# Adam Wilhelm Moltke > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Adam_Wilhelm_Moltke > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Adam_Wilhelm_Moltke.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Wilhelm_Moltke > Source revision: 1343712488 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Danish nobleman and politician His Grace Adam Wilhelm Moltke R.E.. Early 1830s painting of Adam Wilhelm Moltke 1st Prime Minister of Denmark In office 22 March 1848 – 27 January 1852 Monarch Frederick VII Preceded by Position established Succeeded by Christian Albrecht Bluhme 2nd Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark In office 16 November 1848 – 6 August 1850 Preceded by Frederik Marcus Knuth, Count of Knuthenborg Succeeded by Holger Christian Reedtz Personal details Born (1785-08-25)25 August 1785 Einsidelsborg, Denmark Died 15 February 1864(1864-02-15) (aged 78) Copenhagen, Denmark Resting place Karice Church, Karise, Denmark Spouse(s) Frederikke Louise Knuth Marie Elisabeth Knuth Children Frederik Moltke Christian Moltke Parent(s) Joachim Godske Moltke Georgine von Buchwald Relatives Adam Gottlob Moltke (grandfather) **Adam Wilhelm Moltke, 3rd Count of Bregentved** (25 August 1785 – 15 February 1864) was a Danish [nobleman](/source/Nobleman), [landowner](/source/Landowner), [civil servant](/source/Civil_servant) and [politician](/source/Politician), who in 1848–1852 was the first [Prime Minister of Denmark](/source/Prime_Minister_of_Denmark) under the new [constitutional monarchy](/source/Constitution_of_Denmark) outlined in 1848 and signed as the [Danish Constitution](/source/Danish_Constitution) on 5 June 1849 by [Frederick VII of Denmark](/source/Frederick_VII_of_Denmark).[1] ## Early life and education A member of the [Danish](/source/Denmark) and [German](/source/Germany) [noble family](/source/Noble_family) [Moltke](/source/Moltke_(noble_family)), Adam Wilhelm Moltke was born on 25 August 1785 at the [Einsiedelsborg](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Einsiedelsborg&action=edit&redlink=1) [manor house](/source/Manor_house) on the island of [Funen](/source/Funen), the son of Privy Counsellor [Joachim Godske Moltke](/source/Joachim_Godske_Moltke).[2] His paternal grandfather was [Adam Gottlob Moltke](/source/Adam_Gottlob_Moltke), the influential [Lord Steward](/source/Lord_Steward) and [royal favourite](/source/Royal_favourite) of [King Frederick V of Denmark and Norway](/source/Frederick_V_of_Denmark).[1][3] As a child, Moltke was tutored by [Jacob Peter Mynster](/source/Jacob_Peter_Mynster), who later became the bishop of [Zealand](/source/Zealand).[4] ## Career Moltke attending the coronation of [Christian VIII](/source/Christian_VIII_of_Denmark) in 1840. He was known as a humane and patriarchal squire but was no outstanding political figure. From 1845, he was Minister of [Financial Affairs](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Financial_Affairs&action=edit&redlink=1). At the fall of the last absolute government, he too was dismissed but, a few days later, he was persuaded to form the new national government as the most suitable leader both as for his social position and as for his moderate views.[5] ### Prime minister of Denmark The cabinet created on 22 March 1848 was called the *[March Cabinet](/source/Cabinet_of_Moltke_I)*. On 16 November 1848 it was replaced by the *[November Cabinet](/source/Cabinet_of_Moltke_II)*, which in turn was replaced by the *[July Cabinet](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cabinet_of_Moltke_III&action=edit&redlink=1)* on 13 July 1851, which again was replaced by the *[October Cabinet](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cabinet_of_Moltke_IV&action=edit&redlink=1)* on 18 October 1851. The cabinet, originally a Conservative-Liberal one, gradually became more and more openly conservative both because of the general liberal withdrawal and because of foreign pressure.[5] On 27 January 1852, [Christian Albrecht Bluhme](/source/Christian_Albrecht_Bluhme) replaced Moltke as Prime Minister.[5] ## Personal life Moltke succeeded his father as Count of [Bregentved](/source/Bregentved) in 1818. He was also the owner of [Merløsegaard](/source/Merl%C3%B8segaard) north of [Ringsted](/source/Ringsted) and [Sofiedal](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sofiedal&action=edit&redlink=1). Molke was married twice. His first wife, Frederikke Louise Knuth (1797–1819), died in 1819. After Frederikke's death, he married Marie Elisabeth Knuth (1791–1851), her sister. Marie Elisabeth and Adam had two children: - [Frederik Georg Julius Moltke](/source/Frederik_Georg_Julius_Moltke) (1825–1875) - Christian Moltke (1833–1918), who married Caroline Amalie of [Danneskiold-Samsøe](/source/Danneskiold-Sams%C3%B8e) (1843–1876) in 1865. Adam Wilhelm Moltke died on 15 February 1864 in Copenhagen and is buried in the Moltke burial chapel in [Karise](/source/Karise) Church in Faxe Municipality.[6] [Cape Moltke](/source/Cape_Moltke) in [Greenland](/source/Greenland) was named after him in 1829 by Lieutenant [Wilhelm August Graah](/source/Wilhelm_August_Graah) (1793–1863).[7] ## See also - [Bregentved](/source/Bregentved) ## References This article incorporates text from a publication now in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain): [Bain, Robert Nisbet](/source/Robert_Nisbet_Bain) (1911). "[Moltke, Adam Wilhelm, Count](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Moltke,_Adam_Wilhelm,_Count)". In [Chisholm, Hugh](/source/Hugh_Chisholm) (ed.). *[Encyclopædia Britannica](/source/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_Eleventh_Edition)*. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 677. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-britannica_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-britannica_1-1) ["Adam Wilhelm, Greve (count) Moltke: prime minister of Denmark"](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adam-Wilhelm-Greve-Moltke). *britannica.com*. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 18 July 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Dana1861_2-0)** Dana, C.A.; Ripley, G. (1861). [*The new American cyclopædia*](https://books.google.com/books?id=DGQIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA636). American Cyclopaedia. p. 636. Retrieved 18 July 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Palsson2016_3-0)** Palsson, Gisli (2016). [*The Man Who Stole Himself: The Slave Odyssey of Hans Jonathan*](https://books.google.com/books?id=t2asDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA69). [University of Chicago Press](/source/University_of_Chicago_Press). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780226313283](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780226313283). Retrieved 18 July 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Jessen, Olaf (2010). [*Die Moltkes: Biographie einer Familie*](https://books.google.com/books?id=G7Tj98HeL9wC) (in German). Germany: C.H.Beck. p. 50. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9783406604997](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9783406604997). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBain1911_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBain1911_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBain1911_5-2) [Bain 1911](#CITEREFBain1911). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Thomas2016_6-0)** Thomas, Alastair H. (2016). [*Historical Dictionary of Denmark*](https://books.google.com/books?id=aPq6DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA355). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 355. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781442264656](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781442264656). Retrieved 18 July 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** W. A. Graah, *Narrative of an Expedition to the East Coast of Greenland, London, 1837*, p. 89 Political offices Preceded by New office Prime Minister of Denmark 22 March 1848 – 27 January 1852 Succeeded by Christian Albrecht Bluhme Preceded by New office ? Finance Minister of Denmark 22 March 1848 – 16 November 1848 Succeeded by Wilhelm Sponneck Preceded by New office ? Navy Minister of Denmark 22 March 1848 – 6 April 1848 Succeeded by Christian Christopher Zahrtmann Preceded by Frederik Marcus Knuth Foreign Minister of Denmark 16 November 1848 – 6 August 1850 Succeeded by Holger Christian Reedtz v t e Prime ministers of Denmark Moltke Bluhme Ørsted Bang Andræ Hall Rotwitt Hall Monrad Bluhme Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs Holstein-Holsteinborg Fonnesbech Estrup Reedtz-Thott Hørring Sehested Deuntzer Christensen Neergaard Holstein-Ledreborg Zahle Berntsen Zahle Liebe Friis Neergaard Stauning Madsen-Mygdal Stauning Buhl Scavenius Buhl Kristensen Hedtoft Eriksen Hedtoft Hansen Kampmann Krag Baunsgaard Krag Jørgensen Hartling Jørgensen Schlüter Nyrup Rasmussen Fogh Rasmussen Løkke Rasmussen Thorning-Schmidt Løkke Rasmussen Frederiksen Authority control databases International VIAF GND WorldCat People Deutsche Biographie --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Adam Wilhelm Moltke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Wilhelm_Moltke) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Wilhelm_Moltke?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.