Hartvig Marcus Frisch (1754–1816)


Hartvig Marcus Frisch was a Danish businessman who served as director of the Royal Greenland Trading Department from 1781 to 1816. The Frisch House, his former home in Copenhagen, located at Nytorv 5, was designed by Nicolai Abildgaard. It is listed on the Danish registry of protected buildings and places.

Early life and family

Frisch was born in Helsingør in 1754. His father, who was also called Hartvig Marcus Frisch.

Career

Frisch was in 1771 employed by Det Altonaiske Bankkontor. In 1774, he assumed a position as secretary for at Øresund Custom House. He assisted his father who, as a Herman-speaking Holsteiner, was challenged by the increasing use of Danish under Ove Høegh-Guldberg's years in office. In 1776, the same year that his father was granted pension, Frisch was promoted to protecollist. In 1781, after his dather's death, he was initially appointed to senior supervisor of the Iceland-Finmark Trading Company but and later that same year to director of the Danish Royal Greenland Company with title of justitsråd. Heinrich Schimmelmann reccommened him for the positions.In 1782, Friederich Martini was appointed as co-director.
In 1788, Frisch became a member of the Royal Greenland Trade Commission. In 1792, he also acted as director of Realisationskommissionen for det danske, norske, slesvigske og holstenske forenede handels- og kanalkompagni as well as a member of various commissions related to North Atlantic trade. In 1813, he was appointed to etatsråd.

Property

Freisch constructed a house at Nytorv 5 in 1799-1803. The building was designed by Nicolai Abildgaard and is now listed.
He owned the estate Vodroffgård outside Copenhagen from 1794 tp 1803. The estate was both managed as a farm and the site of a water-powered factory.

Personal life

Frisch married Dorothea Tutein, a daughter of merchant and textile manufacturer Peter Tutein and Pauline Maria Tutein, on 10 January 1783 in Frederick's German Church. They had the children Theodor Frisch, Emil Frisch, Henriette Pauline Frisch, Sophie Frederikke Frisch and Constantin Frisch (bprm 1793.
Frisch belonged to the German congregations in Copenhagen and Helsingør. He died in Ems on 22 August 1816. The ship that transported his coffin home wrecked.