Henrik Bjelke

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The Norwegian Henrik Bjelke was Denmark's last Imperial Admiral in 1657 / 62–1679 / 83

Henrik Bjelke (born January 13, 1615 in Eligaard , Østfold , Norway ; † March 16, 1683 in Copenhagen ) was a Norwegian admiral, naval politician and imperial councilor in the Danish-Norwegian service.

Life

Henrik was the son of Norwegian Chancellor Jens Bjelke (1580-1659) and the younger brother of Ove Bjelke (1604 / 11-1674 / 79), who was also the (last) Norwegian Chancellor. Henrik's younger brother Jørgen Bjelke (1621–1697) was a Danish general and councilor. The Vice Admiral Christian Bjelke (1645-1694) was Henrik's son-in-law and distant relative of a branch line.

At the age of 18, Henrik Bjelke went on an educational trip abroad, studied in Padua and received military training in Holland under Friedrich Heinrich von Orange . During the Torstensson War in 1644 he fought as a flag officer at the side of his king Christian IV. Both in the naval battle on the Kolberger Heide and in the subsequent naval battle near Fehmarn and served in Norway as captain or colonel under Hannibal Sehested. Until 1648 he fought as a volunteer under Peter Melander von Holzappel in Germany against the Swedes, then he was taken over by the Danish King Friedrich III. Raised a Knight of the Elephant Order and took over the post of Abbey Bailiff over Iceland . Despite his military training and experience, he joined the Danish Navy in 1650, was squadron commander in 1653 and in 1657 he was the successor of Reichsvizeadmiral Niels Trolle , who went to Norway as governor. Third most important man in the Navy was Holmadmiral Niels Juel .

As the new Reichsvizeadmiral (Rigsviceadmiral) Bjelke commanded together with Juel and the Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter the Danish fleet during a renewed war against Sweden 1657-1660, since Reichsadmiral Ove Gjedde was captured by Sweden . Bjelke took part in the sea ​​battle in Öresund , fought with varying degrees of luck against the Swedish admiral Clas Bjelkenstjerna and excelled at Falsterbo , Rödsand and in the battle for Funen.

After Gjedde's death and Friedrich's absolutist overthrow in 1660, Bjelke, who was loyal to the king, became President of the Admiralty College, Reichsrat and in 1662 finally Reichsadmiral himself. In 1665 he was even under discussion as a possible Chancellor. From then on Bjelke devoted himself to the reconstruction and rebuilding of the navy, which had been defeated in 1658/1660, but the actual supreme command of the fleet was initially taken over by the Vice-President of the Admiralty College, Cort Adeler , who was also from Norway and appointed General Admiral, and from 1676 the Dutch General Admiral Cornelis Tromp . Bjelke was still in charge of planning during the War of Gentiles , but no longer had any operational command himself. Juel and Tromp became heroes of the war, and Bjelke resigned at the end of the war in 1679 due to his now advanced age. The post of Reichsadmiral, which had become meaningless, was abolished after his death.

Henrik Bjelke had already married the Danish noblewoman Edel Christoffersdatter Ulfeldt (1630–1676) in 1649, with her he had two sons who fell on the French side at the beginning of the 18th century during the War of the Spanish Succession . His daughter Sophie Marie (1657–1686) married Vice Admiral Christian Bjelke in 1680; after her death Christian Bjelke married a daughter of Admiral Niels Juel.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Bjelke, Henrik
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bielke, Henrik
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Danish-Norwegian admiral
DATE OF BIRTH January 13, 1615
PLACE OF BIRTH Eligaard , Østfold , Norway
DATE OF DEATH March 16, 1683
Place of death Copenhagen