Andreas Bjørn

Andreas Bjørn was a Danish merchant and entrepreneur who owned the largest shipyard in Denmark.

Bjørn started his career as a successful timber merchant in Copenhagen. In the following period he expanded his business dealings working as army contractor to the Royal Danish Army and Navy supplying them with provisions, canons and timber. In the 1730s he was allowed by the King Christian Vi to take the area north of Christianshavn where he built the shipyard which became the largest shipyard in Denmark of the time. In the following twenty years, there was produced 50 ships including the 44-canon naval ship Copenhagen Castle (Kjøbenhavns Slot).

Bjørn also had interests in overseas trade. He was a founder of the “Det almindelige Handelskompagni” or “The General Trading Company” which traded with Iceland, Finmark and Grenland, and held a partnership in Danish West India Company and Danish Iceland Company. He also participated in trade with the Danish West Indies.