Hans Rostgaard
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Hans Rostgaard (15 April 1625 – 31 December 1684) was a Danish bailiff (''ridefoged'') and county administrator (''amtsforvalter'') at
Helsingør Helsingør ( , ; ), classically known in English as Elsinore ( ), is a coastal city in northeastern Denmark. Helsingør Municipality had a population of 63,953 on 1 January 2025, making it the 23rd most populated municipality in Denmark. Helsin ...
who is remembered for his achievement in the
Second Northern War The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of ...
and especially his role during the Swedish siege of
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 ...
and subsequent assault on the city in 1659. He is also associated with Krogerup Manor in
Humlebæk Humlebæk is a town within the Municipalities of Denmark, municipality of Fredensborg Municipality, Fredensborg in North Zealand in Denmark, approximately 35 km north of Copenhagen. Humlebæk is located at the shore to Øresund and has a popu ...
where a statue of him by
Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan (1 August 1859 – 21 April 1939) was a Denmark, Danish sculptor. Early life and education Pedersen-Dan was born at Itzehoe in Schleswig-Holstein. He was the son of Ole Pedersen (1820–1902) and Elisabeth Sofie Johansen ...
was installed in 1904. He was the father of Frederik Rostgaard and the uncle of Jens Rostgaard.


Early life

Rostgaard was born into a peasant family in the parish of Arild, near
Haderslev Haderslev (; ) is a Denmark, Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark with a population of 22,405 (1 January 2025).Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...
, the son of Ove (Oud) Rostgaard and Kirsten Benneke (Bennik). . He learned to read and write in an early age. At the age of 12, he became a servant in the household of one of
Christian IV Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years and 330 days is the longest in Scandinavian history. A member of the H ...
's servants 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 ...
. He read many books, both in Danish, German and Dutch. In 1644, he participated in the Battle of Listerdyb and the Battle of Kolberger Heide where his knee was injured. He then worked in the Silver Gallery at
Rosenborg Castle Rosenborg Castle () is a renaissance castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. The castle was originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606 and is an example of Christian IV's many architectural projects. It was built in the Dutch Renaissance style, t ...
for a few years. He became bailiff of Kronborg Fief in 1656 after his engagement to Kirsten Pedersdatter, the daughter of the estate manager of Københavns Ladegård Peder Christensen Svenske (c. 1590–1657) and Anna Jensdatter (1593–1655). The married on 21 September 1656 at Krogerup. the daughter of the owner of Krogerup and later took over the estate after his father-in-law's death in 1657.


Second Northern War activism

In 1658, with a regiment of farmers from Helsingør, he twice participated in the defence of Copenhagen. He refused to promise Carl Gustav his loyalty after the Swedish army had occupied Kronborg and was for a while imprisoned but baled out. Together with his wife, he began to smuggle provisions into Copenhagen which was under siege by the Swedish troops. In October 1658, he informed Frederick III about the arrival of Obdam's fleet to the
Øresund Øresund or Öresund (, ; ; ), commonly known in English as the Sound, is a strait which forms the Denmark–Sweden border, Danish–Swedish border, separating Zealand (Denmark) from Scania (Sweden). The strait has a length of ; its width var ...
and began to act as a courier between Obdam and
Christoffer Gabel Christoffer Gabel (6 January 1617 – 13 October 1673) was a Danish statesman. He was the father of Vice Governor-general of Norway, Frederik Gabel. Biography He was born on 6 January 1617 at Glückstadt.Bruun (2008), p.110Bricka (1891), p ...
in Copenhagen. In February 1659, he warned the government in Copenhagen about the Swedish plans of an assault on the city and provided it with detailed information about their preparations and dates. Later that spring, together with Lorens Tuxen and
Henrik Gerner Henrik Gerner (1742–1787) was a Danish naval officer who specialised in shipbuilding and naval architecture. His interests as an entrepreneurial engineer led to unsinkable gun platforms, horse-driven dredging machines, and desalination equipme ...
, he was a central figure in the plans to win back the control of Kronborg. In the forests at Krogerup, he arranged a meeting between the king's servant Corfitz Trolle and the British colonel Hutchinson who supported the plan. He also brought Trolle in contact with Oluf van Steenwinckel and later sneaked him into Kronborg. He received a small Danish army at Krogerup and stationed it with friends in Helsingør. He brought Hutchinson and Steenwinkel the money (1,200
Danish rigsdaler The rigsdaler was the name of several currencies used in Denmark until 1875. The similarly named Reichsthaler, riksdaler and rijksdaalder were used in Germany and Austria-Hungary, Sweden and the Netherlands, respectively. These currencies were of ...
in total) they needed for their participation and escorted Hutchinson's son to Copenhagen as security for his loyalty. When the plan was revealed in June 1659 and many of the involved were arrested, Rostgaard pretended to have died and managed to escape to Copenhagen where he went underground for the next 11 months to protect his wife back in Helsingør.


Post-war years

Rostgaard was reunited with his wife after the piece in 1660. In March 1661, the couple was rewarded with full ownership of the Krogerup estate as their property, the rights of a noble and a promise of 300 rigsdaler a year for the rest of their lives. Rostgaard also got his position of bailiff back and was also appointed to fishing master of Kronborg Fief later that same year. He also managed Krogerup Ladegård and served as acting prefect (''amtmand''). In 1663, the crown discontinued his pension as a result of the economically difficult times that had followed after the war. His wife died on 5 April 1668. He then married Cathrine Asmusdatter on 11 April 1670. She was the daughter of a merchant in Flensburg and had previously been married to the estate manager of Hørsholm Lorens Pedersen. She died after less than two years of marriage on 24 February 1672. In 1670, Rostgaard applied for compensation for the discontinued pension and received a number of minor farms and houses in the vicinity of Krogerup in 1672. On 2 February 1674, Rostgaard was married for the third time, now to o Dorothea Steffensdatter Rode at Nellerup. She was the daughter of merchant and royal factor Steffen Rode (1587–1638) and had previously been married to royal lighthouse keeper Peder Jensen Grove (1615–73). Through this marriage he became the owner of the island of
Anholt Anholt may refer to: Places *Anholt (Denmark), Danish island * Anholt, Netherlands, village in Drenthe, Netherlands *Anholt, Germany, district of the city of Isselburg, Germany **The Lordship of Anholt, historical state People *Christien Anholt ( ...
in the
Kattegat The Kattegat (; ; ) is a sea area bounded by the peninsula of Jutland in the west, the Danish straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the Swedish provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Scania in Swede ...
. In 1681 he was appointed to county manager (''amtsforvalter'') of Kronborg County.


Legacy

Rostgaardsvej in Helsingør was named after him in 1898. A statue by
Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan (1 August 1859 – 21 April 1939) was a Denmark, Danish sculptor. Early life and education Pedersen-Dan was born at Itzehoe in Schleswig-Holstein. He was the son of Ole Pedersen (1820–1902) and Elisabeth Sofie Johansen ...
was unveiled at Krogerup Folk High School in 1904.


References


External links


Hans Rostgaard
at gnei.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Rostgaard, Hans 17th-century Danish landowners Military history of Denmark People from Haderslev Municipality People from Helsingør Municipality 17th-century Danish people Northern War of 1655–1660 1625 births 1684 deaths