Axel Arenfeldt

Axel Arenfeldt (26 November 1590 - 4 October 1647) was a Danish government official and landowner. He served as Treasurer (rentemester) in 1623–27 and also as War Commissioner during the Thirty Years' War in 1626–27. He was on several occasions also used as a diplomatic messenger. He owned Basnæs at Skælskør from 1625 to 1647 and was lensmann of first Giske (1623–43) and then Stjernholm (1643–46) in Norway.

Axel Arenfeldt
Born(1590-11-26)26 November 1590
Died4 November 1647(1647-11-04) (aged 56)
Basnæs, Denmark
NationalityDanish
OccupationLandowner
AwardsKnight of the Order of the Dannebrog, 1634

Early life and education

Arenfeldt was the son of Hans Axelsen Arenfeldt of Rugård (died 1611) and Anne Jørgensdatter Marsvin (1569–1610) and the brother of Mogens Arenfeldt. He studied in Tübingen (1607), Giesen (1608) and Siena (1614).[1]

Career

Arenfeldt was secretary of Danish Chancellery in 1615–23. In 1620, on behalf of the king, he was prosecutor in the trial against Christoffer Dybvad. He served as Treasurer (rentemester) in 1623–27 and also as War Commissioner in connection with the king's involvement in the Thirty Years' War in 1626–27. He was on several occasions also used as a diplomatic messenger, for instance to Spain in 1621, Sweden in 1624, and the Netherlands in 1630. In 1634, he was created a Knight in the Order of the Dannebrog. In 1643, he was a tax commissioner in Jutland.[1]

Property

Arenfeldt was in 1623–43 lensmann of Giske and in 1643–46 of Stjernholm in Norway. During the war with Sweden he was for a while imprisoned by the Swedish troops. In the mid-1720s, he purchased Basnæs at Skælskør in Denmark. He constructed a lavish new main building and was in general known for his luxurious and wasteful lifestyle.[2]

Personal life

Arenfeldt married Marie Margrethe Ulfeldt (1619-1694), a daughter of Jakob Ulfeldt (1567–1630) and Birgitte Brockenhuus (1580–1656), on 13 April 1634 in Odense. He was the father of Jørgen Arenfeldt.[1]

He was not particularly popular and was frequently involved in disputes with his neighbours. Rumour had it that he was quilty of embezzlement during his years as a war commissioner.

He died on 4 October 1647 at Basnæs and is buried at St. Peter's Church in Næstved.

References
  1. "Axel Arenfeldt". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (in Danish). Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  2. "Basnæs". danskeherregaarde.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 23 September 2019.
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