Christian August Broberg

Broberg was born in Copenhagen, the son of merchant and ship-owner Christian Mortensen Broberg (1776–1852) and Anna Cosine Edsleff (1774–1851). He became an apprentice in his father's office from 1828 and then continued his education abroad. He came to Messina in 1832 where he worked for Ferd. Baller & Co. and became a partner. He returned to Copenhagen in 1835.[1]

Broberg's father had established his company in 1805 and it acquired its first ship Aurora in 1814. It was initially involved in the import of exotic fruit and other colonial goods from Asia but would later specialize in the lucrative coffee trade.[2]

On 1 January 1836, Broberg became a partner in the family firm which now changed its name to Chr. Broberg & Søn. He headed the company after his father's death in 1852. Chr. Broberg & Søn was the first trading house in the Nordic countries which established direct trade relations to Brazil (E. Jonston & Co., Rio and Santos) in competition with those in Hamburg. He brought the coffee home in his own fleet of merchant ships and became one of the largest ship-owners in Denmark of his time. In the 1860s, it was by far the largest Nordic importer of coffee.

Broberg & Søn was hit hard by the 1874 international coffee crisis. Christian August Broberg was abroad and had left the company in the hands of his son, Carl August B.s (1846–1917), who had engaged in risky, speculative transactions. Broberg hurried back to Copenhagen but was unable to prevent the loss of almost his entire fortune.[3]

Painting of C. A. Broberg in the Geering House in Copenhagen

Broberg was also involved in the establishment of a number of other ventures. He was elected for the board of representatives of the Bank of Denmark in 1844.[4] He was one of the founders of Lånebanken in 1853. In 1857, he was also a co-founder of Privatbanken and remained a member of the bank council until his death. Broberg was a driving force behind the appointment of Carl Frederik Tietgen to bank manager and later secured him extensive freedom of action. Broberg was a board member of many of the successful companies later founded by Tietgen.

Broberg was a member of Grosserer-Societetet's committee from February 1743 to 1863 and was its vice president from February 1856.

He was a member of the Copenhagen City Council from 1845 to 1851 and was elected to the Folketinget in Copenhagen's 2nd constituency in December 1849. He ran for reelection in the same constituency but lost to Alfred Hage. He was instead reelected in the 3rd constituency in the by-election in July 1854, but left the office in May 1856 after being elected to Rigsrådet (Privy Council) in February that same year. He was a member of Rigsrådet until 1863 and was elected to the Landsting in 1864 but left office in 1866. From 1882 to 1886, he was persuaded to return to the Landsting. He was a driving force behind the sale of Børsen to Grosserer-Societetet in 1855–1856. As a politician, he was mainly interested in mercantile issues.[1]

Broberg was awarded the Order of the Dannebrog in 1851, became Dannebrogsmand in 1854 and a Commander of the Dannebrog in 1874. He was awarded the title etatsråd in 1857.[1]

Ida Frederikke Broberg

Broberg married Ida Frederikke Gotschalk (1814–1877), daughter of merchant and Consul-General Frederik Gotschalk (1786–1869) and Marie Frederikke Kierulf (1791–1870), on 21 November 1835 in St. Peter's Church in Copenhagen.[4]

They had three daughters and a son. The son, Carl Broberg, continued the company after his father's retirement in 1882. The shipping activities had been discontinued after the 1874 crisis but it was still active under the name Chr. Broberg, Søn / Co. in 1910. One of Carl Broberg's daughters, Dorit Vroberg, married Harald Heering of the Heering family.

Broberg died on 30 April 1886 and is buried in the Cemetery of Holmen. Brobergsgade, a street in Christianshavn, is named after him.[5]

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