Christian Jensen Lofthuus
Encyclopedia
Christian Jensen Lofthuus (Kristian Jenssøn Lofthus) (15 May 1750 - 13 June 1797) was a prominent farmer from Risør
, Norway
. Between 1786-87, he led a large peasant revolt in Norway which became known as the Lofthusreisingen.
in Aust-Agder
county, Norway. He was the son of an unwed mother from a local farming family and a father of higher social status. He started life as a farmer on the Lofthus farm in Vestre Moland
just outside Lillesand
. He soon also had interests in a sawmill and engaged in shipping and trade. He had traveled as a skipper to both Denmark
and Great Britain
. Later, being tried and ruined for violating trade restrictions, he became outspoken against the social differences he saw at the root of his problems. He soon became a leader to the local farmers.
In June 1786, he presented a written complaint to Crown Prince Frederik
who was then Regent of Denmark. At that time, Lofthus had been selected by the village as an envoy with a list of complainants on behalf of the common people the community. Most of the complaints concerned large demands for payment for official business. It was also complained that officials demanded overly high taxes. Moreover, the farmers wanted a repeal of the Danish grain monopoly and a freer timber trade.
Lofthus had an audience with the crown prince twice in June and July 1786, and by his own account he had virtually been given a royal mandate to return home to document the complaints. During the early years of Frederick's regentship, he gave his support to liberal reforms many of which included farm measures. When Lofthus returned to Risør, he claimed to have succeeded with his demands. He repeated this several times, each time with more signatures on the complaints and petitions. When an attempt to arrest him failed, armed peasants rose on 2 October 1786, forcing local officials to grant immunity to Lofthus.
What followed was a back-and-forth of threats of armed conflict, localized armed uprisings, official investigations (confirming several of the complaints made by Lofthus) and the eventual arrest of Lofthus in March 1787. Enevold Falsen (1755–1808), a noted attorney and father of the future Norwegian constitutional writer Christian Magnus Falsen
, defended Lofthus in the ensuing trial. However, in 1792 Lofthus received penal servitude for life. He died of a stroke after ten years of captivity in Akershus Fortress
in Christiania
.
. The Norwegian leftist movement at the time regarded him as a martyr
for the Norwegian cause. Henrik Wergeland
later wrote passionately of how Lofthus was betrayed by the government (Almuestalsmanden Christian Jensen Lofthuus and sundry-Urolighederne in 1786 and 87 in Nedenes County in Christian Sand Post No. 82-142/1842). In 1914, a memorial stone with inscription was erected to Lofthus on his farm in Vestre Moland. In 2002, a monument by Norwegian artist Gunn Harbitz was raised by the harbour in Lillesand.
Risør
is a city and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. The city belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet. It is a popular tourist place. The surrounding area includes many small lakes and hills, and is known for its beautiful coastline as well....
, Norway
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...
. Between 1786-87, he led a large peasant revolt in Norway which became known as the Lofthusreisingen.
Biography
Lofthus was born in RisørRisør
is a city and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. The city belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet. It is a popular tourist place. The surrounding area includes many small lakes and hills, and is known for its beautiful coastline as well....
in Aust-Agder
Aust-Agder
is a county in Norway, bordering Telemark, Rogaland, and Vest-Agder. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which is 2.2% of the total population in Norway. Its area is . The administrative center of the county is in Arendal....
county, Norway. He was the son of an unwed mother from a local farming family and a father of higher social status. He started life as a farmer on the Lofthus farm in Vestre Moland
Vestre Moland
Vestre Moland is a former municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is part of the present-day municipality of Lillesand in the Sørlandet region. Villages in Vestre Moland include Brekkestø and Justøy...
just outside Lillesand
Lillesand
is a town and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Lillesand.-General information:...
. He soon also had interests in a sawmill and engaged in shipping and trade. He had traveled as a skipper to both 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...
and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Later, being tried and ruined for violating trade restrictions, he became outspoken against the social differences he saw at the root of his problems. He soon became a leader to the local farmers.
In June 1786, he presented a written complaint to Crown Prince Frederik
Frederick VI of Denmark
Frederick VI reigned as King of Denmark , and as king of Norway .-Regent of Denmark:Frederick's parents were King Christian VII and Caroline Matilda of Wales...
who was then Regent of Denmark. At that time, Lofthus had been selected by the village as an envoy with a list of complainants on behalf of the common people the community. Most of the complaints concerned large demands for payment for official business. It was also complained that officials demanded overly high taxes. Moreover, the farmers wanted a repeal of the Danish grain monopoly and a freer timber trade.
Lofthus had an audience with the crown prince twice in June and July 1786, and by his own account he had virtually been given a royal mandate to return home to document the complaints. During the early years of Frederick's regentship, he gave his support to liberal reforms many of which included farm measures. When Lofthus returned to Risør, he claimed to have succeeded with his demands. He repeated this several times, each time with more signatures on the complaints and petitions. When an attempt to arrest him failed, armed peasants rose on 2 October 1786, forcing local officials to grant immunity to Lofthus.
What followed was a back-and-forth of threats of armed conflict, localized armed uprisings, official investigations (confirming several of the complaints made by Lofthus) and the eventual arrest of Lofthus in March 1787. Enevold Falsen (1755–1808), a noted attorney and father of the future Norwegian constitutional writer Christian Magnus Falsen
Christian Magnus Falsen
Christian Magnus Falsen was a Norwegian constitutional father, statesman, jurist, and historian. He was an important member of the constitutional assembly and was one of the writers of the constitutional laws....
, defended Lofthus in the ensuing trial. However, in 1792 Lofthus received penal servitude for life. He died of a stroke after ten years of captivity in Akershus Fortress
Akershus Fortress
Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo, the capital of Norway. It has also been used as a prison.- Construction :...
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...
.
Legacy
Lofthus became inspirational for the national struggle for independence leading up the events of 1814 in Norway1814 in Norway
- Overview :1814 has historically been considered the most important year in the history of Norway. Sovereignty was transferred from the King of Denmark to the King of Sweden. The Constitution of Norway was signed at Eidsvoll on May 17, later to be designated and celebrated as Norwegian...
. The Norwegian leftist movement at the time regarded him as a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
for the Norwegian cause. Henrik Wergeland
Henrik Wergeland
Henrik Arnold Thaulow Wergeland was a Norwegian writer, most celebrated for his poetry but also a prolific playwright, polemicist, historian, and linguist...
later wrote passionately of how Lofthus was betrayed by the government (Almuestalsmanden Christian Jensen Lofthuus and sundry-Urolighederne in 1786 and 87 in Nedenes County in Christian Sand Post No. 82-142/1842). In 1914, a memorial stone with inscription was erected to Lofthus on his farm in Vestre Moland. In 2002, a monument by Norwegian artist Gunn Harbitz was raised by the harbour in Lillesand.
Other sources
- Barton, H. Arnold (1986) Scandinavia in the Revolutionary era, 1760-1815 (University of Minnesota Press) ISBN 978-0816613939
- Sætra, Gustav and Johnsen, Berit Eide (1998) Kristian Lofthus og hans tid (Kristiansand: Høgskolen i Agder) ISBN 82-7117-352-9