The Løvenskiold family (until 1739 Leopoldus) is a Dano- Norwegian noble family of German origin. Members of the family now live primarily in
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 ...
. Originally named Leopoldus, it was one of the early patrician Norwegian families to buy noble status, in 1739, when it was also granted the surname Løvenskiold.
History
Origins
The Løvenskiold family descend from merchant Herman Leopoldus (died 1696), who immigrated from
Lübeck
Lübeck (; or ; Latin: ), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Lübeck (), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 220,000 inhabitants, it is the second-largest city on the German Baltic Sea, Baltic coast and the second-larg ...
to Christiania (now Oslo, Norway). His son, also named Herman Leopoldus (1677–1750), became wealthy. Both he and his two sons, Herman Løvenskiold (1701–1759) and Severin Leopoldus Løvenskiold (1719-76), who were half brothers, were ennobled by
letters patent
Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...
in 1739, by paying the king's private fund (''partikulærkassen''). At the same time, they received the surname Løvenskiold (lit. ‘Lion Shield’).
Herman Løvenskiold (1701–1759)
Herman Løvenskiold (1701–1759) was married to Margrete Deichman (1708-1758). They were the parents of the following children:
* Bartholomæus Herman von Løvenskiold (1729-1788)
* Inger Hedvig de Løvenskiold
* Anna Barbara Løvenskiold
* Herman Leopoldus von Løvenskiold (1739–1799), chamberlain
* Severin Løvenskiold(1743–1818), chamberlain and baron
** Severin Løvenskiold (1777–1856) who served as governor-general of Norway.
Severin Leopoldus Løvenskiold (1719-76)
Severin Leopoldus Løvenskiold (1719-76) was married to lensbaronesse Magdalene Charlotte Hedevig von Numsen. They were the parents of Michael Herman Løvenskiold. He was married to Frederikke Juliane Marie Knuth-Knuthenborg. They were the parents of the following children:
* Carl Severin Christian Herman baron Løvenskiold
* Eggert Christopher Løvenskiold
* Marie Frederikke Constance Baronesse Løvenskjold
* Henrik Ludvig Baron Løvenskjold
* Charlotte Wilhelmine Christiane Løvenskjold
Property
Members of the family have owned a number of historic homes in Denmark and Norway including Løvenborg Castle (''Løvenborg Slot'') at Merløse in
Holbæk
Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the County seat, seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 30,903 (1 January 2025).Ulefoss in
Telemark
Telemark () is a Counties of Norway, county and a current electoral district in Norway. Telemark borders the counties of Vestfold, Buskerud, Vestland, Rogaland and Agder. In 2020, Telemark merged with the county of Vestfold to form the county o ...
and Fossum Manor (''Fossum hovedgård'') at Fossum Ironworks in Skien.
Other family estates included Vækerø Manor west of Bærums Verk in
Bærum
Bærum () is a list of municipalities of Norway, municipality in the Greater Oslo Region in Akershus County, Norway. It forms an affluent suburb of Oslo on the west coast of the city. Bærum is Norway's fifth largest municipality with a populatio ...
and the Ask estate in Ringerike (''Ask storgård i Ringerike'').
The name is also given to the family's privately owned company Løvenskiold-Vækerø, headquartered at
Ullern
Ullern is a List of boroughs of Oslo, borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.
History
The borough has its name from an old farm, Old Norse language, Norse ''Ullarin''. The first element is the genitive case of the name of the Norse god Ullr. The l ...
. The holding company owns vast tracts of woodland in and around
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
,
Akershus
Akershus () is a county in Norway, with Oslo as its administrative centre, though Oslo is not located within Akershus. Akershus has been a region in Eastern Norway with Oslo as its main city since the Middle Ages, and is named after the Akers ...
,
Oppland
Oppland is a former county in Norway which existed from 1781 until its dissolution on 1 January 2020. The old Oppland county bordered the counties of Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The ...
,
Buskerud
Buskerud () is a Counties of Norway, county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Innlandet, Vestland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Hardanger ...
and
Telemark
Telemark () is a Counties of Norway, county and a current electoral district in Norway. Telemark borders the counties of Vestfold, Buskerud, Vestland, Rogaland and Agder. In 2020, Telemark merged with the county of Vestfold to form the county o ...
, as well as the building materials retail chain Maxbo.
Coats of arms
File:Loevenskjold-vaapen.JPG, Heraldic arms of the family of Løvenskjold from 1739
File:Coatofarms-Baron Loevenskiold.jpg, Coat of arms of the baronial family Løvenskiold from 1889
File:Slægten Løvenskiolds våben.jpg, Løvenskiold coat of arms from Solum Church, Telemark
Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon
''Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon'' is a Danish encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided i ...
(Copenhagen: J H Schultz Forlag, second edition. 1915 to 1930).
* '' Danmarks Adels Aarbog'', Copenhagen 1949
*Axel Løvenskiold and Herman L. Løvenskiold: ''Slekten Løvenskiold gjennom 300 år i Norge'', Oslo 1974
* Hans Cappelen: ''Norske Slektsvåpen'' (Norwegian Family Coats of Arms) with an English Summary, Oslo 1969 (2nd ed. 1976), p. 31 and 161
*