Frederik Krag (6 March 1655 – 24 September 1728) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

nobleman (Baron) and senior civil servant who served kings Frederick IV and Frederick V. He was Governor-General of Norway from 1713 until 1722. He is not fondly remembered in Norway due to his attempts to subordinate the farmers there in a similar level of service to that which was common in Denmark of the period.

Early life

He was born in Flensburg, Schleswig,

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...

(now

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

). His father Erik Krag (1620–72) served as Supreme Secretary of the Danish chancery and his mother Vibeke Pallesdatter Rosenkrantz (died in 1708) was of the Danish-noble Rosenkrantz line dating back to Knight Neils Rosenkrantz in 1341.

Civil service

Frederik Krag began his government service by serving from 1675 through 1678 with the Danish delegation in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

and later in

Nijmegen Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...

for the negotiations among the European powers that aimed to put an end to the constant warfare that had ravaged the continent for years. The result was the

Treaty of Nijmegen The Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen ('; german: Friede von Nimwegen) were a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Nijmegen between August 1678 and October 1679. The treaties ended various interconnected wars among France, the Dutch Republi ...

signed in 1678, which failed to provide for a lasting peace. Upon returning to Copenhagen he attended the Danish queen for several years (as a ''Kammerjunker''), rising to master of ceremonies. It was during this period that he married Baroness Juel. In 1684 he proceeded to the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands ( Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

, remaining there as ambassador until 1688.Frederik Krag 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 ...

, in 1708, and in 1712 he was elevated to counselor of the Danish realm (''geheimeråd''). He became governor of the Diocese of Viborg and was the magistrate in Hald municipality from 1695-1713. He served as Governor-General of Norway from 1713 until 1722. He became Governor-General as successor to Claus Henrik Vieregg (1655-1712) who had died in office the prior year.

Family

Frederik Krag was married three times to women from noble families. He was first married in 1683 to Baroness Hedevig Eleonore Juell (1662-1686), the daughter of Baron Jens Juel (1631–1700) and Vibeke Ottesdatter Skeel. His second marriage in November 1690 was with Charlotte Amalie Griffenfeld (1672-1703), the daughter of the Lord Chancellor, Count

Peder Griffenfeld Count Peder Griffenfeld (before 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'' ruler of ...

(1635-1699) and Karen Nansen (1656–1672). This marriage brought the manor Stensballegård at Vær Sogn in

Horsens Horsens () is a city on the east coast of Jutland region of Denmark. It is the seat of the Horsens municipality. The city's population is 61,074 (1 January 2022) and the municipality's population is 94,443 (), making it the 8th largest city in D ...

municipality into the Krag family, where it remained until 1927. His third marriage was in 1705 to 19-year-old Edele Nielsdatter Krag (1686-1751), daughter of Niels Ottesen Krag and Sophie Nielsdatter Juel.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krag, Frederik Danish nobility Norwegian barons 1655 births 1728 deaths Governors-general of Norway 18th-century Danish diplomats Ambassadors of Denmark to the Netherlands People from Flensburg Krag family