Georg Petersen

Petersen was born on 2 October 1820, the son of wholesale merchant Friedrich Erasmi Petersen (1783–1864) and Wilhelmine Caroline Langreuter (1787–1848). His father had bought the property Nyhavn 63 in 1817.^[1] The family belonged to the city's German congregation at St. Peter's Church. Petersen received a good commercial education in his father's firm F. P. Petersen as well as in a large trading firm in Hamburg.^[2]

Petersen was created a partner in his father's firm in 1846. In 1864, he became its sole owner. The firm traded in grain, Swedish iron and products from Iceland. It was one of the most respected of its kind in Copenhagen. In 1860, Petersen was elected for Privatbanken's bank council. In 1886, he succeeded Christian August Broberg as its chairman. He was also active (kommiteret) in Private Assurandører and chair of Nordisk Brandforsikring. In 1863–81, he was a member of Grosserer-Societetet's committee.^[1]