Conrad von Reventlow
Encyclopedia
Conrad von Reventlow was the first Prime Minister
of Denmark
(then officially titled as the "Grand Chancellor") from 1699 until his death. His Chancellorship occurred during the reign of Frederick IV
.
n warfare of the day. In 1685, Reventlow used his influence as a councilor to the Court on behalf of privateer Benjamin Raule, to promote the Danish acquisition of the island of St. Thomas
in the West Indies. In 1700, Reventlow was deeply involved in negotiations for peace with Sweden
during that country's naval blockade of Copenhagen
, an early event in the Great Northern War
. Both France
and the United Kingdom
dealt extensively with Reventlow in their efforts to pressure Denmark to declare peace, in order to prevent a wider war from spreading into Europe.
His sarcophagus
in the Schleswig Cathedral
(Schleswiger Dom) was designed by the renowned sculptor Thomas Quellinus
. Reventlow's daughter, Anna Sophie
, later married Frederick IV, and became the first Queen of Denmark not to have been born a princess. His other daughter Christine Sophie
became an influential consultant of the royal couple. His son, Christian Detlev Reventlow
, was also successful in politics. He was succeeded as Grand Chancellor by Christian Christophersen Sehested
.
Prime Minister of Denmark
The Prime Minister of Denmark is the head of government in Danish politics. The Prime Minister is traditionally the leader of a political coalition in the Folketing and presides over the cabinet....
of 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...
(then officially titled as the "Grand Chancellor") from 1699 until his death. His Chancellorship occurred during the reign of Frederick IV
Frederick IV of Denmark
Frederick IV was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1699 until his death. Frederick was the son of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel .-Foreign affairs:...
.
Biography
After attending University, Reventlow was called to the Danish Court in 1665, where he rose through various positions of responsibility. In the 1670s, he became a Colonel in the Danish military. He recruited a regiment and distinguished himself in the prevailing intra-ScandinaviaScandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n warfare of the day. In 1685, Reventlow used his influence as a councilor to the Court on behalf of privateer Benjamin Raule, to promote the Danish acquisition of the island of St. Thomas
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
in the West Indies. In 1700, Reventlow was deeply involved in negotiations for peace with Sweden
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....
during that country's naval blockade of 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...
, an early event in the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
. Both France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
dealt extensively with Reventlow in their efforts to pressure Denmark to declare peace, in order to prevent a wider war from spreading into Europe.
His sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
in the Schleswig Cathedral
Schleswig Cathedral
Schleswig Cathedral , officially the Cathedral of St. Peter at Schleswig , is the main church of Schleswig and was the cathedral of the Bishop of Schleswig until the diocese was dissolved in 1624...
(Schleswiger Dom) was designed by the renowned sculptor Thomas Quellinus
Thomas Quellinus
Thomas Quellinus , also known, especially in Denmark, as Thomas Qvellinus, was a Flemish baroque sculptor who worked mainly in Copenhagen, Denmark...
. Reventlow's daughter, Anna Sophie
Anne Sophie Reventlow
Anne Sophie Reventlow was a Danish noble, royal mistress, spouse by bigamy and, later, queen consort of Denmark and Norway 1721–30, the second spouse of king Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway....
, later married Frederick IV, and became the first Queen of Denmark not to have been born a princess. His other daughter Christine Sophie
Christine Sophie Holstein
Christine Sophie Holstein was a politically influential Danish salon hostess.Daughter to Count Conrad von Reventlow , Danish Grand Chancellor , and Anna Margrethe Gabel , she married Count Niels Friis in 1688 and statesman count Count Ulrik Adolph von Holstein in 1700, and belonged to the highest...
became an influential consultant of the royal couple. His son, Christian Detlev Reventlow
Christian Detlev Reventlow
Christian Detlev, Count von Reventlow was a Danish diplomat and military leader.He was the son of Conrad, Count Reventlow, chancellor of Denmark and brother of Anne Sophie Reventlow, queen consort of Denmark after her marriage to Frederick IV of Denmark. Father of Louise Stolberg.Christian was...
, was also successful in politics. He was succeeded as Grand Chancellor by Christian Christophersen Sehested
Christian Christophersen Sehested
Christian Christophersen Sehested was the second Prime Minister of Denmark from 1708 to 1721. He was preceded by Conrad, greve von Reventlow and succeeded by Ulrik Adolf....
.
Ancestry
Additional sources
- Jirí Louda and Michael MacLagan, Lines of Succession: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe, 2nd edition (London, U.K.: Little, Brown and Company, 1999), table 19.