Hans Carl Knudtzon

Hans Carl Knudtzon (29 January 175116 December 1823) was a Norwegian merchant, ship-owner and politician. Born in the north of Germany to a mercantile family, he travelled to Trondheim, Norway, where he had success in the trading business. He was also successful within politics, acting as vice burgomaster and subsequently burgomaster of Trondheim. At the end of his life he was decorated with numerous orders.

Early and personal life Knudtzon was born in Bredstedt, North Frisia, Duchy of Schleswig, Denmark-Norway (now part of the Schleswig-Holstein state in Germany), the son of Nicolai Knudtzen (1698–1785), merchant, and his wife, Magdalena (1726–1803), née Clausen. His brother was Nicolay Knudtzon (1757–1842), who went on to become one of the foremost merchants of the Norwegian city of Kristiansund.

On 1 January 1779, he married Karen Müller (1752–1818),

A son-in-law was Lorentz Johannsen (1769–1837), who married his daughters successively. Knudtzon's great-grandson was linguist Jørgen Alexander Knudtzon (1854–1917). exchanging amongst other commodities fish, wood, copper, grain and salt on a fleet of more than 20 ships. In 1788, he became a member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters. He was decorated as a Knight of the Danish Dannebrog Order in 1809 and of the Swedish Polar Star Order in 1815. He died in December 1823 in Trondheim.