Rutger von Ascheberg

Count Rutger von Ascheberg (2 June 1621 – 17 April 1693), also known as Roger von Ascheberg, was a Swedish soldier born in Courland, an officer and civil servant who served as Lieutenant General in 1670, General in 1674, Field Marshal in 1678, Governor General of the Swedish Scanian provinces in 1680, and became a Royal Councilor in 1681. He is also remembered for his exceptionally large number of children with his wife Maria Eleonora von Busseck, a noted beauty.

Biography Ascheberg was born on the estate Berbonen (Perbohnen) in Courland (today part of Latvia) on 2 June 1621. He was of an old Westphalian family that had emigrated to Courland in the 16th century. His parents were Wilhelm von Ascheberg and Margaretha von der Osten.

In 1639, he left the army for studies in France. At the age of 19, he was drafted into a Hessian cavalry regiment in Swedish service. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Wolfenbüttel in 1641. In the Battle of Breitenfeld in 1642, he was wounded and captured by the enemy but later rescued. During the remaining part of the Thirty Years' War, Ascheberg fought under Field Marshals Lennart Torstenson and Carl Gustaf Wrangel. He distinguished himself on a number of occasions and was made cornet in 1644, captain lieutenant in 1645 and Rittmeister in 1646. He narrowly escaped being caught when the enemy under Frederick William of Brandenburg and Polish commander Stefan Czarniecki attacked Sønderborg in December 1658. In February 1659, he was badly wounded during the assault on Copenhagen. After spending 10 weeks in bed, a recovered Ascheberg returned to the battlefield in time to be in charge of the conquest of the island of Møn in May 1659. He remained on the island until the war ended in 1660.

Scanian War (1675–1679) In the Scanian War, Ascheberg was first responsible for the defence of Bohuslän against attacks from Norway.

Marriage and children

In 1650, at the age of twenty-nine, Rutger von Ascheberg married Maria Eleonora von Bussech (1632–1690), an eighteen-year-old girl from a Hessian noble family.

Maria Eleonora was constantly pregnant during much of her marriage, giving birth almost once a year. The couple had 25 children in just 26 years, of which only 12 are known by name: George Fredrik von Ascheberg (1651 - 1677) Margareta Sabina von Ascheberg (1652 - 1738) Unnamed daughter who died shortly after birth (1653) Ludvig Volrath von Ascheberg (1654 - 1677) Unnamed son who died shortly after birth (1655) Anna Elisabeth von Ascheberg (1656 - 1686) Unnamed son who died shortly after birth (1657) Unnamed daughter who died shortly after birth (1658) Karl Gustaf von Ascheberg (1659 - 1660), died in infancy Rutger von Ascheberg (1660 - 1660), died in infancy Gustaf Adolf von Ascheberg (1661 - 1692) Kristian Ludvig von Ascheberg (1662 - 1722) Eleonora Elisabet von Ascheberg (1663–1737). She was born on 13 September 1663. On 14 September 1679, she married David Makeléer, and she died on 13 November 1737. Sofia Lovisa von Ascheberg (1664–1720), who married Hans Wachtmeister Otto Vilhelm von Ascheberg (1665–1687) Unnamed daughter who died shortly after birth (1667) Unnamed daughter who died shortly after birth (1668) Unnamed son who died shortly after birth (1669) Unnamed son who died shortly after birth (1670) Margareta von Ascheberg (1671–1753), who married Kjell Kristoffer Barnekow (1663–1700) on 26 January 1691 Unnamed daughter who died shortly after birth (1672) Stillborn daughter (1673) Stillborn daughter (1674) Stillborn son (1675) Stillborn son (1677)

Unfortunately, most of the children died young; only five of them outlived their parents.

Legacy A major street (Aschebergsgatan) is named in his honor in the city of Gothenburg.