Bernt Anker

Bernt Anker, Ancher ( born November 22, 1746 Christiania, † April 21, 1805 ibid ) was timber merchants, ship owners and mine owners.

His parents were of the timber merchant and ship owner Christian Ancher (1711-1765) and his wife Karen Elieson ( 1723-1806 ). On April 11, 1773 he married Mathia Leuch born Collett (28 May 1737-21. July 1801 ), widow of businessman and landowner Morten Pedersen Leuch Younger (1732-1768) and daughter of the businessman Peter Collett (1694-1740) and his wife Anna Cathrine Rosenberg ( 1699-1747 ). He changed his name in 1778 in anchor.

Bernt Anker was Norway's richest man in 1800. He led his huge fortune in a Fideikommiss. This was completely lost after 1814.

He grew up in Christiania, and came in 1764 to the University of Copenhagen. In the following three years he made together with his three brothers and two cousins ​​a great tour through Europe, visiting Sweden, Germany, Italy, France and Great Britain. In 1767 he received the title Judicial Council and took over the family company. He soon became one of the leading persons in the patriciate Christiania. In 1778 he was raised together with his two surviving Büdern in the Danish nobility, where he took the name "anchor". He was eager for the honorary title. In 1774 he became Privy Councillor, 1790, he was functionary, 1793 chamberlain and in 1803 a Knight of the Dannebrog.

His marriage with the widow of Morten Leuch 1773 brought another asset in the company. When the inheritance was divided after his father in 1783, each of the brothers received its own independent economy. Bernt Anker was now the richest man in the country with 100,000 Rigsdaler net income for the year. In 1784 he took over the ironworks at Moss. With the help of a government loan, he built a cannon foundry, which became the main supplier of the Danish-Norwegian fleet. He had the gold and copper at Eidsvoll and many other copper factories. He also took the operation of the ironworks in Hakadal again. He operated a major fleet and endowed in 1791 the first Norwegian riders from the East Indies. But the timber trade remained the main business and based on the extensive forest holdings in Østlandet. When he died in 1805, his fortune was estimated at a half million Rigsdaler.

From the traditional letters to his cousin Carsten stating that his business for him a constant source of concern was and he constantly suffered from liquidity problems. With its relatively small equity Baren he was threatened economically more than other timber merchant. Added to this was the 1798 acquisition of the debt-ridden house after his brother Jess. At his death his fortune was active against many has grown with different guarantees, commitments and cash benefits to the children of his brothers debt.

On this background, is his most important political plan to see "Plan proposé pour une Banque locale à Christiania ", which was published in the winter 1796 in the journal Hermoder. He was initially drafted in French, but was then translated. It was initiated with a larger article "Om banker i Almindelighed " ( On Banks in general). Like his father 30 years ago, he joined for an increase of circulating money. At that time, in Christiania almost 30 000 Rigsdaler in paper money in circulation, which faced a real value on moving goods from one million Rigsdaler. The scarcity of money was indeed met by large loans from the royal treasury, but the government looked strong on monetary stability. The timber exporters thought it go more to the inner Danish economy. But when the Danish krone rose against the British pound, the profit for the Norwegian timber exporters decreased. For this purpose, a crisis came in the export of timber, when he went back by one-third from 1792 to 1797. Anchor was therefore interested in the change in monetary policy. When he appealed it in different twists to the patriotism, he harnessed the national feelings for his plans and identified its interests with the good of the state. He had his prototype in the English banks, where there were banks in every commercial city. He hit a bank in the form of a stock corporation with 2,000 shares at 100 Rigsdaler ago. The course between paper money and coins should be determined by the market. But a number of citizens of Christiania were against his plan. Leaders had already in 1794 proposed to establish a bank in the manner of the Danish Species Bank and the banks in the duchies. Their target was a fixed exchange rate between paper money and coins. This would have benefited from the inner-city trade. Anchor could not prevail.

Among his most important public objectives included the establishment of a Norwegian university, founded a movement for the Nicolai Jacob Wilse in March 1793. You should satisfy practical national needs in education. He was appointed to the appropriate founding committee. Early spring of 1795 the petition was forwarded and rejected the king.

Anchor was inspired by national moods, but no reform supporters. For grand occasions he dined, although the poor in large numbers, but had no sense of the demands of the workers and peasants, and he taunted the peasant leader Lofthuus in prison as " lower soul, a rogue in civil life and a stupid rebel in the political ".

He was co-founder in 1780 of " Det dramatiske Selskab " ( Dramatic Society) in Christiania, the cultural center of the city and also played himself often lead roles on stage. Also he built in 1778 with his wife " Det Ankerske Waisenhus ".

From what he gave to the city and the country, nothing is left. Most of his writings were never printed. His silver casket was fogged to various cemeteries until he finally came to Copenhagen. His Fideikommiss fell during the crisis years after 1814 into financial difficulties, and when in 1819 the lumber yard burned down, this meant the end of the property.

Printed Works (selection)

• Om Oprettelsen af et Universitet i Norge. In: Supplement to Norske intelligence Seddeler. No. 22/ 1793.
• Sørgetale i St. Olav Loge, over Hr. Conrad Clauson, eggs af Bærums Jern - Værk in 1785. ( Funeral speech in Lodge St. Olav about Mr. Conad Clauso, owner of the ironworks in Bærum ). In: Iris. Vol 3, Copenhagen 1793, pp. 231-238.
• Om banker i Almindelighed med Hensyn til s local bank i Christiania. Plan proposé pour une Banque locale à Christiania. In: Hermoder. Vol 2, Issue 6, Copenhagen 1796, pp. 1-36.
• Autobiography. In: GL Lahde, R. Nyerup: Samling af fortjente Mænds Portraiter. Part 3, Copenhagen 1806.