Baltzar von Platen (1766-1829)
Encyclopedia
Count Baltzar Bogislaus von Platen (1766–1829) was a Swedish
naval officer and statesman. He was born on the island of Rügen
(now Germany) to Filip Julius Bernhard von Platen, Field Marshal and the Swedish Governor General of Pomerania
, and Regina Juliana von Usedom.
and, in the following year, received a promotion to Rear Admiral. He was also made chairman of the Göta Canal
directorate charged with constructing a canal across Sweden. The canal would only be completed in 1832, after von Platen's death, but during its construction, he did discover two skilled mechanical engineering brothers John Ericsson
and Nils Ericson
.
in 1815. He was appointed Governor of Norway on 26 November 1827, a position which he held until his death in Christiania
, the Norwegian
capital, on 6 December 1829.
, where it is something of a tourist attraction, especially for canal visitors.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
naval officer and statesman. He was born on the island of Rügen
Rügen
Rügen is Germany's largest island. Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.- Geography :Rügen is located off the north-eastern coast of Germany in the Baltic Sea...
(now Germany) to Filip Julius Bernhard von Platen, Field Marshal and the Swedish Governor General of Pomerania
Swedish Pomerania
Swedish Pomerania was a Dominion under the Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815, situated on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War, Sweden held extensive control over the lands on the southern Baltic coast, including Pomerania and parts...
, and Regina Juliana von Usedom.
Swedish Navy
At age 13 Baltzar entered the Royal Swedish Navy where he served with distinction until resigning in 1800, having attained the rank of Captain.Göta Canal
Following the revolution in 1809 he became a member GovernmentPrivy Council of Sweden
The High Council of Sweden or Council of the Realm consisted originally of those men of noble, common and clergical background, that the king saw fit for advisory service...
and, in the following year, received a promotion to Rear Admiral. He was also made chairman of the Göta Canal
Göta Canal
The Göta Canal is a Swedish canal constructed in the early 19th century. It formed the backbone of a waterway stretching some 382 miles , linking a number of lakes and rivers to provide a route from Gothenburg on the west coast to Söderköping on the Baltic Sea via the river Göta älv and the...
directorate charged with constructing a canal across Sweden. The canal would only be completed in 1832, after von Platen's death, but during its construction, he did discover two skilled mechanical engineering brothers John Ericsson
John Ericsson
John Ericsson was a Swedish-American inventor and mechanical engineer, as was his brother Nils Ericson. He was born at Långbanshyttan in Värmland, Sweden, but primarily came to be active in England and the United States...
and Nils Ericson
Nils Ericson
Friherre Nils Ericson was a Swedish mechanical engineer...
.
Honors
He was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesRoyal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
in 1815. He was appointed Governor of Norway on 26 November 1827, a position which he held until his death in Christiania
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
capital, on 6 December 1829.
Burial site
He was married to Hedvig Elisabeth Ekman. Baltzar von Platen's grave is at the side of the Göta Canal in MotalaMotala
Motala is a locality and the seat of Motala Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden with 29,798 inhabitants in 2005. It is the third largest city of Östergötland, following Linköping and Norrköping...
, where it is something of a tourist attraction, especially for canal visitors.