Hans Puggaard was a Danish merchant and shipowner who founded H. Puggaard & Co. in 1813. The company became a leading wholesaler of grain and was also active in the market for import of colonial goods such as coffee and especially sugar. Puggaard's wife, Bolette Puggaard née Hage, a daughter of Christopher Friedenreich Hage, was a painter. The couple supported many of the artists of the Danish Golden Age. A daughter married Orla Lehmann.
Early life and education
Puggard was born in Copenhagen in poor conditions. His parents were Thomas Puggaard and Cathrine Marie Puggaard née Svane (1754-1814. His father was assistant cantor at the Church of Holmen and owner of the punch bar at the Royal Theatre on Kongens Nytorv. He was initially not sent to school but had to assist in his father's punch bar, but later attended Det von Westenske Institut in Nørregade. He had aspirations to become a merchant but was unable to find an apprenticeship and therefore trained as a surveyor before he was employed as a clerk in the head office at Classen'sFrederiksværk. He began his career in trade by receiving small commissions for bringing goods along on his journeys between Frederiksværk and Copenhagen. When Puggaard acted as secretary for Eilert Tscherning's on his journey to Sweden in 1812, he used the opportunity to buy up English products that were unavailable in Denmark at the time.
H. Puggaard & Co.
In 1813, Puggaard was finally licensed as merchant and established his own trading house. He went on numerous journeys to Sweden, Hamburg, England and seaports on the Baltic Sea. Puggaard specialized in exporting grain from the countries around the Baltic Sea to England but also traded in timber, herring and wine.
Puggaard's marriage to Bolette Hage, a daughter of Christopher Friedenreich Hage a business partner on Møn, was also a key event in the development of his company. The marriage strengthened the business relationship between the two families and Puggaard later employed his brother-in-law Alfred Hage as head of his company's activities in Nakskov and he later became a partner in the company. The Nakskov branch operated its own fleet. In 1823, it consisted of two schooners, Caroline and Anette Hage', both built in Nakskov, the brig Bolette Puggaard, the barqueJohannes Hage and schooner brigHother''. Hans Puggaard's son, Rudolph Puggaard, joined the Nakskov office in 1839 and worked in a leading position at the head office in Copenhagen from 1842. Trade in grain remained the most important business area but the company was also a major importer of colonial goods, such as coffee and sugar, and later also engaged in banking. Puggaard and Hage had many disagreements and the younger Hage gradually came to play a more dominant role in the company.
Shipping
In 1865, shortly prior to Hans Puggaard's death but after he was no longer active in the company, H. Puggaard & Co. was a co-founder of Det Kjøbenhavnske Skibsrederi. The following ships were either owned by H. Puggaard & Co. or Det Kjøbenhavnske Skibsrederi:
Bolette Puggaard was interested in the arts and herself a painter. Their homes in Copenhagen and Ordrup were frequented by many of the leading artists of the time, Bertel Thorvaldsen, C. W. Eckersberg, Wilhelm Marstrand and Thorvald Bindesbøll. The Puggaard family visited Rome several times in the 1830s, for instance in 1835-36.. Their Roman residence was situated in Via degli Avignonesein, close to Piazza Barberini and Thorvaldsen's studio. The Puggaard's became known for their soirées. Puggaard was a member of the committee that was set up in connection with the establishment of Thorvaldsens Museum. When one of their daughters married Orla Lehmann their home also became a meeting place for the inner circle of the National Liberal movement. Puggaard had political interests and was a member of Folketinget from 1854 to 1958 and again 1861 to 1864, and of Landstinget in 1864-66. Puggaard died on 8 April 1866 and is buried in the Cemetery of Holmen.
