Hans Holtermann ( 1709 – 1781) also known as Hans Henrik Holtermann or Hans Henriksen Holtermann, was a Norwegian businessman and landowner.

Biography

Hans Holtermann was from a family of traders and whole merchants on the west coast of

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. Holtermann's great-grandfather, Coert Holtermann, is believed to have first immigrated from

Rothenburg Rothenburg is a German language placename and refers to: Places *Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany *Rothenburg, Oberlausitz, Saxony, Germany *Rothenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany *Rothenburg, Switzerland, Canton of Lucerne, Sw ...

in Germany to

Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...

with his son Henrich Holtermann (1650–1730). They acquired citizenship in 1676 and became involved in trading. Hans Holtermann's father, Henrik Holtermann (1683–1728), acquired trading rights in Bergen. At that time there was no market town (''

kjøpstad A (historically ''kjøbstad'', ''kjöbstad'', or ''kaupstad'', from ) is an old Scandinavian term for a "market town" in Denmark–Norway for several hundred years. Kjøpstads were places of trade and exporting materials (e.g. timber, flour, iron ...

'') in

Sunnmøre Sunnmøre (, ) is the southernmost traditional district of the western Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. Its main city is Ålesund. The region comprises the municipalities () of Fjord, Giske, Hareid, Herøy, Sande, Haram, Stranda Mu ...

and the Holtermans extended their privileges to Borgund and set up a trading post at Brunholmen that eventually became the nucleus of the town of

Ålesund Ålesund () is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The town is the administrative centre of Ålesund Municipality. The centre of the town of Ålesund lies on the islands of Hessa, Aspøya, Ålesund, Asp� ...

. Hans Holtermann operated as a trader in

Molde Molde () is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town and the seat of Molde Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Romsdal. It is located on the Romsdal Pen ...

and later at Vegsund in Borgund (now in

Ålesund Municipality Ålesund (, sometimes spelled Aalesund in English) is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal County, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre and the centre of the Ålesund Region. The town of Ålesund is the administrative ce ...

). He may also have introduced

dried and salted cod Dried and salted cod, sometimes referred to as salt cod or saltfish or salt dolly, is cod which has been preserved by drying after salting. Cod which has been dried without the addition of salt is stockfish. Salt cod was long a major export of ...

(''klippfisk'') production and trade to the area. His first marriage was to Margaretha Knudsdatter Wiig (from Vik in

Ørsta Ørsta may refer to: Places * Ørsta (village), an urban village area within Ørsta Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway *Ørsta Municipality is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Møre og Romsdal Counties of Norway, ...

, 1692–1743). His second marriage was to Ingeborg Catharine (a.k.a. Cathrina, Cathrine) Hagerup (August 30, 1730 – 1796), the daughter of Bishop Eiler Hagerup. Holtermann was the brother-in-law of the magistrate Melchior Falch, who was married to a younger daughter of Bishop Hagerup. His son, Knut Holtermann, became a supreme court judge in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

(the capital of Denmark-Norway). Austraatt 1770

Hans Holtermann purchased parts of the Giske estate around 1750, and in 1760,

Austrått Austrått or Austrått Manor () is a manor in Ørland Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. Since the 10th century, Austrått has been the residence for many noblemen, noblewomen, and officials who played a significant role in Norwegian hist ...

manor in

Ørland Orland or Ørland is the name, or part of the name, of a number of places and people: Places Canada * Orland, Saskatchewan, a hamlet in Hillsborough No. 132, Saskatchewan Norway *Ørland Municipality, a municipality in Trøndelag county * Ørland ...

. Holtermann is believed to have paid 26,000

riksdaler The Svenska riksdaler () was the name of a Swedish coin first minted in 1604. Between 1777 and 1873, it was the currency of Sweden. The daler, like the dollar,''National Geographic''. June 2002. p. 1. ''Ask Us''. was named after the German Thale ...

for Austrått. The Austrått manor also included part or full ownership of a large number of smaller farms in the Ørland region. Hans Holtermann hosted king Christian VI of Denmark-Norway on the King's famous journey through Norway in 1733. Upon purchasing the Giske estate (''Giskegodset''), Holtermann had also become the owner of

Giske Church Giske Church () is a 12th-century marble parish church of the Church of Norway in Giske Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the south side of the island of Giske, about northwest of the town of Ålesund. It is the ...

, and together with

Hans Strøm Hans Strøm (25 January 1726 – 1 February 1797) was a Norway, Norwegian clergyman. He also became a prominent zoologist and naturalist. He is best associated with his topographical description of the Districts of Norway, traditional district o ...

he carried out a major restoration of the dilapidated building. After the restoration, Hans Strøm had an epitaph written, including the following praise of Holtermann:Tennø, Karl, & Knut Ekroll. 1914. Litt om Giske kapel. ''Tidsskrift for Sunnmøre Historielag'', vol. 6 (Aalesund). ''Sikkert var gudshuset faldt, / glemt som det var alverden, / hadde ei Holtermann faat, / den gjæve eier og værge, / reist dig til fordums magt. / Og kongen har arbeidet bifaldt. / Nu, o kirke, vil du, / frelst kunne synge Guds pris.'' (Certainly this house of worship fell, / Forgotten by the whole world, / A Holtermann received it, / A princely owner and guardian, / And raised thee to thy former might. / And the king approved of the work. / Now, oh Church, saved, / May you sing God's praises.)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holtermann, Hans Norwegian businesspeople People from Møre og Romsdal Norwegian landowners 1700s births Norwegian people of German descent Merchants from Denmark–Norway