# Lensmann

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Historically holder of a royal fief and now rural police chief

***Lensmann*** in modern Norwegian or ***lensmand*** in Danish and older Norwegian spelling (lit. 'fief man'; [Old Norse](/source/Old_Norse_language): *lénsmaðr*) is a term with several distinct meanings in [Nordic](/source/Nordic_countries) history. The Icelandic equivalent was a *hreppstjóri*, Swedish *länsman* and Finnish *nimismies*.

## Fief-holder

See also: [Lendmann](/source/Lendmann)

The term *lensmann* traditionally referred to a holder of a royal [fief](/source/Fief) in Denmark and Norway. As the fiefs were renamed *[amt](/source/Amt_(country_subdivision))* in 1662, the term *lensmand* was replaced with *[amtmand](/source/Amtmand)*. In Norway these offices evolved into the modern *[fylkesmann](/source/Fylkesmann)* office. Modern Norwegian historians often use the term *lensherre* (English: 'fief lord') instead of *lensmann*, although from the legal point of view, the king was the fief lord, and the title used by contemporaries was *lensmand*, not *lensherre*.[1]

While the *lensmann* was a fief-holder from the [nobility](/source/Nobility), the *amtmann* was a [civil servant](/source/Civil_servant) who might be [ennobled](/source/Ennobled) as a reward.

Differences between lensmann and amtmann[2] Office Lensmann Amtmann General governing power Yes No Military commander Yes No Tax collector Yes No Fiscal accountability No Yes

Rank badge of a modern Norwegian police *lensmann*.

## Modern police officer

The title *lensmann* is also used in an entirely different meaning in modern Norway, denoting the leader of a rural police district known as a *lensmannsdistrikt*.[3]

## See also

- [Sheriff](/source/Sheriff)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Mikael Berglund, [Cross-border Enforcement of Claims in the EU: History, Present Time and Future](https://books.google.com/books?id=-s6Zh8qzPxEC), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9041128611](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9041128611), 2009, page 101

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Steinar Imsen & Harald Winge (1999). *Norsk historisk lexikon.* Oslo: Cappelen Akademisk Forlag, p. 21.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Stortingsmelding nr 22](http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/jd/dok/regpubl/stmeld/20002001/Stmeld-nr-22-2000-2001-/3.html?id=431893)(2000-2201) punkt 3; www.regjeringen.no [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140426215444/http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/jd/dok/regpubl/stmeld/20002001/Stmeld-nr-22-2000-2001-/3.html?id=431893) 2014-04-26 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

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