Baltzar von Platen (1766-1829)
Count
Baltzar Bogislaus von Platen (1766-1829), a
Swedish naval officer and statesman, born
May 29,
1766 on the island of
Rügen to
Filip Julius Bernhard von Platen,
Field Marshal and the Swedish
Governor General of
Pomerania, and
Regina Juliana von Ysedom. At age 13 Baltzar entered the
Royal Swedish Navy where he served with distinction until quitting in
1800, having attained the rank of Captain.
Following the revolution in
1809 he became a member
Government and in the following year received a promotion to Rear Admiral. He was also was made chairman of the
Göta Canal directorate charged with constructing a canal across Sweden. The canal would only be completed in
1832, after von Platen's death, but during its construction, he did discover two skilled mechanical engineering brothers
John Ericsson and
Nils Ericson.
He was created
Governor of Norway on
November 26,
1827, a position which he held until his death in
Christiania, the
Norwegian capital, on
December 6,
1829 . He was married to Hedvig Elisabeth Ekman.
von Platen's grave is at the side of the Göta Canal in
Motala, where it is something of a tourist attraction, especially for canal visitors.
