Background
He was born in Valby as a son of Johan Wolfgang Reinhold Haffner and a nephew of Adam Mogens Wenzel Haffner.
He was born in Valby as a son of Johan Wolfgang Reinhold Haffner and a nephew of Adam Mogens Wenzel Haffner.
He had a military career in his early life, being second lieutenant at the age of 15. He became chamberlain in 1847 and general à la suite in 1871. He became the Interior Ministers of Denmark in the Cabinet of Frijs on 22 September 1869, and held this position until 28 May 1870 when the cabinet fell.
He immediately joined the new Cabinet of Holstein-Holsteinborg, as both War Minister and Navy Minister.
He left in 1872 due to disagreements with the Finance Minister, Andreas Frederik Krieger. On 11 June 1875, when the Cabinet of Estrup assumed office, Haffner returned to both his posts.
He left on 28 July 1877. He died in April 1887 in Copenhagen.
He was a member of the Danish Landsting from 1866 to his death.