I’ve been passed the following documents from my Danish grandmother. They’re both very intricate and are made of vellum.
Was hoping someone on here could help me understand what these are. They’ve been passed through from my family in Nakskov to me in the UK.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1fp6bzu
Posted by BlackMountain666
10 Comments
It’s journeyman’s certificates for carpenters from the Carpenter’s Guild of Copenhagen. I can’t read much of the details in that resolution, however, but if you have a better picture/scan, I’d be happy to help.
The first one is German, the second one is Danish. Could you take higher quality pictures so that the print is more legible?
4900 woooo.
No idea sorry
As you might have noticed, the word “elephant” is mentioned.
The document is actually a deed proclaiming you the rightful heir of Dahlgårds Tivoli! 😳😲
In center of the document is a name – Peder Wangede. I have googled his name. He was a member of Copenhagen ‘ Tømrerlaug . Elder of the guild.
https://www.kbh-tomrerlaug.dk/laugets-historie/
It’s from [this carpenters guild](https://www.kbh-tomrerlaug.dk/laugets-historie/) where Peter Wangede was chairman (Oldermand)
First document names Augustenborg and Ketting. Both are places on the island of Als, in those days part of Slesvig and Holstein, dukedoms that was not part of the Danish kingdom, but the king was the duke so – yes it’s complicated, but probably the reason for this document to be in German. I was looking for a date – it looks like it’s been foldet, so maybe it under there.
As others has already mentioned, they are most likely journeyman papers issued by guilds to verify the journeyman has completed his apprenticeship.
The first is in German and for an “art and pleasure gardener” – but the top part contains (some of?) the Danish royal titles, so it is probably from a German speaking guild within the Danish realm, perhaps from Schleswig-Holstein.
The second is in Danish and is from a carpenters’ guild – signed by the guild alderman Peder Wangede.
Det var dengang man kunne være stolt af sit håndværk! 👌 da man fik et kunstværk som afgangsbevis.
Damn that diploma is a work of art in itself.