Johan Friedrich Schwabe

Johan Friedrich Schwabe (also Johan Friderich Schwabe or Johan Fredrik Schwabe ; born February 13, 1749 at the Sakslund farm, Stange , † September 2, 1821 at the Rør farm, Ringsaker ) was a Norwegian lawyer , civil servant and lagman and inspector of North Greenland .

Life

His parents separated in 1758. Then his mother moved with him to Odense in Denmark , where he Domschule visited before in 1766 and 1767 two exam at the University in Copenhagen made. Then he returned to Norway, where he worked as a clerk and later as a civil servant in some Sorenskrivern worked. In 1776 he lived again in Copenhagen, where he was a lawyer. Again shortly afterwards he was his father's assistant until he died. Then he went back to the Danish capital, where he couldn't find a job. In 1779, however, Ove Høegh-Guldberg and Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann together with Bendt Olrik , although completely ignorant, commissioned him to observe whaling in Greenland . Finally, in 1781, both delivered a final report to Høegh-Guldberg, in which some improvements to the Greenland trade were suggested. As a result, both were appointed in 1782 as the first inspectors of Greenland, who were then responsible for trade with the colonial countries and de facto represented the highest political position in the dependent country. While Schwabe was assigned for the north, Olrik administered the southern colony . During the summer of that year he traveled to Godhavn, now Qeqertarsuaq , from where he administered his colony. His work was highly valued and he was particularly popular for his hard work, diligence, thrift, friendliness and the fact that he was an exemplary mediator between the Greenland population and the colonialists. In 1783 he even set up an aid fund for Greenland whalers. This is considered to be the world's first social assistance . In 1785, a typhoid epidemic broke out in Greenland and Schwabe was extremely interested in the containment and prevention of the disease, so he personally drew a brochure to inform all residents about the disease. This brochure was so medically correct and detailed that even doctors were amazed by Schwabe's knowledge. However, the harsh weather in Greenland damaged his health, so that he wrote a return application that same year, which was also accepted. Therefore he returned to Norway, and finally to Copenhagen in 1787. In 1788 he was appointed Lagmann in Norway until this position was abolished in 1797. Thereupon he retired to the farm Rør, from where he worked from then on.

family

Johan Friedrich Schwabe was the son of the Sorenskriver Hans Henrich Schwabe (1711–1777) and Rebecca Hoff (1730–1789). He married Birgitha (Berthe) Henrichsdatter Larsen (1754-1827) in 1781. The couple had seven children. Two of the daughters married brothers of the Heyerdahl family, which also includes the adventurer Thor Heyerdahl . There are a large number of famous people among their descendants.

• Sophie Fredrike (1777–1859), married to Hieronymus Heyerdahl (1773–1847), Mayor of Oslo
• Rebecca (1782–1866)
• Jens Henrich (1784–?)
• Christian (1787–1841)
• Marie Margrethe (1793–1880), married to Hans Olai Fremming Heyerdahl (1789–1866), priest, grandparents of Hans Heyerdahl (1857–1913), painter
• Rebecca (1794-1866)
• Gunhild (1797-1878)

The marriage was later divorced because his wife became insane .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} biography in Dansk biografisk leksikon
2. ↑ A. Falk-Jensen, H. Hjorth-Nielsen: Candidati et Examinati Juris (short biographies of graduates from the University of Copenhagen) (page 70)
3. ↑ Entry in the Lokalhistoriewiki