Ole Jørgen Rawert (Ravert) (3 January 1786 - 11 July 1851) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

civil servant, industrial historians topographical writer and illustrator. Throughout his life, he travelled extensively, in Denmark and the rest of Europe, documenting what his saw through a vast number of rather primitive, dated topographical watercolors.

Early life and career

Rawert was born in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, the son of Jørgen Heinrich Rawert (1751–1823) and Anna Maria Krieger (1758–1826). He passed grammar school in 1803 and then enrolled at the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

, but the nature of his studies is unknown. In 1809 he was employed as a

copyist A copyist is a person that makes duplications of the same thing. The term is sometimes used for artists who make copies of other artists' paintings. However, the modern use of the term is almost entirely confined to music copyists, who are emplo ...

in the

Kommercekollegiet Kommercekollegiet (The Board of Trade or The Trade Authority), also Kommercekollegium, was a central executive agency for commercial, marine and industrial affairs under the absolute monarchy of Denmark. It functioned with variations in scope and un ...

. He became an associated member of the board of directors of the royal manufactories (''overtalligt medlem af fabrikdirektionen''), and a co-editor of ''Handels- og Industritidende'' ("Journal of Trade and Industry"), and, in 1812, a full board member.

Travels and publications

The state bankruptcy of 1813 left the country in a difficult situation. The position of editor of ''Handels- og Industritidende'' was suspended temporarily in 1814 and the board of management of the royal manufactories was dissolved in 1816, leaving Rawert out of work and with only a small pension (''ventepenge''). Rawert had visited

Bornholm Bornholm () is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. It has usually been ruled by ...

with Gottfried Garlieb in 1815 (their description of the island was published in 1818) and now received a royal stipend to study industrial enterprises on a journey abroad in 1816–19. He visited

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, and

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. A visit to

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

in October 1818 produced five pictures from the area of Dublin and Wicklow in manuscript form
''Rawerts maleriske Reisebut, VI''
but were not accompanied by a travel narrative. He then travelled widely in Denmark in 1819–21, publishing the ''Danske Egne'' ("Regions of Denmark") in 1819–23, The work was richly illustrated with copper print engraving by Søren Henrik Petersen (1788-1860) based on his own and Rawert's drawings. His next work, ''Beretning om Industriens Tilstand i de danske Provindser'' ("An account of the Condition of Industrial Wnterprises in the Provinces"), published in 1820, received considerable attention. It described the sorry condition of industrial enterprises around the country and argued that the situation could only be improved through the establishment of polytechnic schools and other educational facilities.

Later career

Rawert was appointed as accessor in 1823 and once again served as editor of ''Handels- og Industritidende'' from 1825–44. In 1829, he once again became a member (''ekstrakommitteret'') of kommercekollegiet. He left it in 1831 to assume a position as customs inspector in Copenhagen as well as director of factories.

New travels and publications, 1844–49

Reaert retired as customs inspector and editor of ''Handels- og Industritidende'' in 1844 but remained director of factories until his death. In 1844 and 1845 he travelled in Germany and Austria with economic support from Industrifonden and Den Reiersenske Fond. It resulted in small publications about the industry of Sachsen, Württemberg, Bavaria, Hannover and Austria in 1846–47. A similar publication about Sweden was published in 1847. He published ''Kongeriget Danmarks industrielle Forhold fra de ældste Tider indtil Begyndelsen af 1848'' in 1848.

Personal life

Rawert married Cathrine Actonia Christine Bugge (21 March 1786 - 1 April 1849) on 29 November 1827. She was a daughter of State Council secretary (''gehejmekabinetssekretær'') Frederik Conrad Bugge (1754–1842) and Henriette Cathrine Henrichsen (1746–1830). After his first wife's death in 1840, Rawert married her younger sister, Henriette Cathrine Bugge (8 August 1801 - 25 April 1885), on 27 November 184.

Legacy

The

Royal Danish Library The Royal Library ( da, Det Kongelige Bibliotek) in Copenhagen is the national library of Denmark and the university library of the University of Copenhagen. It is among the largest libraries in the world and the largest in the Nordic countries ...

contains approximately 1,400 coloured drawings from his travels. Rawert was not only interested in strengthening industrial development but also in the industrial history of the country. This resulted in numerous articles in ''Handels- og Industritidende''. He began the publication of a work on the history of the textile industry in Denmark in 1813 but discontinued it for "several reasons" that he fails to specify. An article in ''Handels- og Industrietidende'' from 1825 about the state of trade in Denmark resulted in an official note of displeasure. ''Kongeriget Danmarks industrielle Forhold fra de ældste Tider indtil Begyndelsen af 1848'' (1848) is considered his most significant work. It is, however, rather a compilation of his earlier articles and publications than a coherent work which provides a clear overview of the subject. The kommercekollegiet archives provided him with much valuable information. Rawert's ''Almindeligt Varelexicon'' published in two volumes in 1831 and 1834 provides detailed information on everyday goods, their place of origin, and history, etc.

Gallery

File:Ole Jørgen Rawert- Hassel Jernværk ved Modum 1805 RA001020.jpg, 1805: ''Hassel Iron Works, Norway'' File:Ole Jørgen Rawert- Udsigten fra Paradiis Bakken. Drammen 1805 RA001021.jpg, 1805: ''View From Paradise Hill, Drammen, Norway'' File:Ole Jørgen Rawert - Möens Klint d 23 May 1819 No. 13 RA000401.jpg, 23 May 1819: '' Møns Klint,

Møn Møn () is an island in south-eastern Denmark. Until 1 January 2007, it was a municipality in its own right but it is now part of the municipality of Vordingborg, after merging with the former municipalities of Langebæk, Præstø, and Vordingbo ...

'' File:Ole Jørgen Rawert - St. Knuds Kirke i Odense d 11 Juny 1819. No. 33 RA000461.jpg, 11 June 1819: '' St. Canute's Cathedral, Odense'' File:Ole Jørgen Rawert - Jellinge Rune Stene, endeel af Gorm den Gamles Gravsted med Jellinge By og Kirke d 25 Juny 1819. No. 44 RA000488.jpg, 25 June 1819: '' Jelling stones'' File:Ole Jørgen Rawert - Et Parti af Stevns Klint d 7 May 1822 RA000389.jpg, 7 May 1822: ''

Stevns Klint Stevns Klint, known as the Cliffs of Stevns in English, is a white chalk cliff located some southeast of Store Heddinge on the Danish island of Zealand. Stretching along the coast, it is of geological importance as one of the best exposed Cre ...

'' File:Ole Jørgen Rawert - Eremitagen d 8 Aug 1823 RA000087.jpg, 8 August 1823; '' The Hermitage, Jægersborg Deer Park'' File:Ole Jørgen Rawert - Raadvaddams Fabrik og Erimetagen d 8 Aug 1823 RA000102.jpg, 8 August 1823: ''

Raadvad Raadvad, or Rådvad is a former industrial development located on both sides of the Mølleåen river which at this point marks the border between Lyngby-Taarbæk and Rudersdal municipalities in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was ...

'' File:Ole Jørgen Rawert - Skovlöber Huus, ved Farum d 26 Aug 1824 RA000217.jpg, 26 August 1824; ''Forest Worker's House at

Farum Farum is a town on the northeast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, 20 km northwest of Copenhagen. The town has a population of 20,312 (1 January 2022).

'' File:Emilies Kilde d. 1825.png, 1 June 1825: '' Emilie's Spring, Charlottenlund'' File:Ole Jørgen Rawert - Et Partie af Kong Sviins Gravhöi d 5 August 1820. No. 61 RA000433.jpg, 5 August 1820 ''King Svin's Mound, Smørum''

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rawert, Ole Jorgen Danish civil servants 19th-century Danish historians 19th-century Danish illustrators Danish writers 1785 births 1851 deaths