S. Seidelin

S. Seidelin was a Danish clothing wholesaler and manufacturer whose business developed from a shop opened by Sabinus Seidelin in Holbæk in 1843. The company grew during the nineteenth century and moved to Copenhagen in 1856, where it acquired the property at Amagertorv 11. It initially operated from a rear wing of the building but expanded until it occupied the entire property, reflecting its transition from a local retail operation into a larger commercial house. The business remained associated with the Seidelin family after Sabinus Seidelin retired in 1884. Management passed to his son David Seidelin, his son-in-law Emil Hjort, and the long-serving employee P. C. Thamsen. The partnership structure changed relatively soon afterward, as Seidelin and Thamsen left the firm. Under its later management, the company continued to expand its premises and commercial activities. By the turn of the twentieth century, the Amagertorv location no longer provided sufficient room, leading to the construction of a new head office at the corner of Skindergade and Niels Hemmingsens Gade. The building was completed in 1902. S. Seidelin also developed a manufacturing connection through the subsidiary Augustinus & Hansen A/S. That company established production of men's clothing in rented premises at Laplandsgade 4 and later moved to Endrup. The arrangement illustrates the broader scope of S. Seidelin's activities: it was not only a distributor or wholesaler, but was also connected with the production of apparel. In 1919, S. Seidelin was converted into a Danish limited company, or aktieselskab. Inger Hjort, the daughter of Emil Hjort, became chair of the board. The board also included Jørgen Klerk and Frantz Dragsted. The available historical record does not establish the company's exact closure date, its later ownership, or the full range of retail and manufacturing brands associated with it. It is therefore best understood as a historically significant Danish commercial and clothing enterprise rather than a contemporary consumer brand. S. Seidelin's principal surviving legacy is architectural. Its former Copenhagen headquarters at Skindergade 7 is known today as Pressens Hus, or House of the Press, and houses the Danish Media Association. The building was designed by Ingemann and Bernhard Ingemann and was expanded by Erik Korshagen between 1974 and 1976. The company's centenary was marked by a historical publication, “S. Seidelin: 1843–10. Oktober–1943: Træk af et Dansk Handelshus' Historie gennem hundrede Aar,” which documented the development of the Danish trading house.

S. Seidelin began on 19 October 1843, when Sabinus Seidelin opened a shop in Holbæk. The business prospered and evolved into a wholesale enterprise. On 29 May 1856, Seidelin moved the operation to Copenhagen after purchasing the property at Amagertorv 11. The company first occupied a rear wing, but continued growth eventually allowed it to use the entire building. Sabinus Seidelin retired in 1884. The firm was then continued by his son David Seidelin, his son-in-law Emil Hjort, and P. C. Thamsen, an employee with long service to the business. Seidelin and Thamsen departed comparatively soon afterward, while the enterprise continued under its remaining management and later leadership. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Amagertorv premises had become too small. A new head office was completed in 1902 at the junction of Skindergade and Niels Hemmingsens Gade. The company also established the subsidiary Augustinus & Hansen A/S, which began making men's clothing in rented premises at Laplandsgade 4 before subsequently moving to Endrup. This manufacturing activity complemented S. Seidelin's established wholesale business. S. Seidelin became an aktieselskab in 1919. Inger Hjort, Emil Hjort's daughter, served as chair of the board, with Jørgen Klerk and Frantz Dragsted as fellow board members. The available source material does not provide a complete account of the company's subsequent corporate history or a precise date of dissolution. The former headquarters at Skindergade 7 survives as Pressens Hus, now associated with the Danish Media Association. The original building was designed by Ingemann and Bernhard Ingemann and later enlarged by Erik Korshagen in 1974–1976. The firm's centenary history, published in 1943, provides an additional record of its first hundred years as a Danish commercial house.

• 1943

  Centenary history published

  [1]S. Seidelinen.wikipedia.org

  A publication documenting the first century of the Danish trading house was issued for the company's centenary.

• 1919

  Conversion into an aktieselskab

  [1]S. Seidelinen.wikipedia.org

  S. Seidelin was reorganized as a Danish limited company, with Inger Hjort as board chair.

• 1902

  New Copenhagen headquarters completed

  [1]S. Seidelinen.wikipedia.org

  A larger head office was completed at the corner of Skindergade and Niels Hemmingsens Gade.

• 1884

  Family succession

  [1]S. Seidelinen.wikipedia.org

  Sabinus Seidelin retired, and the business was continued by David Seidelin, Emil Hjort, and P. C. Thamsen.

• 1856

  Relocation to Copenhagen

  [1]S. Seidelinen.wikipedia.org

  On 29 May, the company moved to Copenhagen and acquired the property at Amagertorv 11.

• 1843

  Business founded in Holbæk

  [1]S. Seidelinen.wikipedia.org

  Sabinus Seidelin opened the shop that became S. Seidelin on 19 October 1843.

A historic Danish trading house positioned between clothing wholesale, apparel manufacturing, and commercial distribution.

• Apparel wholesale

  Wholesale clothing

  Wholesale clothing was the company's central commercial activity. S. Seidelin developed from a shop into a larger Danish trading house supplying apparel through a wholesale model. The available historical record does not identify specific consumer labels or detailed product ranges.

• Apparel manufacturing

  Men's wear

  Men's clothing was produced through the subsidiary Augustinus & Hansen A/S. Manufacturing initially took place in rented premises at Laplandsgade 4 and later moved to Endrup. Specific garments and branded collections are not identified in the available source.

1. 1S. Seidelinen.wikipedia.org