Friends of God
Krüdener was born on 31 January 1784, in Saint Petersburg. He was the son of Barbara von Krüdener, a Baltic German writer and mystic affiliated with the Friends of God. His father was Baron Bourkhardt-Alexis-Constantine Krüdener, with whom Barbara did not have a good relationship. Pavel was baptized Paul in honor of Grand Duke (later Emperor) Paul I of Russia, his godfather.