Conrad Fabritius de Tengnagel
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Conrad Fabritius de Tengnagel | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Miniature portrait by Cornelius Høyer | |
| Born | 8 August 1731 |
| Died | 13 September 1805 (aged 74) Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Occupations | Businessman and shipowner |
Conrad Alexander Fabritius (8 August 1731 - 13 September 1805), ennobled by letters patent under the name Fabritius de Tengnagel in 1778, was a Danish merchant, shipowner and patron of the arts. He owned Enrum at Vedbæk from 1776.
Conrad Fabritius was born on 8 August 1731 in Copenhagen, the son of Michael Fabritius (1697–1746) and Anna Maria Köster (1705–1775). His father was a co-founder of Fabritius & Wewer, a leading trading house in Copenhagen, but died when Conrad Fabritius was 15 years old. His mother was later married to her late husband's business partner, Johan Friederich Wewer, who continued Fabritius & Wewer. Conrad Fabritius and his brother Michael Fabritius were both educated in the company.
Career
Conrad and Michael Fabritius continued Fabritius & Wewer after Wewer 's death.[1]
In 1772, Fabritius de Tengnagel was elected as one of the directors of the Danish Asia Company. The company had just lost its monopoly on trade on the far east and he also traded on India with his own fleet of merchant ships. He resigned from his position as director of the Danish Asia Company in 1776 after his double role had resulted in criticism from the other participants in the enterprise but was again elected as director in 1778. Conrad and Michael Fabritius were on 4 May that same year ennobled by letters patent under the name Fabritius de Tengnagel.
In 1784, he was again forced to resign in connection with a scandal where a group of high-ranking employees had embezzled the company for close to DKK 500,000. The other shareholders in the company were outraged and wanted the directors to be held accountable. In the end Fabritius de Tengnagel had to pay 10,000 Danish rigsdaler in compensation to the company.[2]
