Karen Angell

Karen Angell (1732 – 1788) was the daughter of a Norwegian merchant, an influential heiress and the richest woman in the city of Trondheim. Her crypt is featured in Christian's Church, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Biography Karen Angell was born 16 May 1732 in Trondheim, Norway, the daughter of the merchant and government councilor Lorentz Angell (1692–1751) and his wife Sara Collet (1702–1756). Her father's brother was the wealthy merchant Thomas Angell who ran a profitable business with Lorentz.

Karen was her parents' only surviving child (her sister Sara had died at a young age) and was raised in Trondheim. She learned German and French, played the harpsichord and danced, but above all, she was raised to lead a reverent and Christian life. Angell's coat of arms showing two fish hooks. and continued his pursuit of science and, in 1760, co-founded the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters in Trondheim. In the autumn of 1761, their son Ulrik Frederik Suhm was born. In 1765, the small family moved to Copenhagen, where Peter Suhm was able to collect more books and publish his writings. Karen Suhm enjoyed reading in several languages, including religious and moral as well as humorous and witty literature. Outside the city in Øverød, they bought a large house and kept a country estate. Karen was a serious homeowner and took care of most of the household, even when buildings needed to be erected, "to the great joy of her husband, who, instead of practical chores, could devote all his time to his studies." Peter Suhm arranged for their burial in the crypt under Christian's Church, Copenhagen. There, the couple lie in black marble coffins on either side of their son's coffin, behind wrought iron grilles with the couple's coat of arms. An accompanying display showing three portrait reliefs, made of Gjellebæk marble and Italian white marble, has since been moved up into the church.

The Royal Library in Copenhagen keeps on restricted loan a handcrafted cookbook manuscript, written by Karen Suhm.