The Fersen family, stylized as the von Fersen family (german: Versen), is a

Baltic German Baltic Germans (german: Deutsch-Balten or , later ) were ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since their coerced resettlement in 1939, Baltic Germans have markedly declined ...

aristocratic Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word's ...

family grouped into several

ennobled Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteristi ...

branches that settled in and around the kingdoms bordering the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and fr ...

in Northern Europe. The most well-known holders of the surname settled in modern day Sweden and

Livonia Livonia ( liv, Līvõmō, et, Liivimaa, fi, Liivinmaa, German and Scandinavian languages: ', archaic German: ''Liefland'', nl, Lijfland, Latvian and lt, Livonija, pl, Inflanty, archaic English: ''Livland'', ''Liwlandia''; russian: Ли ...

(modern day

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

and

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and t ...

) which was once part of the

Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries ( sv, Stormaktstiden, "the Era of Great Power"). The beginning of the empire is usually t ...

, and later of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

Overview

The family was first mentioned in the historical region of

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 t ...

in the 13th century. The earliest records of the Fersen family in Livonia area in the late 17th century suggest possible links to earlier participation in the

Northern Wars "Northern Wars" is a term used for a series of wars fought in northern and northeastern Europe from the 16th to the 18th century. An internationally agreed-on nomenclature for these wars has not yet been devised. While the Great Northern War is gen ...

; service in Northern Europe was commonplace and Scots had served in great numbers in the series of Northern Wars, whose onset was marked by an invasion of Livonia by

Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584. Iv ...

in 1558. More secure is their participation in the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battl ...

(1619–1648). The official alliances of the Stuart regime, the independent diplomacy of the Scottish Parliament, and the actions of numerous well placed individuals at various European courts combined to make Scotland one of the prime providers of military manpower in Europe, with some 50,000 Scots fighting between 1618–1640. After the 1629 peace of Lübeck, many left to join substantial numbers of their compatriots in the Swedish army. During the 1620s the number of Scots serving in the Swedish army is estimated at around 20,000.

Estonian branch

The Estonian branch of the Fersen family possessed several manor houses.

Swedish branch

The Swedish branch of the Fersen family originally derived from the line in Livonia. After moving to Sweden, some of its members were awarded Countships for gallant military acts. This line is best known through its line of distinguished military service and for

Axel von Fersen the Younger Hans Axel von Fersen (; 4 September 175520 June 1810), known as Axel de Fersen in France, was a Swedish count, Marshal of the Realm of Sweden, a General of Horse in the Royal Swedish Army, one of the Lords of the Realm, aide-de-camp to Rochamb ...

's possible love affair with

Marie Antionette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child a ...

, suggested in court accounts and a recently uncovered series of "torrid" love letters.

List of people

* Fabian von Fersen (1626–1677), Swedish general * Otto Wilhelm von Fersen (1623–1703), Swedish general, Fabian's cousin * Hans Reinhold Fersen (1683–1726), Swedish general *

Axel von Fersen Sr. 250px, Fredrik Axel von Fersen Count Fredrik Axel von Fersen (5 April 171924 April 1794) was a Swedish statesman and soldier. He served as Lord Marshal of the Riksdag of the Estates, and although he worked closely with King Gustav III before an ...

(1719–1794), Swedish politician, son of the above *

Ulrika von Fersen Ulrica, also spelled Ulrika, is a female given name of Germanic origins. Its male equivalent is Ulric, Ulrich or Ulrik. Ulrike and Ulrikke are alternative names derived from Ulrica. Ulrica may refer to: People * Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of ...

(1746–1810), Swedish courtier, niece of the above *

Hedvig Eleonora von Fersen Hedvig "Hedda" Eleonora von Fersen (2 July 1753 – 8 November 1792, in Pisa) was a Swedish noble, lady in waiting to the Swedish queen, Sophia Magdalena of Denmark. She was the daughter of Axel von Fersen the Elder and Hedvig Catharina De la G ...

(1753–1792), socialite, cousin of the above *

Augusta von Fersen Augusta may refer to: Places Australia * Augusta, Western Australia Brasil * Rua Augusta (São Paulo) Canada * Augusta, Ontario * North Augusta, Ontario * Augusta Street (Hamilton, Ontario) France * Augusta Suessionum ("Augusta of the Sues ...

(1754–1846), Swedish courtier, cousin of the above *

Axel von Fersen Jr. Hans Axel von Fersen (; 4 September 175520 June 1810), known as Axel de Fersen in France, was a Swedish count, Marshal of the Realm of Sweden, a General of Horse in the Royal Swedish Army, one of the Lords of the Realm, aide-de-camp to Rocha ...

(1755–1810), Swedish politician, cousin of the above *

Sophie von Fersen Countess Eva Sophie Piper, née Eva Sophie von Fersen (30 March 1757 – 2 February 1816, Löfstad Slott), was a Swedish countess and lady in waiting. She was the daughter of count Axel von Fersen the Elder and Hedvig Catharina von Fersen and ...

(1757–1816), Swedish courtier, sister of the above * Fabian von Fersen (1762–1818), Swedish politician, cousin of the above * Johann Hermann von Fersen (Unknown–1801), Saxon-born infantry general who served in the Imperial Russian Army *

Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen Baron Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen (20 February 1880 – 5 November 1923) was a French novelist and poet. His life forms the basis of a fictionalised 1959 novel by Roger Peyrefitte entitled ''The Exile of Capri'' ''(L'exilé de Capri)''. In 1903, ...

(1880–1923), French novelist and poet, related paternally to Hans Axel * Johann Hermann von Fersen (died 1801), Saxon general in Russian service *

Hans William von Fersen Hans William Freiherr von Fersen, tr. ; (6 May 1937) was an admiral in the navy of the former Russian Empire. Biography Fersen was born into a Baltic German family in what is now Estonia. From mother's side, he had partially Scottish ancest ...

(1858–1937), Baltic German admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy

References

{{Subject bar, commons=House of Fersen, d-search=Q3069781, portal2=Russia, portal3=Germany, portal4=Sweden ru:Ферзен (фамилия) Fersen family Swedish noble families Swedish families of Baltic German ancestry Estonian noble families Livonian noble families German noble families Russian noble families