Georg Carstensen
Johan Bernhard Georg Carstensen ( born August 31, 1812 in Algiers, † January 4, 1857 in Copenhagen) was a Danish officer and entrepreneur. He was the founder of three Copenhagen Vergnügungsetablissements: " Tivoli ", " Casino" and "Alhambra".
Life
Carstensen's father was a diplomat and 1812 Danish consul general in Algiers. Georg Carstensen spent much of his childhood in the East. After a period of great trips to Carstensen decided to take the officer's career that he finished as a lieutenant.
1835-1837 he traveled to Spain, Morocco and Algeria. Via Paris, he went to the United States 1837-1838. Then Carstensen swept over England and France back to Copenhagen. He was a 1839-1841 literature and art magazine Portefeuillen out and then a Figaro ( 1841-1842 ). For subscribers Carstensen large banquets were organized with music and fireworks for advertising purposes. Place of festivals were the King's Garden ( Kongens Have), Classen Have or a riding Christiansborg Palace. As musical director and conductor for the most part acted Hans Christian Lumbye.
Due to the success of these festivals requested Carstensen King Christian VIII to the privilege for an amusement park modeled after the Vauxhall Gardens in London. "If amused the people, it's not a revolution ," Carstensen said to have argued in a personal audience with the king - and this argument is said to have impressed the king. Carstensen received a permit in 1843 to five years, a so-called under the name Tivoli Tivoli Kjøbenhavns og Vauxhall to operate. On August 15, 1843, amusement park opened its doors. Carstensen himself had designed most of the (wooden) buildings, to their original condition, however, is today virtually nothing remains.
After the Tivoli as Sommerfestort Carstensen 1847 tried to create a " winter Tivoli ", the " Casino". However, this soon went bankrupt and was transformed into a popular theater. In 1848 at Carstensen in the war over Schleswig, but was deposed by the management of Tivoli society. The imaginative, adventurous man was considered a spendthrift and not suitable for everyday use.
After the rift to Tivoli to Carstensen reported to four years to the army in the Danish West Indies. In 1852 he traveled to New York and designed by Charles Gildemeister the New York Crystal Palace for the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations (1853 ). In 1855 he returned to Copenhagen and tried to build up as a rival to Tivoli, the Alhambra garden, Frederiksberg. However, he died before the completion of the project. This enterprise ended, partly because of poor Heatability of the great hall, a fiasco. The investors of the project lost their money, the Alhambra was told by other until 1869 continued and then demolished. Carstensen designed in 1856 is one of Copenhagen's first tramway projects.
He is buried in the garrison Kirkegård of Copenhagen. Hans Christian Andersen dedicated to the early death a heartrending farewell poem.