Carl Fredrik Ehrensvärd
Encyclopedia
Carl Fredrik Ehrensvärd (January 7, 1767 – 1815) was a Swedish
Freiherr, soldier, farmer and political writer who was convicted of involvement in the murder of Gustav III
in 1792 and sentenced to death. The sentence was later changed by the supreme court
and his life was spared on the condition that he left the country for good. He was stripped of his status as Freiherr and his civil rights were revoked. Following his forced departure from Sweden, he eventually settled in Denmark
where he met the author and mother of Johan Ludvig Heiberg
, Thomasine Christine Gyllembourg-Ehrensvärd
whom he married.
for Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
and eventually rose to the rank of first lieutenant
in the artillery
. This branch of the army contained some of the most dedicated opponents of Gustav III and his dissatifaction with the king, which had started when he was employed as a page, increased.
Following his expulsion from Sweden he initially went to Germany, where he planned to seek employment with the French army but the revolution
made this impossible and after a short time as a farmer in Holstein
he decided to move to Denmark.
, husband of Thomasine Christine Heiberg, born Buntzen. He also assumed his mother's maiden name Gyllembourg. In 1801 Buntzen divorced Heiberg and married Ehrensvärd, thus changing her last name to Gyllembourg-Ehrensvärd. The couple eventually settled in Copenhagen
and Ehrensvärd continued to pursue his interest in politics and agriculture by writing books and papers. Among these were a paper consisting of remarks and suggestions for a Norwegian
constitution
. Norway had entered into a union with Sweden in 1814 and his paper was anonymously incorporated into the proceedings of the Norwegian rigsforsamling.
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....
Freiherr, soldier, farmer and political writer who was convicted of involvement in the murder of Gustav III
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
in 1792 and sentenced to death. The sentence was later changed by the supreme court
Supreme Court of Sweden
The Supreme Court of Sweden is the supreme court and the third and final instance in all civil and criminal cases in Sweden. Before a case can be decided by the Supreme Court, leave to appeal must be obtained, and with few exceptions, leave to appeal can be granted only when the case is of...
and his life was spared on the condition that he left the country for good. He was stripped of his status as Freiherr and his civil rights were revoked. Following his forced departure from Sweden, he eventually settled in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
where he met the author and mother of Johan Ludvig Heiberg
Johan Ludvig Heiberg
Johan Ludvig Heiberg may refer to:* Johan Ludvig Heiberg , Danish poet and dramatist, husband of Johanne Luise Heiberg* Johan Ludvig Heiberg , Danish philologist and historian of mathematics...
, Thomasine Christine Gyllembourg-Ehrensvärd
Thomasine Christine Gyllembourg-Ehrensvärd
Baroness Thomasine Christine Gyllembourg-Ehrensvärd was a Danish author, born in Copenhagen. Her maiden name was Buntzen....
whom he married.
Early life
Ehrensvärd joined the military at an early age. He received his first military training in the royal guard, working as a pagePage (servant)
A page or page boy is a traditionally young male servant, a messenger at the service of a nobleman or royal.-The medieval page:In medieval times, a page was an attendant to a knight; an apprentice squire...
for Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
Louisa Ulrika of Prussia was Queen of Sweden between 1751 and 1771 as the spouse of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden, and queen mother during the reign of King Gustav III of Sweden.-Background:...
and eventually rose to the rank of first lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
. This branch of the army contained some of the most dedicated opponents of Gustav III and his dissatifaction with the king, which had started when he was employed as a page, increased.
Murder of Gustav III and time in Germany
In 1792 he had become involved in a plot to murder the king. His role in the plot, which was successful, first resulted in a death sentence but was later deemed too minor to justify a death sentence and was changed by the supreme court. Instead, his civil rights were revoked, effectively making him an outlaw, his title was revoked and he was expelled from Sweden for good.Following his expulsion from Sweden he initially went to Germany, where he planned to seek employment with the French army but the revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
made this impossible and after a short time as a farmer in Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
he decided to move to Denmark.
Life in Denmark
When Ehrensvärd decided to settle in Denmark he became friends with several authors who shared his liberal political views. Among these were Peter Andreas HeibergPeter Andreas Heiberg
Peter Andreas Heiberg was a Danish author and philologist. He was born in Vordingborg, Denmark. The Heiberg ancestry can be traced back to Norway, and has produced a long line of priests, headmasters and other learned men...
, husband of Thomasine Christine Heiberg, born Buntzen. He also assumed his mother's maiden name Gyllembourg. In 1801 Buntzen divorced Heiberg and married Ehrensvärd, thus changing her last name to Gyllembourg-Ehrensvärd. The couple eventually settled in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and Ehrensvärd continued to pursue his interest in politics and agriculture by writing books and papers. Among these were a paper consisting of remarks and suggestions for a 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...
constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
. Norway had entered into a union with Sweden in 1814 and his paper was anonymously incorporated into the proceedings of the Norwegian rigsforsamling.
Selected writings
- Den huslige lyksalighed, grund til den borgerlige (1798)
- Forsøg til landbrugs-bogholderi (1808)
- Bemerkninger og forslag med hensyn til en constitution for Norge (1814)
- Nogle forsøg med cerealier (1815)
Further reading
Tyrannmördaren C. F. Ehrensvärd. Samhällssyn och politiskt testamente (Tyrant murderer C. F. Ehrensvärd, view of society and political testament), Lolo Krusius-Ahrenberg, 1947See also
- Jacob Johan AnckarströmJacob Johan AnckarströmJacob Johan Anckarström was a Swedish military officer who was convicted and executed for regicide. He was the son of Jacob Johan Anckarström the Elder. He served as a captain in King Gustav III's regiment between 1778 and 1783...