Bartholomæus Deichman

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bartholomæus Deichman

Bartholomæus Deichman , Bartholomæus Pedersen Deichman , (born February 5, 1671 in Copenhagen , † April 16, 1731 in Christiania ) was bishop in Christiania from 1712 to 1730 .

family

His parents were the wine merchant and mayor Peder Deichman (around 1639-1684) and his wife Else Pedersdatter († around 1675). In 1699 he married Else Rosenmeyer (around 1669-1745) daughter of the merchant and landowner Carl Rosenmeyer († 1670) and his wife Anna Pedersdatter († 1679). He had three sons and three daughters.

The time in Denmark

During his youth in Copenhagen he lost his parents early. With the legacy he left, he began studying in 1688, and a few months later he achieved the degree of baccalaureus . This was followed by a study trip to Leipzig and Jena, among others . In 1690 he passed his theological state examination and then traveled to Frankfurt , Leiden and Utrecht, among others . In 1693 he was ordained and a military pastor. In the same year he became a military provost. For three years he was a member of the Danish troops that became King Wilhelm III of England . were seconded in his conflict with France. After 1696 he accompanied Prince Karl on a trip abroad that lasted until 1699. In 1697 he managed to secure the office of pastor in Kolding and then a provost in Odense , before he took up his ministry in Odense in 1699. After a few months he was appointed superintendent in the counties of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst . Before he could take up this office, he became bishop in Viborg on June 12, 1700 and obtained his doctorate in the same year. He stayed there for twelve years before he was appointed bishop in Christiania on September 10, 1712. A year later he moved to Christiania, where he stayed until his death.

The time in Norway

With his experience from Viborg, he began to reorganize his diocese and make it more clearly structured. He introduced registries for all correspondence. Theology took a back seat. He represented orthodoxy without the influence of pietism and the revival movements. Above all, his measures in administration left deep traces in Norwegian church history. He collected a large library with over 15,000 volumes that were auctioned off after his death in 1732. But he was barely able to read because his time was filled with the execution of royal commissions in addition to his ecclesiastical management duties.

The climb

He had good contact with the court in Copenhagen from his time as pastor in the wake of Prince Carl. He was even suspected of having participated in the morganatic marriage of Frederick IV with Anna Sophie von Reventlow in 1712, as he had a good relationship with both of them. The king therefore used him for all sorts of administrative tasks, and he headed a wide variety of commissions that dealt with inheritance disputes, mismanagement, legal problems, disputes over estates, forest properties and other property issues. He took over everything, never refused and at most complained about the amount of work. He couldn't be said to be particularly courageous. Because when the Swedish King Charles XII. Attacked Norway, he applied in Copenhagen to be allowed either to Denmark or Bergen , which was refused. Initially, he was supposed to be based on the royal government department for Norway, which resided in Akershus Castle from 1704–1722 , later the governor Ditlev Vibe exercised Danish government power. Especially in the 1720s, Deichmann was concerned with improving public finances. Initially, he generated income through the sale of crown goods, but then also through the sale of churches with their church goods. He also wanted to sell the parish properties, but that didn't happen.

In 1724 he also wrote a letter to the king, in which he emphasized the special achievements of Norway in the Great Northern War , and in which there are many extreme exaggerations, for example that the population is reduced by at least a third and the wealth of the Norwegians halved have. This strong commitment to Norway, along with many other testimonies, is evidence of the extent to which Danish officials had integrated themselves into Norwegian society and sided with the Norwegian cause as if they were compatriots there.

He tried in vain to create the tax bases for a fairer taxation and was the main initiator of a new real estate register 1723/1724. This also applied to the most important trades, especially those that dropped tariffs. He was a member of forestry commissions and dealt with mining matters, particularly the Kongsberg silver mine , even the royal shelf of pearl fishing. He became the king's most important advisor in the affairs of Norway, which put him in a difficult relationship with the Norwegian governor Ditlev Vibe, because he could exert greater influence on royal decisions than the governor. At that time he was probably the most powerful man in Norway. So he created many opponents. Public opinion about him had already been divided when he left Viborg. A pompous eulogy "Idea episcopi consummatissimi" (picture of a perfect bishop) by the clergyman Magister Tychonius, which appeared in print, was juxtaposed with a poem by the magistrate and poet Tøger Reenberg, who told him about theft, nepotism , ruthlessness, corruption and the Accused of greed and was circulating clandestinely. The resistance in Norway turned out to be when his land register, in which he had put a lot of work, was discontinued. A group at the royal court around Chief War Secretary Christian Carl Gabel prevented this. He was also unable to enforce many other things against this resistance, but nevertheless retained the king's favor. On December 1, 1724, he became a conference councilor, an unusual title for a bishop, but which showed that he was perceived more as a secular public servant than a bishop. This became evident when he was appointed the central figure in the "Secret Commission" which, from 1725 to 1726, investigated the rumors of corruption and betrayal among the royal servants, which he himself had probably raised and which were primarily directed against his adversaries. Again writings were written against him that accused him of ruthlessness and extortion and, not entirely unjustly, accused him of nepotism on a large scale. But more fundamental things were also discussed. In 1729 the provost Johan Cold published a theological pamphlet in which he condemned a bishop to take part in secular affairs to the extent that Deichmann did.

The case

When Frederick IV died on October 11, 1730, his successor Christian VI suspended . Deichmann without further explanation. He even refused him the year of grace due to him , although he was not convicted of a crime - an arbitrary act. An investigation into his "indecent secular business" has been launched. To the displeasure of his opponents, the investigation did not reveal any irregularities, but it was not completed during his lifetime.

Appreciation

Deichmann had risen to the highest heights of power, and just as deep was his fall. His work in Norway shows the extreme way in which an absolutist king could use his clerical officials for his goals. Deichmann made himself available to the king without reservation, although he also pursued his own interests. An energetic and astute administrator, he made many friends, but also many enemies. Opinion about him was very divided among contemporaries and posterity. As a bishop under absolutism he was first and foremost a servant of the king and supporter of the government and only secondarily a clergyman with church and pastoral functions.

References and comments

The article is essentially based on the Norsk biografisk leksikon . Other information is shown separately.

  1. ↑ The town bailiff (byfut) was a notary (notarius publicus) who had to certify certain documents.
  2. ↑ a b E. Holm: Deichmann, Bartholomæus . In: Carl Frederik Bricka (Ed.): Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Tillige omfattende Norge for Tidsrummet 1537-1814. 1st edition. tape 4 : Clemens – Eynden . Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag, Copenhagen 1890, p. 237 (Danish, runeberg.org ).
  3. ^ E. Holm: Deichmann, Bartholomæus . In: Carl Frederik Bricka (Ed.): Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Tillige omfattende Norge for Tidsrummet 1537-1814. 1st edition. tape 4 : Clemens – Eynden . Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag, Copenhagen 1890, p. 232 (Danish, runeberg.org ).
  4. ↑ Karl was a son of Christian V (1680–1729).
  5. ↑ a b E. Holm: Deichmann, Bartholomæus . In: Carl Frederik Bricka (Ed.): Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Tillige omfattende Norge for Tidsrummet 1537-1814. 1st edition. tape 4 : Clemens – Eynden . Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag, Copenhagen 1890, p. 233 (Danish, runeberg.org ).
  6. ↑ a b E. Holm: Deichmann, Bartholomæus . In: Carl Frederik Bricka (Ed.): Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Tillige omfattende Norge for Tidsrummet 1537-1814. 1st edition. tape 4 : Clemens – Eynden . Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag, Copenhagen 1890, p. 234 (Danish, runeberg.org ).
  7. ↑ a b c E. Holm: Deichmann, Bartholomæus . In: Carl Frederik Bricka (Ed.): Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Tillige omfattende Norge for Tidsrummet 1537-1814. 1st edition. tape 4 : Clemens – Eynden . Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag, Copenhagen 1890, p. 235 (Danish, runeberg.org ).
  8. ↑ He wanted to introduce the hard grain calculation common in Denmark for agriculture , but failed because of the seemingly complicated implementation of such a plan in Norway. E. Holm: Deichmann, Bartholomæus . In: Carl Frederik Bricka (Ed.): Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Tillige omfattende Norge for Tidsrummet 1537-1814. 1st edition. tape 4 : Clemens – Eynden . Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag, Copenhagen 1890, p. 235 (Danish, runeberg.org ).
  9. ↑ This related to the suspicion that he had incorporated books into his own library that he had borrowed from the clergymen of his pen. E. Holm: Deichmann, Bartholomæus . In: Carl Frederik Bricka (Ed.): Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Tillige omfattende Norge for Tidsrummet 1537-1814. 1st edition. tape 4 : Clemens – Eynden . Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag, Copenhagen 1890, p. 233 (Danish, runeberg.org ).
  10. ↑ In 1678 the Upper War Secretary replaced the War College. He presented the affairs of the military directly to the king.
  11. ^ "Conference Councilor" was an honorary title awarded by the king, which placed the bearer in the 2nd class at court.
  12. ↑ His son-in-law Jacob Rasch became rector of Christiania with a significantly higher salary, another son-in-law Peter Matthias Tanche was promised the diocese of Trondheim after its completion, a nephew received the office of district judge in Zealand and his youngest son became an infantry captain. E. Holm: Deichmann, Bartholomæus . In: Carl Frederik Bricka (Ed.): Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Tillige omfattende Norge for Tidsrummet 1537-1814. 1st edition. tape 4 : Clemens – Eynden . Gyldendalske Boghandels Forlag, Copenhagen 1890, p. 234 (Danish, runeberg.org ).

literature

personal data
SURNAME Bartholomæus Deichman
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bartholomæus Pedersen Deichman
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Danish-Norwegian Bishop of Oslo
DATE OF BIRTH February 5, 1671
PLACE OF BIRTH Copenhagen
DATE OF DEATH April 16, 1731
Place of death Oslo