Baltzar von Platen (statesman)
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| Count Baltzar von Platen | |
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| In office 1826 – 1829 |
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| Preceded by | Johan August Sandels |
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| Succeeded by | Johan Caspar Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg |
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| Born | 29 May 1766 Rügen, Swedish Pomerania |
| Died | 6 December 1829 Christiania, Norway |
| Spouse | Hedvig Elisabeth Ekman |
| Occupation | Naval officer, Architect |
Count Baltzar Bogislaus von Platen (1766-1829), a Swedish naval officer and statesman, born May 29, 1766 on the island of Rügen to Filip Julius Bernhard von Platen, Field Marshal and the Swedish Governor General of Pomerania, and Regina Juliana von Ysedom. At age 13 Baltzar entered the Royal Swedish Navy where he served with distinction until quitting in 1800, having attained the rank of Captain.
Following the revolution in 1809 he became a member Government and in the following year received a promotion to Rear Admiral. He was also was made chairman of the Göta Canal directorate charged with constructing a canal across Sweden. The canal would only be completed in 1832, after von Platen's death, but during its construction, he did discover two skilled mechanical engineering brothers John Ericsson and Nils Ericson.
He was appointedGovernor of Norway on November 26, 1827, a position which he held until his death in Christiania, the Norwegian capital, on December 6, 1829 . He was married to Hedvig Elisabeth Ekman.
von Platen's grave is at the side of the Göta Canal in Motala, where it is something of a tourist attraction, especially for canal visitors.
| Preceded by Johan August Sandels |
Governor of Norway 1827–1829 |
Succeeded by Johan Caspar Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg |
