Frederik Gottschalck von Haxthausen

Frederik Gottschalck von Haxthausen (1750 in Copenhagen, Denmark – 1825 in Christiania) was a Norwegian councillor of government and councillor of state, 1st Ministry (finance and taxes) in 1814, as well as first minister.

Haxthausen came to Norway in 1779 and became in charge of Oppland Regiment until 1768 when he was appointed major general and given the command of Fredriksten fortress. He became in charge of the Norwegian war academy in 1802. during the years 1803–1810 he stayed in Denmark as head of the war commissariate, but retained nonetheless all of his Norwegian posts and was even promoted to general and the commander at Akershus fortress in 1806, a post which he held until 1814. Haxthausen held a major influence over King Christian after the king had arrived in Norway in 1813, and on 2 March 1814 he became Finance Minister in Norway's first government cabinet.

During the Swedish campaign against Norway in 1814 he was wrongly accused of being a traitor, and on 19 August, 5 days after the Convention of Moss, his house and garden was attacked by a mob. Haxthausen had to flee the town and withdrew from all his positions. In 1815 an impeachment process cleared him.

After 1814, the Akershus fortress went out of operative military use, so that Haxthausen was the last operative commander of the fortress.

In 1879, a street of Oslo in the Frogner area close to his home was named after Haxthausen.

ources

* "Aschehougs konversasjonsleksikon", Vol. 9, Oslo (1957), H.Aschehoug & co.
* "Oslo byleksikon"