Michael Fabritius (2 May 1697 – 13 November 1746) was a Danish merchant, shipowner and shipbuilder.
Early life and education
Michael Fabritius was born in Copenhagen on 12 May 1697. His parents, wine merchant Herman Fabritius (1667-1729) and Elisabeth Marie Abbestée (1677-1752), were immigrants from Germany and belonged to the city's
German Reformed congregation. Michael Fabritius was the elder brother of
Just Fabritius.
Career
Fabritius was granted
citizenship
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
as a merchant in 1732. He was one of the first Danish merchants to send ships to China and was a co-founder of Det Kinesiske Societet. He was also active in
Danish Asiatic Company. In 1735, he purchased the
Grønnegård Harbour at the southern tip of Christianshavn.
In 1738, he was one of the driving forces behind the foundation Kurantbanken and for a while served as its managing director. Together with Johann Fr. Wewer he was the founder of the Fabritius & Wewer trading house.
Like the other major merchants of his time, Michael Fabritius had close ties to the state, providing it with loans and participating in the equipping of ships in connection with expeditions to overseas destinations. He also provided the state with goods such as
saltpeter
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nit ...
for the manufacture of gunpowder. He became an agent with rank of justitsråd in 1743.
Personal life
Michael Fabritius married Anna Maria Köster (17 November 1705 in
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its ...
– 18 March 1775) on 30 May 1726 in Mühlheim. Their two sons, Michael and Conrad Alexander, were ennobled by
letters patent
Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, t ...
on 4 May 1776 under the name
Fabritius de Tengnagel. In 1734, Fabritius purchased the country house
Enrum north of Copenhagen. The older of Fabritius' two daughters, Anna Elisabeth, married
Reinhard Iselin
Reinhard Iselin (4 August 1714 – 10 April 1781) was a Danish merchant, shipowner and industrialist who founded Reinhard Iselin & Co. in Copenhagen in 1749. The company completed 65 expeditions to the Danish West Indies. Iselin was also active in ...
. Their younger daughter, Charlotte, married shipowner, merchant and textile manufacturer
Peter van Hemert.
Fabritius died in 1746 and was buried at
Holmens Cemetery. His widow married his business partner Johann Fr. Wewer in 1748 and, after his death, Major-General Jean Baptiste Descariéres de Longueville (1699-1766). She died in 1775 and was buried at
Christian's German Church.
See also
*
Peter van Hurk
Peter van Hurk (1697 – 16 October 1775) was a Dutch-Danish merchant.
Biography
Peter van Hurk was born in the Netherlands. Due to his experience with trade with China, he was called to Denmark by Fabritius & Wewer to serve as 1st Supercargo ...
*
Johann Ludvig Zinn
References
External links
Michael Fabritiusat geni.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fabritius, Michael
1697 births
1746 deaths
18th-century Danish businesspeople
18th-century merchants
Danish Asiatic Company people
Danish businesspeople in shipping
18th-century Danish shipbuilders
Danish merchants
Businesspeople from Copenhagen
Danish people of German descent