Herman Fleming

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Herman Fleming

Herman Klasson Fleming af Liebelitz , Finnish Herman Klaunpoika Fleming (born September 17, 1619 in Villnäs , Finland , † September 28, 1673 in Stockholm ) was a Swedish politician. He was the Swedish Governor General of Finland from 1664 to 1669 .

Early years

Herman Fleming was born the son of the Imperial Councilor and Admiral Clas Larsson Fleming (1592–1644) and his wife Anna Göransdotter Snakenborg. He studied at Uppsala University from 1637 to 1640 and began traveling abroad from 1640. Among other things, he stayed in Amsterdam for two years . There he acquired a thorough knowledge of nautical science and shipbuilding . He was also enrolled as a student at the University of Leiden and traveled to Brabant , Flanders , France and Italy .

Military career

After the outbreak of war against Denmark in 1643, his father called him back to Sweden. In 1644, Herman Fleming became the commander of the Regina warship . In the same year he had to experience how his father was killed in a sea battle near Fehmarn . In 1645 Herman Fleming became an admiralty lieutenant. In 1650 he was appointed Imperial and Admiralty Councilor. At the same time he was appointed governor for Stockholm.

Politician

In 1651 Herman Fleming became a baron . From 1653 to 1660 he was president of the influential Chamber College, Sweden's inner circle of power. From 1654 to 1657 he held the office of governor general over the tributary royal lands on behalf of Queen Christina and her successor. From 1657 until his death he was also appointed judge ( lagman ) for southern Finland.

During this time, Herman Fleming was one of the most important and powerful politicians of his time. In 1655 he became president of the so-called reduction college , which should decide on the confiscation of lent assets and land from the nobility in favor of the crown. Unsurprisingly, he often incurred the wrath of the nobility on the job. Fleming proved to be particularly loyal to Karl X. Gustav (1622–1660, king from 1654) and opposed the high nobility - often with a lot of diplomatic skill and behind the scenes.

In the will of King Charles X. Gustav, Herman Fleming was actually intended as a member of the guardianship government and imperial treasurer. However, the nobility succeeded in annulling these passages at the Diet of 1660, even against the resistance of the other estates. Fleming bitterly withdrew from politics.

Finland

In 1664 he was elected Governor General for Finland in a gesture of reconciliation. However, these plans were thwarted again, so that another candidate, Carl Mauritz Lewenhaupt (1620–1666), was ultimately preferred. When Lewenhaupt renounced the election shortly afterwards, Fleming was given the office. He held it until 1669.

Private life

On May 15, 1645, Herman Fleming married Kristina Fritzdotter Rosladin (1628–1676). The couple probably had twelve children: Christina (1640–1705), Anna (* 1646), Elena Christina (* 1647/48), Klas (1649–1685), Fredrik (1652–1677), Herman (1654–1718), Magnus (* 1655), Carl Gustaf (* 1661/62), Gertrud (1665–1673) and Brita (* 1672) as well as two other children in 1663 and 1664 whose names have not been passed down.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Fleming, Herman
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Liebelitz, Herman Klasson Fleming af (full name); Fleming, Herman Klaunpoika (fiS)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish politician and military
DATE OF BIRTH 17th September 1619
PLACE OF BIRTH Villnäs , Finland
DATE OF DEATH September 28, 1673
Place of death Stockholm