocese of Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, the first which was completed, but it has been lost. In other dioceses no stiftsbok was prepared and the system was abolished, in general by 1578, and in Akershus by 1581. Thus control of the economy reverted back to local church officials and local bailiffs.
He also actively promoted education. Næss indicates; "Though smaller than Bergen, Oslo surpassed that city as a seat of learning, partly because of the support of the Danish governors Povel Huitfeld and Aksel Gyldenstjerne."
Huitfeldt led a 1576 meeting in Skien
Skien
' is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county....
between delegates from the clergy and farmers in Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
county to mediate a conflict about the tithe, and afterwards he announced the agreement on how the tithe was to be shared. Farmers would keep the quarter of the tithe which from days of old had been used to provide for the poor, but instead they agreed to provide the funds to support the students at Stavanger Cathedral School. Diocese elsewhere continued in conflict, but what became known as Povel Huitfeldt’s agreement was confirmed by the king and became the national guidance.
Retirement from service
Povel Huitfeldt pled health problems when in 1575 he requested and received an exemption from traveling to Bergen. He retired in 1577 from all other positions because of health problems and because travel through Norway was most difficult because of poor roads, dangerous bridges, and steep cliffs. After retiring from service he stayed primarily in HallandHalland
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , on the western coast of Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat.-Administration:...
, where he held property. From 1581 forward to his death he also was feudal lord of Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
. He died in 1592 during a stay at his nephew, Chancellor and historian Arild Huitfeldt
Arild Huitfeldt
Arild Huitfeldt was a Danish historian and state official, known for his vernacular Chronicle of Denmark.-Life:...
, on the Tryggevælde manor south of Køge
Køge
Køge Municipality is a municipality in Region Sjælland on the east coast of the island of Zealand approx. 40 km. southwest of Copenhagen. The municipality covers an area of 255 km² , and has a total population of 56,637...
.