Name Margareta Huitfeldt | Died 1683 | |
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Margareta Huitfeldt (5 November 1608 – 16 November 1683) was a Norwegian-Swedish noble, estate owner and donor.
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Life
The only child of the Danish noble Hartvig Andersen Huitfeldt till Skjelbred och Rommegaard (d. 1637), who lived in Norway, and the Norwegian noble Bente Jonsdotter Schack (d. 1622). Married to Danish noble Tomas Iverssön Dyre till Hvidstedgaard (1605–1651) in 1635. She had three children, who all died very young.
Margareta became one of the greatest land owners in Scandinavia as the heir of her parents and her spouse. She resided in Bohuslän, were most of her properties were situated. Bohuslän belonged to Norway (and thereby Denmark), but became Swedish in 1658. She was a local power holder, with good and influential connections to the authorities. She wished for better conditions for the peasants.
Margareta Huitfeldt is frequently portrayed in the local legends of Bohuslän. During the famous witch trials of 1668–76, the fact that she disliked one of the alleged witches, Helga i Pilanna, who was one of the most well known victims of the Swedish witch hunt, is considered to have led to the condemnation and execution of Helga (1672).
Legacy
In 1664, she made a famous donation; paid schooling for 30 students a year in Gothenburg, scholarships and support to science. Her will and donation was put under the protection of the crown. It was named "Kungl. och Hvitfeldtskastipendieinrättningen" (1694). This donation has been known as Hvitfeldtska gymnasiet.