Nicolai Abraham Holten

Holten was born in Copenhagen, the son of customs officer and former pharmacist Johannes (Hans) Holten (1741–1816) and Ane Margrethe Holten née Abildgaard (1747–1826). His grand father was royal furniture maker Johann von Holten and he was named after his maternal uncle Nicolai Abraham Abildgaard.

He attended Efterslægtselskabets Skole from October 1788 to September 1790.^[1] He was later educated in Niels Ryberg's trading house.

After completing his education Holten established his own business as a bankier and broker. He collaborated with the government and was in 1816 appointed to specialist director of national debt (statsgældsdirektør). He headed to the office for foreign payments in 1817–1839 and was a member of a commission that made a proposal for the important Negotiable Instrument Act (veksellov) of 1825. He was also consulted as a personal advisor on financial matters by Frederick VII.

Holten was appointed director of Øresund Customs House [da] in Helsingør in 1830 but continued as a member of the governing board of the national debt department until 1848.

He was appointed to council of state (etatsråd) in 1817, Konferensråd in 1829 and Gehejmekonferensråd (privy councillor) in 1847.^[2]

He purchased Lindegården on the Hornsherred peninsula in 1909 and the nearby manor of Krabbesholm in 1910. He used Lindegården as a summer residence and was responsible for many improvements of the management of his land. He was interested in trees and established a nursery on his estate. He was known for treating the farmers on his estate well and he founded the school in Skibby.