Sir Peder Povelsson Paus, also rendered as Peter Paus and known locally as Sir Per, was a Norwegian high-ranking cleric who served as the provost of Upper Telemark from 1633 until his death. As provost he was not only the religious leader of the vast region of Upper Telemark, but also one of the foremost government officials in Telemark; during his lifetime the state church was also an important part of the state administration. He is known through a loving poem in Latin written by his son Paul Peterson Paus in his memory in 1653, In memoriam Domini Petri Pavli. His descendants include the playwright Henrik Ibsen and the singer Ole Paus.
Kviteseid Old Church (built ca. 1260), where Peter Paus was priest from 1633 and where he is interred under the choir floor; the church was the religious centre of the vast Upper Telemark region
Vinje, where Peter Paus was priest from around 1618 to 1633
Kviteseid is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional districts of Vest-Telemark and Upper Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kviteseidbyen. Other villages in Kviteseid include Åsgrend, Brunkeberg, Eidstod, Fjågesund, Kilen, Morgedal, and Vrådal.
Kviteseid
Painting of Kviteseid by Eckersberg in 1868
Olav Bjaaland, 1910