Christopher de Paus
Encyclopedia
Christopher Tostrup Paus, from 1923 The Count of Paus, usually known as Christopher Paus (10 September 1862 – 10 September 1943) was a Norwegian
land owner, papal chamberlain and count, known as philanthropist
, art collector and socialite
in the late 19th and early 20th century. He gave large donations to museums in Scandinavia and to the Catholic Church.
A convert from Lutheranism
to Roman Catholicism, he was appointed a Privy Chamberlain of the Sword and Cape
(Cameriere Segreto di Spada e Cappa) by Pope Benedict XV
in 1922, and was conferred the title of count
(sometimes known as Roman count) by Pope Pius XI
on 25 May 1923. He bought the estate Narverød near Tønsberg
(Norway) in 1892, the estate Trystorp with château in Lekeberg
(Sweden) in 1914, and the estate Herresta
outside Mariefred
(Sweden) in 1923. He lived most of his life in Rome, Sweden and Denmark. Christopher Paus owned the largest collection of Greek and Roman art in Scandinavia, and donated this collection to the National Gallery of Norway
in 1918. A member of Paus
family, he was the son of Major and War Commissioner Johan Altenborg Paus (1833-1894) og Agnes Tostrup (died 1863). He inherited a fortune from his mother's family, who had been one of the owners of Tostrup & Mathiesen, one of the giants in Norwegian lumber
industry in the 19th century. The company had been one of Norway's largest, and eventually established its headquarter in Paris
. As his uncles were childless, he was the main heir to his family's shares, which he sold to the Mathiesen family in the 1890s; the company was since renamed Mathiesen Eidsvold Værk
. His maternal grandfather had also owned the estate Kjellestad in Stathelle
.
The playwright Henrik Ibsen
was his father's first cousin. He was the great-grandson of ship-owner and landowner Ole Paus (1776–1855). His grandfather, lawyer and judge Henrik Johan Paus, grew up with his uncle and aunt Johan Andreas Altenburg and Hedvig Paus, Henrik Ibsen's grandparents. As a young man, Christopher Paus would visit the then-famous Henrik Ibsen in Rome, where he lived. His great-grandfather Christian Lintrup was one of the pioneers of the medical profession in Norway.
He was born in Christiania in Norway, and died in Skodsborg in Denmark. It was held a mass for him, as a member of the Papal Court
, in the Pope's private chapel on 14 September 1943 with Pope Pius XII
in attendance.
His comital title was hereditary (agnatic primogeniture
); however, he was childless. He bequeathed much of his estate to his distant relative Herman Paus, who had married Countess Tatyana Tolstoy, a granddaughter of Leo Tolstoy
; their descendants still own Herresta
and other Swedish estates.
Scandinavian orders of knighthood
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...
land owner, papal chamberlain and count, known as philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, art collector and socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
in the late 19th and early 20th century. He gave large donations to museums in Scandinavia and to the Catholic Church.
A convert from Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
to Roman Catholicism, he was appointed a Privy Chamberlain of the Sword and Cape
Papal chamberlain
Papal chamberlain was one of the highest honours that could be bestowed on a Catholic layman by the Pope, and was often given to members of noble families. It was mostly an honorary position, but a chamberlain served the Pope for one week per year during official ceremonies...
(Cameriere Segreto di Spada e Cappa) by Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
in 1922, and was conferred the title of count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
(sometimes known as Roman count) by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
on 25 May 1923. He bought the estate Narverød near Tønsberg
Tønsberg
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, southern Norway, located around north-east of Sandefjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tønsberg....
(Norway) in 1892, the estate Trystorp with château in Lekeberg
Lekeberg Municipality
Lekeberg Municipality is a municipality in Örebro County in central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Fjugesta, with around 2,000 inhabitants....
(Sweden) in 1914, and the estate Herresta
Herresta
Herresta is a large estate in Södermanland County in Sweden, located outside Mariefred. It has been in the possession of the Paus family since 1923....
outside Mariefred
Mariefred
Mariefred is a locality situated in Strängnäs Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 3,813 inhabitants in 2005.The name is derived from that of the former Carthusian monastery here, Mariefred Charterhouse, and means "Peace of Mary"...
(Sweden) in 1923. He lived most of his life in Rome, Sweden and Denmark. Christopher Paus owned the largest collection of Greek and Roman art in Scandinavia, and donated this collection to the National Gallery of Norway
National Gallery of Norway
The National Gallery of Norway is a gallery in Oslo, Norway. Since 2003 it is administratively a part of the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design.-History:...
in 1918. A member of Paus
Paus
Paus is a Norwegian and Swedish family of clergymen, civil servants, merchants, industrialists and land-owners, among others, traceable back to the late 15th century and a man named Oluf...
family, he was the son of Major and War Commissioner Johan Altenborg Paus (1833-1894) og Agnes Tostrup (died 1863). He inherited a fortune from his mother's family, who had been one of the owners of Tostrup & Mathiesen, one of the giants in Norwegian lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
industry in the 19th century. The company had been one of Norway's largest, and eventually established its headquarter in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. As his uncles were childless, he was the main heir to his family's shares, which he sold to the Mathiesen family in the 1890s; the company was since renamed Mathiesen Eidsvold Værk
Mathiesen Eidsvold Værk
Mathiesen Eidsvold Værk ANS is a Norwegian industrial company, owned by the Mathiesen industrial family, and historically one of the largest timber companies of Norway, and arguably Europe....
. His maternal grandfather had also owned the estate Kjellestad in Stathelle
Stathelle
is a town in Norway in the municipality of Bamble in the county of Telemark, Norway.-History:Stathelle was a former municipality in Telemark. It was separated from Bamble as a municipality of its own in 1851. In 1964, the municipalities of Stathelle and Langesund merged with Bamble municipality...
.
The playwright Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
was his father's first cousin. He was the great-grandson of ship-owner and landowner Ole Paus (1776–1855). His grandfather, lawyer and judge Henrik Johan Paus, grew up with his uncle and aunt Johan Andreas Altenburg and Hedvig Paus, Henrik Ibsen's grandparents. As a young man, Christopher Paus would visit the then-famous Henrik Ibsen in Rome, where he lived. His great-grandfather Christian Lintrup was one of the pioneers of the medical profession in Norway.
Papal court
The Papal Household or Pontifical Household , called until 1968 the Papal Court , consists of dignitaries who assist the Pope in carrying out particular ceremonies of either a religious or a civil character....
, in the Pope's private chapel on 14 September 1943 with Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
in attendance.
His comital title was hereditary (agnatic primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
); however, he was childless. He bequeathed much of his estate to his distant relative Herman Paus, who had married Countess Tatyana Tolstoy, a granddaughter of Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
; their descendants still own Herresta
Herresta
Herresta is a large estate in Södermanland County in Sweden, located outside Mariefred. It has been in the possession of the Paus family since 1923....
and other Swedish estates.
Titles
- 10 September 1862 – 25 May 1923: Christopher Tostrup Paus
- 25 May 1923 – 10 September 1943: The Count of Paus
Honours
Papal and Catholic honours- Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
- Knight of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint GeorgeSacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint GeorgeThe Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is a Roman Catholic order of chivalry. It was fictively established by Constantine the Great, though in reality it was founded between 1520 and 1545 by two brothers of the Angeli Comneni family. Members of the Angeli Comneni family remained...
- Knight Commander with Star of the Order of St. Gregory the GreatOrder of St. Gregory the GreatThe Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great , was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.It is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See...
- Knight Commander with star of the Order of the Holy SepulchreOrder of the Holy SepulchreThe Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem is a Roman Catholic order of knighthood under the protection of the pope. It traces its roots to Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, principal leader of the First Crusade...
- Gentleman of the Chamber
Scandinavian orders of knighthood
- Commander of the Order of St. Olav
- Commander of the Order of the DannebrogOrder of the DannebrogThe Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...