Johan Carl Modeweg (25 March 1782 ''–'' 20 August 1849) was a Danish industrialist who founded the textile company J. C. Modeweg & Søn. From 1831 his company was based at

Brede Works The National Museum of Denmark's new museum, Brede Works, lies in the countryside just north of Copenhagen in Denmark's largest, protected industrial plants. At the museum of Industrial culture, the visitors can be guided around by its own Virtua ...

Kongens Lyngby Kongens Lyngby (, Danish for "the King's Heather Town"; short form Lyngby) is the seat and commercial centre of Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. Lyngby Hovedgade is a busy shopping street and the site ...

, north of Copenhagen.

Early life and education

Modeweg was born on 25 March 1782 in Copenhagen, the son of clockmaker Tobias Modeweg (1757–1801) and Marie Sørensdatter (c. 1746–1818). His mother was first married to clockmaker Michael Peter Beck, c. 1744–80. His father was born in Magdeburg but came to Denmark by way of Sweden.

Career

Modeweg established a grocery business in Copenhagen in 1804 or 1805 but had to close it after a few years. In 1809, after a bankrupt master tableclothmaker, he acquired nine handlooms. On 27 January 1810, he obtained a royal license to establish and operate a cloth factory in Copenhagen. His company prospered during the war with England and the Danish state bankruptcy in 1813. In early 1820, when a fire destroyed both his property, an interest-free loan enabled him to recover from his losses. The loan enabled him to import modern machinery and., On stidy trips abroad, he also studied the latest manufacturing methods. Modewegs Skydeskive

In 1811, together with

Theodor Suhr Johannes Theodor(us) Suhr family, Suhr (2 April 1792 – 10 November 1858) was a Danish merchant and industrialist. He owned the Suhr House at Gammeltorv in Copenhagen as well as Sølyst north of the city and was the founder of the foundation Den ...

, he was able to buy

from

Ernst Schimmelmann Ernst Heinrich von Schimmelmann (4 December 1747 – 9 February 1831) was a German-born Danish politician, businessman, nobleman and philanthropist. Early life and career Ernst von Schimmelmann was born in Dresden to Baron Heinrich Carl von Sch ...

's heirs, While Suhr continued to run the copper works for a time, Modeweg took over most of the land and established a modern textile factory in the grounds. The factory was initially operated by water power from

Mølleåen Mølleåen, also Mølleå, sometimes translated as the Millstream, is a small river in North Zealand, Denmark, which runs from the west of Bastrup Sø near Lynge to the Øresund between Taarbæk and Skodsborg. The valley contains several coun ...

. Later, a small steam engine was acquired. In 1838, Modeweg made his son Julius Emil Modeweg (1813–69) a partner in the firm. Its name was subsequently changed to J. C. Modeweg & Søn.

Personal life and legacy

Modeweg was married on 2 September 1805 in

Trinitatis Church The Trinitatis Church (''Trinitatis Kirke'') is located in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the 17th century Trinitatis Complex, which includes the Rundetårn astronomical observatory tower and the Copenhagen University Library, in ad ...

to Marie Magdalene Louise Bock (1783–1843). She was the daughter of tobacco spinner Johan Carl Bock (1750–1805) and Frederikke Lovise Braad (ca. 1752–1786). After the death of his first wife, on 25 September 1844 in Lyngby he married to Petrine Nicoline Tangen (1807–1880). She was the daughter of sailing master Hans Gullich Tangen and Johanne Elisabeth Franck. Modeweg died on 20 August 1849. He is buried at Copenhagen's

Assistens Cemetery An Assistens Cemetery () is a cemetery that functions as an expansion of another, older cemetery often in relation to a city church. Already by the end of the 17th century, Danish authorities deemed that the conditions for inner-city cemeteries we ...

. The company was continued by Julius Modeweg. In 1844, he acquired the remaining part of Vrede Worls. His widow Anna Elisabeth, Modeweg (née Gudmann) sold the company in 1872 to the wholesalers Carl Albeck (1830–1905) and William Salomonsen (1842–1900).

References

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External links

Johan Carl Modeweg
at geni.com 19th-century Danish businesspeople Danish textile industry businesspeople Businesspeople from Copenhagen 1782 births 1849 deaths