Grosserer-Societetet

The Grosserer-Societetet ('Wholesalers' Society') was a society for wholesale merchants in Copenhagen founded by law in 1742. Since 1714, it was possible to acquire citizenship as a wholesaler in the city. Grosserer-Societetet was reorganized in 1817. In 1987 the association was replaced by the Danish Chamber of Commerce.^[1]

P. S. Krøyer: From Copenhagen Stock Exchange, 1895, Børsen.

History

Grosserer-Societetet was founded by law in 1742. The inaugural meeting took place on 31 August 1842 in Sø-Assurance-Compagniet's offices. The meeting was attneded by Hans Hendrick Beck, Andreas Bjørn, Oluf Blach, P. Bortman, Søren G. Elsegaard, Michael Fabritius & Wever, Carl Hieronimus Gustmeyer, Joost van Hemert, Johan P. Issenberg, Søren Jørgensen, Jens Gregersen Klitgaard, Daniel Lindeman and Rasmus Sternberg.^[2]

The society was initially headed by a chairman and two elders. Membership in Grosserer-Societetet required proof of maintaining an office, being trained as merchant, owning stakes in one or more ships, as well as keeping international correspondence.^[3]

In 1797, 48 of Copenhagen's 70–80 wholesale merchants with citizenship as grosserer were members of Grosserer-Societetet.^[4] As of 16 June 1809, the number of wholesale merchants in Copenhagen had increased to 173 (cf. list below).^[4]

 

The room in the Sundorph House where the 1817 meeting took place.

Grosserer-Societetet was reorganized in 1817. Its affairs were from then on managed by a committee whose 13 members were elected at the Grosserer-Societetet's annual general meetings.^[5]

In 1886, Wilhelmine Rerup became the first female member of Grosserer-Societetet.^[6] Caroline Herding became the second female member of the organisation.^[7]

As of 1969, it was no longer mandatory for businesspeople with the title of grosserer (wholesaler) to be members of Grosserer-Societetet. In 1987, it merged with Provinshandelskammeret (founded in 1901) as Det Danske Handelkammer (from 2000 Handelskammeret and from 2007 part of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, Dansk Erhverv).

Location

Grosserer-Societetet was initially based in bank cashier Lacoppidan's building at Købmagergade 35. As of 1804, its meetings were held in a room in the Sundorph House at Ved Stranden 10. In 1857, Frederick VII sold the building to Grosserer-Societetet for 70,000 rigsdaler.

Activities

Grosserer-Societet's committee represented the merchant class equally before the government and the Rigsdag (Parliament) and acted as its external representative wherever it was necessary to safeguard its special interests. Grosserer-Societetet was from its 1817 reorganisation based in the Sundorph House prior to purchasing the Stock Exchange building, which it purchased in 1857 and supervised,^[8][9] managed daily stock exchange meetings, issued responses to questions whose answers required special commercial expertise, participated in the election of the members of the Maritime and Commercial Court, held brokerage examinations, participated in the official fixing of the exchange rate and supervised the Copenhagen Stock Exchange.^[1] Attached to the committee were assessment and arbitration committees for the grain trade, the feed trade, the seed trade and the butter trade, as well as a committee for setting the price quotes for Danish butter.^[10] Since 1888, the committee published a detailed annual trade report. Finally, the committee managed the Brockian Business Schools (today Niels Brock Copenhagen Business College; see Niels Brock);^[11] a benefit fund, to which fines assessed for not attending the stock exchange on time (spærrepenge) are donated; as well as a large number of grants.

Commemoration

Peder Severin Krøyer depicted some of the society's members in his monumental group portrait painting From Copenhagen Stock Exchange. Carl Nielsen wrote a cantata, Kantate ved Grosserer-Societetets Hundredsaarsfest, to commemorate its 100th anniversary.^[12]

Chairmen

This list is incomplete.

1742–1817

	Portrait	Chairman	Term	Notes
1		Burmester	1642
2		Gregorius Klaumann	1746 – ?
		Peter Borre	1762 – 1789
		Johann Ludvig Zinn	1790 – 1802
		Hans Rudolph Saabye	1802 –

1817–1987

	Portrait	Chairman	Term	Notes
		Erich Erichsen	1817 –?	^[13]
		Friederich Tutein	1832 – 1842	^[14]
		Lauritz Nicolai Hvidt	1842– 1850	^[15]
		Andreas Nicolai Hansen	1850 – ?	^[16]
		Moritz G. Melchior	1873 – 1884	^[14]
1		Carl Frederik Tietgen	1885 –
		Harald Klitgaard	1912 – 1915
		C. C. Claussen	1915 – 1920
1		Ernst Meyer	1922 – 1933
		Rudolph Schmidt	1941 – 1948
		Victor B. Strand [da; sv]	1966 – 1969

Citizenship as a wholesaler

Died before 1809

	Name	Citizenship	Location	Notes
	Joost van Hemert	1727
	Michael Fabritius	1732
	Andreas Bodenhoff	1749
	Peter Borre	1750	Strandgade 44
	Peter Fenger	1752	Strandgade 8
	John Brown	1755
	Peter van Hemert	1765
	Johan Jacob Frolich		Lille Strandstræde 20 (1787)
	Knud Christensen		Langebrogade 15

Members in 1809

People with citizenship as wholesalers in Copenhagen as of 16 June 1809, arranged chronologically by year that citizenship was acquired:^[4]

	Name	Citizenship	Location	Notes
1.	Christian Hansen		Amagertorv 6
2.	Jørgen Bech	1764	Toldbodgade 15
3.	Frédéric de Coninck	1765	Dronningens Tværgade 2
4.	Lars Larsen		Nyhavn 63
5.	Andreas Buntzen	1772	Overgaden oven Vandet 54
6.	Pierre Peschier		Holmens Kanal 12
7.	Peter Rabe Holm		Strandgade 22
8.	Charles August Selby	1777	Strandgade 24
9.	Rasmus Kirketerp		Toldbodgade 2
10.	Christian Ludvig Lütken		Lille Strandstræde 20 (1801), Amaliegade 13
11.	Thomas Potter		Overgaden Oven Vandet 10
12.	Andreas Collstrup		Holmens Kanal 10
13.	David Amsel Meyer	1780	Frederiksholms Kanal 6
14.	Rasmus Selmer
15.	Bernhard Henrich Hilker		Sankt Annæ Plads 10 (part of, 1787)
16.	Friderich Wewer
17.	Ole Berendt Suhr		Gammeltorv 22
18.	Jens Jyde
19.	Hans Friis		Kvæsthusgade 5
20.	Caspar Peter Bügel	1783	Frederiksholms Kanal 16–18
21.	H. J. Cantor
22.	G. L. Becker		Gammeltorv 18
23.	J. L. Junghans
24.	Gotfried Halkier
25.	Thomas Ter-Borch		Dronningens Tværgade 7
26.	A. L. Warberg
27.	Erich Erichsen		Holmens Kanal 18
28.	Emanuel Falckner
29.	Johannes Schartau
30.	Knud Tang		Gothersgade 12 (1787)
31.	Johann Ludvig Zinn	1767	Kvæsthusgade 3
32.	Johann Christoph August Bindseil		Fortunstræde, Nyhavn 17, Vildmanden
33.	Hans Rudolph Saabye		Amaliegade 10
34	Hans Wassard		Vimmelskaftet 30
35.	John Christmas
36.	Hans Staal Hagen		Amaliegade 14
37.	Jeppe Prætorius
38.	Casper Fried. Fiedler		Vimmelskaftet 49
39.	Albrecht Ludvig Schmidt		Ved Stranden 2
40.	S. C. Wedege
41.	Christian Faber Birch		Kvæsthusgade 5
42	Jacob Agier
43.	Niels Brock Hansen		Strandgade 36
44	Georg Daniel von der Pahlen		Laksegade 4, Vingårdstræde 1-3
45.	Carl Ludvig Drewsen
46.	Christian Thomsen		Amaliegade 7
47.	William Duntzfelt	1795	Amaliegade 24
48.	Jos. Nath. David
49.	Johannes Søbøtker
50.	Jens Harboe
51.	Frid. Ch. Friderici		Ved Stranden 20
52.	Peder Fridr. Becker
53.	J. P. Hjorthøy
54.	Morten Cortsen		Kvæsthusgade 1 (1801)
55.	Andreas Petersen
56.	Peter Møller
57.	Schambach Selboe
58.	Jacob Thostrup
59.	J. D. Vogel
60.	Daniel Walker
61.	M. L. Mariboe
62.	Hans Kye
63.	Peter Tutein		Købmagergade 42 (1801)
64.	Friederich Tutein		Vimmelskaftet 47
65.	Diederich Tutein		Vimmelskaftet 39
66.	L. N. Cramer
67.	Isac Larpent
68.	Christ. Daniel Otte		Amaliegade 12
69.	Rasmus Schifter
70.	Joh. Rud. Meyer
71.	Johan Jacob Leiner
72.	Francois le Chevalier
73.	Niels Frid. Læssøe
74.	Joh. Gerhard Møller
75.	H. G. Christensen.
76.	Gottlieb Eichel
77.	F. G. Kellermann
78.	J. C. Krossing
79.	Jens Johansen
80.	Hans Peder Kofoed
81.	Oluf Løvgreen
82.	J. G. Veith
83.	Moses Bendix
84.	Nicolai C. Reimer
85.	C. S. Mangor		Bredgade 60
86.	Wilh. Aug. Raasch
87.	Anders Nielsen
88.	Johan Frid. Zinn
89.	J. M. Damkiær
90	C. F. G. Herre
91.	O. J. Arnemann
92.	C. Fantauzzi d’Orfee
93.	G. F. W. Scheuermann
94.	Johannes Hammerich		Nybrogade 10
95.	Mads Fonnesbech
96.	Marcus Stampe
97.	Jacob Seeler
98.	Alexander Watt
99.	Lauritz Lauritzen		Nytorv 7
100.	G. L. Køppen
101.	Peder Wedersøe		Nyhavn 17
102.	Peder Cøster
133.	J. W. v. Halle
104.	C. F. A Wulff
105.	James Gordon
106.	J. S. Meyer
107.	Meyer Seligman Trier
108.	A. F. Beyer
109.	Nathaniel Cox
111.	Alexius Hoffmann
112.	Peter Frid. Lowe
113.	Jens Peter Jensen
114.	W. C. Good
115.	Jens Holbech		Nyhavn 35, Amaliegade 5
116.	J. H. Malling
117.	B. Wichmann
118.	D. C. Welling
119.	Jørgen Peter Bech		Nybrogade 24
120.	H. C. Müffelmann
121.	Mathias Sartz
122.	F. B. Branner
123.	Peter Kofoed
124.	Isac Benners
125.	Laurentius Collstrup
127.	Carl Ferrall
128.	H. C. Müffelmann
129.	V. N. Mangor
130.	C. J. Hasfeldt
131.	A. L. Schmidt
131.	J. J. v. Hemert
132.	J. F. Hoch
133.	P. R. W. Mariboe
134.	R. J. Schmidt
135.	F. A. Eschee
136.	S. C. Gustmeyer
137.	Christ. Broberg
138.	N. C. Wedersoe.
139.	J. L. Nathanson
140.	G. F. Holm
141.	Jens Jensen Berg
142.	E. C. Busch
143.	Erich Nissen		Nyhavn 53
144.	Gerson Moses Melchior
145.	Falch Aron
146.	Hans Lausen
147.	C. F. Wohlermann
148.	J. J. Holbech
149.	N. 0. Botch
150.	H. P. Duus
151.	K. A. Christiani.
152.	Iver Wibroe
153.	Georg Jørgefisen
154.	C. H. Bentzen
155.	N. C. R. Saabye
156.	P. F. van Wyllich
157.	Christen Fogh
158.	L. B. Hollænder
159.	August Gøtæe
160.	P. P. Kofoed
161.	P. A. Collstrup
162.	L. J. Maag
163.	J. D. Meyer
164.	J. J. Petzholdt
165.	Niels Møller
166.	Claus Carstens
167.	Peter Jacob Topp
168.	Peter Mosbøll
169.	Magnus Ipsen
170.	Christian Rønnenkamp
171.	Andreas Leisner
172.	Ole Christian Gammeltoft
173.	A. C. F. Schrøder

Citizenship as a wholesaler after 1809

	Name	Citizenship	Location	Notes
	Georg Petersen	?		Member of Grosserer-Societetet's committee 1863–1881
	Harald Fritsche	?		Member of Grosserer-Societetet's committee 1874–1893
	Harald Hansen	?		Member of Grosserer-Societetet's committee 1893–1902
	Andreas Buntzen	1812	Overgaden oven Vandet 54
	Joseph Hambro	1812	Kongens Nytorv
	Hans Puggaard	1813	Store Kongensgade 62
	Nicolai Jonathan Meinert	?	Store Kongensgade 62	Member of Grosserer-Societetet's committee 1834–1756.
	Emil Zeuthen Svitzer	1820
	Henrik Danchell	1928		Store Kongensgade 62
	David Halberstadt	1834		Member of Grosserer-Societetet's committee from 1857
	Arnold Eugen Reimann	1834		Member of Grosserer-Societetet's committee 1914–1010
	ChristianAugust Broberg	1835		Member of Grosserer-Societetet's committee 1842–1863
	Jacob Herman Mannheimer	1857
	Hans Peter Johan Lyngbye	1863
	Julius Bernburg	1864
	Holger Petersen	1868
	Frantz Thestrup Adolph	1869
	David Baruch Adler	1850	Ved Stranden 14	Member of Grosserer-Societetet's committee 1775–1878
	Christian Kjellerup Hansen	1856
	Augustin Gamél	1866
	Frederik Carl Christian Johansen Baune	1871
	Julius Kopp	1872
	Sophus Munk Plum	1873
	Jacob Herman Mannheimer	1876
	Carl Holten	1766
	Harald Klitgaard	?		Member of Grosserer-Societetet's committee 1894–1820
	Carl G. Melchior	1882
	Christian Johannes Kampmann	1886
	Carl G. Melchior	1892
	Christen Daell	1892
	Hans Hald Sthyr	1893
	Christian Saugman	1930

References

The text of this article is mainly taken from "Grosserer-Societetet". Salmonsens Konversationsleksikon (2nd ed.). 1920.

Notes

1. Arntzen, Jon Gunnar (2023-01-26), "grosserer", Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian), from the original on 2023-04-29, retrieved 2023-04-29
2. "Rederier og deres skibe". jmarcussen.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 16 June 2022.
3. Asmussen, Benjamin. "Networks and faces between Copenhagen and Canton, 1730-1840" (PDF). econstor.eu. (PDF) from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
4. Werner, Johannes. "Christian Wilhelm Duntzfelt - en dansk storkøbmand fra den glimrende handelsperiode" (PDF). Gyldendalske Boghandel Nordisk Forlag (in Danish). Retrieved 16 June 2022.
5. "Grosserersocietets-Komiteens Omdannelse. Andragende til Indenrigsministeriet fra Grosserer-Societetets Comitee. Om en Udvidelse af Comiteen som Repræsentation for Handel, Skibsfart og Industri m. m. Kbhvn. 1881". Nationaløkonomisk Tidsskrift (in Danish). 1 (18). 1881. from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
6. "Wilhelmine Rerup". Dansk Kvindebiografisk Leksikon (in Danish). from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
7. "Caroline Herding". Dansk Kvindebiografisk Leksikon (in Danish). from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
8. Dietrich, Ove W.; Andersen, Victor. "Grosserer-Societetet". Den Store Danske (in Danish). from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
9. "Ved Stranden 10". indenforvoldene.dk (in Danish). from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
10. "Virksomhedshistorie". historisksamfundskive.dk (in Danish). from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
11. Schroeder, Peter (2020). Niels Brock 140 år – derfor er vi her: 1881–2021 (PDF) (in Danish). p. 20. ISBN 978-87-984617-2-2. OCLC 1243203248. (PDF) from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
12. Krabbe, Niels, ed. (2008). Carl Nielsen: 1865–1931, Works (PDF). Carl Nielsen edition. Copenhagen: The Royal Library. pp. x. ISBN 978-87-598-1712-4. OCLC 39454933. (PDF) from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
13. "Erich Erichsen" (in Danish). Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
14. "Friederich Tutein". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
15. "L.N. Hvidt" (in Danish). Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
16. "Sigf. Goldschmidt" (in Danish). Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2020.

Sources

• Schovelin, Julius (1917). Fra Kongegunst til Selvstyre – Grosserer-societetet og dets komite 1797–1857 (in Danish). Grosserer-Societetets Komite. OCLC 1343123057 – via Archive.org.

Further reading

• Lorenzen, Vilhelm, ed. (1942). Grosserer-Societetet 1742–1942 (in Danish). Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
• Lau Hansen, Jesper (1999-01-01). "Kampen om Fondsbørsen i det 19. og 20. århundrede". Historie: Jyske Samlinger (in Danish). Jysk selskab for historie: 59. ISSN 2246-7742. OCLC 1305413730.
• Lundgård Andersen, Hasse (2004). Grosserer-Societetet 1942–1987 og Handelskammeret 1987–2002 (in Danish). Copenhagen: HTS Interesseorganisationen. ISBN 9788799050505. OCLC 257789227.

External links

• "Grosserersocietets-Komiteens Omdannelse. Andragende til Indenrigsministeriet fra Grosserer-Societetets Comitee. Om en Udvidelse af Comiteen som Repræsentation for Handel, Skibsfart og Industri m. m. Kbhvn. 1881". Nationaløkonomisk Tidsskrift (in Danish). 1 (18). 1881.
• Grossererstat 1925