Peter von Scholten (1784-1754) was the General Governor in the Danish Westindies from 1828 to 1848. He abolished slavery on the three islands July 3rd 1848.

Peter von Scholten first arrived in St. Thomas in 1804 with his father, who was appointed Commander on the islands between 1804-07. Seven years later he returned as the scalehouse manager on St. Thomas. Shortly after, he recieved another title Commissioner of Customs and several more followed. He was a very good friend of King Frederik VI and gained a lot of privileges.

von Scholten moved to St. Croix in 1828. He had been appointed General Governor by Frederik VI and he ruled as an autocratic king - loved by most of the black people, but hated by most of the white plantation owners. 

His wife, Anna Elisabeth Thortsen, lived on St. Thomas the first couple of years but then returned to Denmark. When Peter von Scholten moved to St. Croix, he shortly after met and lived with Anna Elisabeth Heegaard, a free coloured woman. They moved to the plantation Bülowsminde, where they entertained and held parties for the plantation owners with and Anna Heegaard was the hostess. The plantation owners were furious - she was black! And at the same time, Peter von Scholten continously talked about better conditions for the slaves, and even talked about emancipation.

After the death of Frederik VI things got worse for Peter von Scholten. He did not uphold the same good relationship to the new King Christian VIII and he often had to travel to Denmark to defend himself against complaints from the plantation owners.

In 1848, a new law was introduced saying that all newborn slaves would be free but all others had to wait 12 years. The slaves gathered in Frederiksted on the westend of St. Croix and demanded their freedom. The newly crowned King Fredrik VII had refused to give Peter von Scholten the authority to free the slaves, but on July 3rd he went to Frederiksted and proclamed: "You are now free, you are hereby emancipated".

A few days later, Peter von Scholten was ordered to Denmark, put on trial and deprived his privileges, his titles and pension. He lived a quiet life untill his death in 1954.

Von Scholten is lies buried in "Assistens kirkegaarden" in Copenhagen and has his own mausoleum.