William Duntzfelt

Career in Denmark

Duntzfelt visited Denmark in 1788 and married the daughter of the wealthy merchant Frédéric de Coninck on the Dronninggård estate in July 1790. He briefly returned to Danish East India before in February 1791 settling permanently in Copenhagen. He became a managing partner in the firm Pingel, Meyer, Prætorius & Co. which had been initiated by his father-in-law in 1787 as a replacement for the Baltic African Company. Duntzfelt also established his own trading house that traded on East India. He was granted citizenship as a merchant in 1795 and, in 1796, Duntzfelt and de Coninck decided to dissolve the consortium and transfer the activities to their personal firms. He was also active as a banker and in the market for insurances. François le Chevalier and Johannes Søbøtker joined his firm as partners in 1799 and 1804.

At the turn of the century, Duntzfelt was the largest ship-owner in the Nordic countries. He had profited immensely from Denmark's neutrality but many of his ships were still captured by English and French privateers and subsequently confiscated by court order. Duntzfelt & Co.'s losses from British confiscations alone was estimated at £144,660. He also suffered great losses during the war with England and the 1807 bombardment of Copenhagen.

Duntzfelt was a member of the managing board of Speciebanken from 1796 and of Depositokassen from 1799. He was a member of Grosserer-Societetet's governing body from 1802.

Personal life Duntzfelt owned a house in Amaliegade in Copenhagen and later the Dehn Mansion in Norgesgade. He also owned the country house Ankersminde (later Ordruphøj) in Ordrup.

He died during a visit to Paris in 1809. In spite of the great losses that he had suffered during the last decade of his career, he still died as one of the wealthiest merchants in the country.

Duntzfelt's two sons, William Frederik Duntzfelt and Frederik Duntzfelt, joined Duntzfelt & Co. after their father's death. It was declared bankrupt in 1833.