Background
He was born on the island of Rügeneral (now Germany) to Philip Julius Bernhard von Platen, Field Marshal and the Swedish Governor General of Pomerania, and Regina Juliana von Usedom.
He was born on the island of Rügeneral (now Germany) to Philip Julius Bernhard von Platen, Field Marshal and the Swedish Governor General of Pomerania, and Regina Juliana von Usedom.
Following the revolution in 1809 he became a member Government and, in the following year, received a promotion to Rear Admiral. He was also made chairman of the directorate charged with constructing a canal across Sweden. The canal, following a design by Thomas Telford, 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.
Baltzar von Platen"s grave is at the side of the in Motala, where it is something of a tourist attraction, especially for canal visitors.
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences]
He was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1815.