Michael Fabritius (2 May 1697 – 13 November 1746) was a Danish merchant, shipowner and shipbuilder. Together with Johan Friederich Wewer he was the owner of Fabritius & Wewer, a trading house which supplied the Danish government with a wide range of products. The company operated a large fleet of merchant ships and was also involved in shipbuilding. Fabritius was also a co-founder and one of the first directors of the Danish Asiatic Company.
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Early life and education
Michael Fabritius was born in Copenhagen on 12 May 1697. His parents, wine merchant Herman Fabritius (1667–1729) and Elisabeth Marie Abbestée (1677–1752), were immigrants from Germany and belonged to the city's German Reformed congregation. Michael Fabritius was the elder brother of Just Fabritius.
Career
Fabritius was granted citizenship as a merchant in 1732. He was one of the first Danish merchants to send ships to China and was a co-founder of Det Kinesiske Societet. He was also active in Danish Asiatic Company. In 1735, he purchased the Grønnegård Harbour at the southern tip of Christianshavn.
In 1738, he was one of the driving forces behind the foundation Kurantbanken and for a while served as its managing director. Together with Johan Friederich Wewer he was the founder of the Fabritius & Wewer trading house.