Jacob Benjamin Wegner (21 February 1795 - 22 May 1864) was a Prussian-born, Norwegian investor, industrialist, diplomat and landowner.[1]
Contents |
Jacob Benjamin Wegner was born in Königsberg in East Prussia. He was from a shipping family. In 1821 he moved to Berlin to take a position in trading house of Gebrüder Benecke. In 1822, Wegner bought Modums Blaafarveværk together with an investment group. The prime investor was merchant banker, Wilhelm Christian Benecke (1779–1860), who was head of Gebrüder Benecke.
Modums Blaafarveværk became the world leading producer of cobalt pigment. Wegner was Director General and co-owner of the Modums Blaafarveværk from 1823 to 1849. In 1849 Modums Blaafarveværket went bankrupt and came under new ownership.[2][3]
Wegner was also general consul for the northern German cities of Hamburg, Luebeck and Bremen. In Norway he resided on the famous estate of Frogner Manor (Frogner Hovedgaard), where Frognerparken and the Vigeland Sculpture Park are found today.
Wegner was married in 1828 with the Henriette Seyler, the daughter of one of the leading merchants in Hamburg. Wegner had three sons (Johann Ludwig, Bailiff) and two daughters (Sophie and Anna Henriette).