Ove Gjedde

Ove Gjedde was the Danish admiral who led the first Danish trade expedition to Asia 1618-1622.

Modeled by the famous English and Dutch East India Company, the Danish East India Company founded in 1616 in Copenhagen had an aim to engage in trade with the East Indies, China and Japan. In 1618 Gjedde was sent to the East Indies as a head of the five ships fleet and successfully established trading colony at Trankebar, south of Madras, two years later. Tranquebar would remain a Danish colony for 200 years.

Back in Norway, Gjedde acquired land properties and invested his capital in the iron and silver mining industries in Kongsberg and Ulefoss. From 1630 he served as director of the Kongsberg Silver Mines. As an admiral he participated in the Torstenson War (1643–1645) and was held in Swedish captivity after the peace treaty of 1658 was broken. He was released two years later and died that same year.