Andreas Bjørn
Andreas Bjørn | |
---|---|
![]() Andreas Bjørn painted shortly before his death by A. Briinniche | |
Born | (1703-10-28)28 October 1703 Skælskør, Denmark |
Died | 3 August 1750(1750-08-03) (aged 46) Copenhagen, Denmark |
Nationality | Danish |
Occupation(s) | Industrialist, merchant, ship owner, ship builder |
Awards | Grand Cross of the Dannebrog |
Andreas Bjørn (28 October 1703 – 27 January 1750) was a Danish merchant, shipbuilder and ship owner.
Early life
Andreas Bjørn was born (as Anders Bkørn, name later changed to Andreas Bjørn) in Skælskør to Mads Andersen Bjørn and Karen Pedersdatter. His father was a peasant. He came to Copenhagen in an early age. In 1730, he took citizenship as a wholesaler. He initially worked in the lucretive timber trade. His lumberyard was located at the customs house (north of present-day Larsens Plads. From 1731 he supplied the Royal Danish Navy with provisions, cannons and large quantities of timber. Drom 1739, he also supplied the Royal Danish Army with cannons.[1]
Ship building
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Enigheden_%281741_ship%29.png/220px-Enigheden_%281741_ship%29.png)
In 1732, Bkørn bought Niels Alsing's lumberyard in Christianshavn. The property reached all the way from Strandgade to Christianshavn Canal and was partly lined with a row of wooden warehouses along the street. The property was in 1732 acquired by Andreas Bjørn. He demolished most of the buildings and constructed a house for his own use (now known as the Andreas Bjørn House) at the corner of Strandgade and Bådsmandsstræde in 1834. He also constructed a number of warehouses and workshops on the land. In 1733, he was permission to establish a dockyard on reclaimed land to the north of his new property. Separated from the rest of Christianshavn by a branch of Christianshavn Canal (now Wilders Kanal), his dockyard became known as Bjørnsholm (Bjørn's Isle).[2] Approximately 50 ships were built at the dockyard. Some of them were used by himself in oversea trade, while others were commissions from other trading houses or the governemtn. One of them was the naval ship Kjøbenhavns Slot.[1]
Oversea trade
Bjørn participated widely in overseas trade, especially with the Danish West Indies. In 1747, together with Ulrik Frederik Suhm (1686-1758) and Frederik Holmsted (1683–1758), he founded the General Trading Company which mainly traded with Iceland, Finnmark and later Greenland. The company took over the northernmost part of Bjørnsholm.[1] [3] [4]
Other pursuits
In 1747 the Royal Copenhagen Shooting Society moved their activities to a corner of Bjørnsholm. When Frederick V became a member later that same year, Bjørn arranged a large celebration at his own expense. The king, in return, appointed him as Royal Agent. In 1748, Bjørn was appointed as one of the directors of the new Royal Danish Theatre.
Legacy
Andreas Bjørn's site at Christianshavn is now known as Wilders Plads, Krøyers Plads and Grønlandske Handels Plads after later owners. The old main building and a half-timbered workshop of his shipyard is still found at Wilders Plads. The Andreas Bjørn House at Strandgade 46 is also a heritage listed building. Andreas Bjørns Gade, also in Christianshavn, is named after him.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Andreas Bjørn" (in Danish). Gyldendal. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
- ^ "Sag: Andreas Bjørns Gård". Kulturstyrelsen (in Danish). Retrieved 1 May 2018.
- ^ Th. Topsøe-Jensen. "Ulrik F. Suhm". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon, Gyldendal. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ "Holmsted, Frederik 1683-1758". Dansk biografisk Lexikon. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Source
- v
- t
- e
- Amagergade
- Bådsmandsstræde
- Christianshavns Voldgade
- Christianshavns Torv
- Dronningensgade
- Sankt Annæ Gade
- Sofiegade
- Strandgade
- Torvegade
- Wildersgade
- Christianshavns Kanal
- Stadsgraven
- Trangraven
- Wilders Kanal
- Andreas Bjørn House
- Behagen House
- Bombebøssen
- Brøste House
- Christianshavn School
- Cort Adeler House
- Gammel Dok
- Gerling House
- Heering House
- Irgens House
- Jennow House
- Jacob Holm House
- Lehn House
- Mikkel Vibe House
- Niels Brock House
- Overgaden Neden Vandet 15
- Overgaden Neden Vandet 19
- Overgaden Neden Vandet 31
- Overgaden Neden Vandet 33
- Overgaden Neden Vandet 39
- Overgaden Oven Vandet 8
- Overgaden Oven Vandet 22
- Overgaden Oven Vandet 24
- Overgaden Oven Vandet 50
- Overgaden Oven Vandet 52
- Overgaden Oven Vandet 54–56
- Philip de Lange House
- Princess Marie's Home for Old Seamen
- Rhode House
- Schottmann House
- Sigvert Grubbe House
- Snorrebroens Pakhus
- Søkvæsthuset
- Steinfass House
- Stanley House
- Strandgade 24
- Torvegade 22
- Torvegade 28
- Treschows Stiftelse
- Wildersgade Barracks
- Andreas Bjørn
- Burmeister & Wain
- Jacob Holm
- Women's Prison, Christianshavn