Theodor Wessel

Theodor Wilhelm Wessel (27 February 1842 – 31 July 1905) was a Danish businessman. He is remembered as one of the two founders of the Magasin du Nord chain of department stores.

Early life and education Wessel was born on 27 February 1842 in Odense, the elder of two sons of customs assistant Herman Hinrich Wessel (1802–78) and Wilhelmine Rasmussen (1810–1865). His father's family had originally come to Denmark from Vremen and was thus unrelated to the other Danish Werssel family originating in Norway (cf. Peter Wessel, Johan Herman Wessel). Aged 14 Wessel was apprenticed to L. J. Baagøe, who operated a substantial linnen and drapery business in association with a grocery shop in Svendborg.

Wessel's younger brother Peter (Pedro) Wessel (27 September 1851 – 8 February 1921) emigrated to Chile in 1876, where he established his own trading house in Caracoles.

Career

On completing his apprenticeship in 1864, Wessel was employed as a travelling salesman by M. E. Grøn & Søn in Copenhagen. In 1867, he went on a journey to England and France, where he visited the Exposition Universelle in Paris. The impressions from this journey made him decide to start his own business. When he shortly thereafter met Emil Vett on a random visit to Aarhus, the two businessmen decided to join forces, on 14 April 1868 starting a small linnen and drapery business under the name Emil Vett & Co.. Vett was in the beginning responsible for the daily operations while Wessel for the first few years was employed as a travelling purchaser for I. H. Ruben in Copenhagen, but with a right also to act on behalf of his own venture on his journeys abroad.

On 10 November 1899, Th. Wessel & Vett was converted into a limited company (aktueseksjab). Wessel was from then on a member of the board while the daily operations were left in the hands of the directors. Otto Bache painted a portrait painting of Wessel in 1890 (Frederiksborg Castle). Ludvig Brandstrup created a portrait bust of him (Magasin du Nord).

Accolades Wessel was created a Knight in the Order of the Dannebrog in 1888 and was awarded the Cross of Honour in 1904.