Anna Krefting

Anna Paulsdatter Krefting née Vogt (1683-1766), was a Norwegian businesswoman who ran and expanded her family's business enterprises in and around Christiania for over 50 years. Among these enterprises were mines and ironworks, forestry, and trade.

Anna Paulsdatter Vogt was born into an affluent family in Christiania with ties to the government in Copenhagen. Her father, Paul Pedersen Vogt, was originally from Denmark and was responsible for the stores at Akershus Fortress but also a merchant, mill owner, and shipowner in Christiania. Anna's mother, Catarina née Bauman, was the daughter of Dominicus Brau(n)man, war commissary and also in charge of the stores at Akershus.

She also established a school for the children of her employees and contributed heavily to Tanum Church. She was in continuous litigation with count Ferdinand Anton Danneskiold-Laurvig over rights to mine iron ore on her property on the island of Langøy outside of Kragerø. In 1719 she and her son-in-law Andreas Walleur were granted exclusive rights by the crown to run the iron works at Dikemark. When Walleur died, Krefting let her widowed daughter Anna Katarina run the works. In 1762, the main building burned down at Bærums Verk, but Krefting managed its reconstruction. Since none of Krefting's descendants were interested in taking over her work, the property and holdings were sold on auction upon her death in 1766.