Holger Aagaard Hammerich (20 November 1845 – 4 October 1915) was a Danish engineer and politician for the party

Højre Højre (, ''Right'') was the name of two Danish political parties of Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The c ...

. He played a significant role in the foundation of the

Freeport of Copenhagen The Free Port of Copenhagen is a bonded area in the northern part of Port of Copenhagen of Copenhagen, Denmark. Created to consolidate Copenhagen's position as an important maritime hub in Northern Europe, it was established in the area just nor ...

in the 1890s as well as in the planning of rail lines and stations in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. He was a member of the Danish

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

from 1890 until his death in 1915 and represented his party in the negotiations leading up to the amendment of the Danish

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...

in 1915.

Early life and career

Holger Hammerich was born in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of Copenhagen as the son of

Martin Hammerich Martin Johannes Hammerich (4 December 1811 – 20 September 1881) was a Danish art historian, educator, author and translator. He was part of the National Liberal movement and a member of the 1848 Danish Constituent Assembly. He was headmaster of ...

. He studied at the College of Advanced Technology from 1868 to 1871 but without completing his exams. In 1876 he travelled to America where he practiced until returning to Denmark in 1881 where he co-founded the machine factory Tuxen & Hammerich in

Nakskov Nakskov is a town in south Denmark. It is situated in Lolland municipality in Region Sjælland on the western coast of the island of Lolland. The town has a population of 12,495 (1 January 2022). To the west is Nakskov Fjord, an inlet from the L ...

on the island of Lolland. On Lolland, he was also active in educating the local farmers about the potential in the cultivation of sugar beets, paving the way for the establishment of

De Danske Sukkerfabrikker () was a Danish sugar manufacturing company established in 1872 in Copenhagen, Denmark. It played a central role in the development of a thriving Danish sugar industry based on sugar beets from Lolland-Falster, Møn and Funen. The company merged ...

(), whose construction projects he was involved in for some years. In 1885 he made a proposal for a new arrangement of the railway network in Copenhagen which received considerable attention among politicians and in the media. His ideas were with certain modifications used by a commission which was established the following year. The establishment of the

Boulevard Line The Boulevard Line ( da, Boulevardbanen) is a long partly underground railway between Copenhagen Central Station and Østerport Station in Copenhagen, Denmark. The quadruple track railway carries today one dual track for the Copenhagen S-train s ...

was his proposal.

Political career

In 1887 Hammerich was elected to the City Council in Copenhagen. In 1889 he was elected to the

Folketinget The Folketing ( da, Folketinget, ; ), also known as the Parliament of Denmark or the Danish Parliament in English, is the unicameral national legislature (parliament) of the Kingdom of Denmark—Denmark proper together with the Faroe Islands an ...

, representing Nakskov, a mandate he kept until 1915. As a politician, Hammerich took a particular interest in issues of a technical nature and was a driving force behind the act which provided for the establishment of the

in 1891. He was also involved in the masterplanning of the complex and its surroundings in collaboration with H.C.V. Møller. The creation of the Langelinie Pier which both protected the new harbour basins and restored the recreational values of the area was his idea.

Personal life and legacy

Holger Hammerich memorial, Kopenhagen Mai 2009 PD 369

Hammerich married Pouline Christine Elisabeth Mølmark (4 December 1854 25 November 1927), a daughter of medical doctor Frederik Mørck (1811–1867) and Nielsine Caroline Hansen (1819–1858), on 12 November 1876 in

Vordingborg Vordingborg () is an old ferry town in Vordingborg Municipality in Denmark with around 18,000 inhabitants. Because of three large estates surrounding the town, a coherent urban development has not been possible, which is the reason why three sat ...

. He was the father of Martin Hammerich (1883–1940). Hammerich died on 4 October 1915 in Copenhagen and is buried in the city's Western Cemetery. He is commemorated by a memorial at

Langelinie Langelinie (English: Long Line) is a pier, promenade and park in central Copenhagen, Denmark, and home of '' The Little Mermaid'' statue. The area has for centuries been a popular destination for excursions and strolls in Copenhagen. Most cruise ...

in Copenhagen. The street Hammerichsgade is named after him.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hammerich, Holger Danish engineers 1845 births 1915 deaths 19th-century Copenhagen City Council members Members of the Folketing Politicians from Copenhagen