Løvenskiold family

Løvenskiold is a Dano-Norwegian noble family of German origin. Members of the family now live primarily in Norway.[1] Originally named Leopoldus, it was one of the first patrician Norwegian families to buy noble status, in 1739, when it was also granted the surname Løvenskiold.[2]

Løvenskiold-Vækerø headquarters in Oslo

Løvenborg Castle in Holbæk. 1872

Fossum Manor and ironworks. 1848

History

The Løvenskiold family descend from merchant Herman Leopoldus (died 1696), who immigrated from Lübeck to Christiania (now Oslo, Norway). His son, also named Herman Leopoldus (1677–1750), became quite wealthy. Both he and his son, Herman Løvenskiold (1701-1759), were ennobled by letters patent in 1739, by paying the King's private fund (partikulærkassen).[3] At the same time, they received the surname Løvenskiold (lit. ‘Lion Shield’). His grandson was Chamberlain Herman Leopoldus Løvenskiold (1739-1799). His great-grandson Severin Løvenskiold (1743–1818) was made a baron (Norwegian: baron or friherre). He was the father of Severin Løvenskiold (1777–1856) who served as Prime Minister of Norway.[4][5][6]

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, Holden Manor (Holden hovedgård) at Ulefoss in Telemark and Fossum Manor (Fossum hovedgård) at Fossum Ironworks in Skien.[7][8][9][10] Other family estates included Vækerø Manor west of Bærums Verk in Bærum and the Ask estate in Ringerike (Ask storgård i Ringerike).[11] [12] [13]

The name is also given to the family's privately owned company Løvenskiold-Vækerø, headquartered at Ullern. The holding company owns vast tracts of woodland in and around Oslo, Akershus, Oppland, Buskerud and Telemark, as well as the building materials retail chain Maxbo.[14]

Coats of arms

• 
  Heraldic arms of the family of Løvenskjold from 1739
• 
  Coat of arms of the baronial family Løvenskiold from 1889
• 
  Løvenskiold coat of arms from Solum Church, Telemark

Notable family members

See Category:Løvenskiold family.

See also

• Danish nobility
• Norwegian nobility

References

1. Løvenskioldslegten (J.L. Quisling Gaardshistorie. Kristiania: 1921)
2. Jon Gunnar Arntzen. "Løvenskiold". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
3. Albert Fabritius: Danmarks Riges Adel, Copenhagen, 1946, p 52.
4. "Løvenskiold". lokalhistoriewiki.no. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
5. "Severin Løvenskiold (1743–1818)". lokalhistoriewiki.no. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
6. "Severin Løvenskiold (1777–1856)". lokalhistoriewiki.no. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
7. "Løvenskiold, Herman, 1677-1750, Godsejer". Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
8. "Løvenborg". Danske Herregaarde. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
9. "Holden Herregård lystgård". Kulturminnesøk. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
10. "Løvenskiold Fossum Hovedgård". Løvenskiold Fossum. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
11. "Vækerø gård". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
12. "Fossum hovedgård". feste.no. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
13. Jon Gunnar Arntzen. "Ask storgård i Ringerike". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
14. "About Løvenskiold-Vækerø". Løvenskiold-Vækerø. Retrieved July 1, 2017.

Literature

• Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon (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
• Bratberg, Terje. "Løvenskiold". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 25 February 2012.

External links

• Løvenskiold official website
• Løvenborg Castle