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Jonas Collin | |
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 Collin painted byConstantin Hansen, 1751 | |
| Born | (1776-01-06)6 January 1776 |
| Died | 28 August 1861(1861-08-28) (aged 85) Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Occupation | Civil servant |
| Known for | Hans Christian Andersen associations |
| Awards | Grand cross of the Dannebrog, 1840 |
Jonas Collin (6 January 1776 – 28 August 1861) was aDanish civil servant and patron of the arts. He took care ofHans Christian Andersen when the later writer first arrived inCopenhagen as a child and remained his loyal friend and supporter for the remainder of his life. He was also involved in the foundation of theThorvaldsen Museum.
Collin was born inCopenhagen, the son of director of theRoyal Danish Class Lottery Niels Collin (1736–1797) and Ingeborg Bolten (1735–1817). He grew up in theCollin House inBredgade. He was taught at home, first by his parents and then by private teachers, includingChristopher Frimann Omsen and the priestMichael Gottlieb Birckner. He studied law at theUniversity of Copenhagen, graduating in 1795.[1]
Collin's first job was in his father's office. This left him with enough time to study foreign languages and follow lectures on philosophy, mathematics and physics at the university. In 1800, he passed the examination insurveying. He was a member of Drejer's Club where many of the leading writers of the time met and was himself a contributor toKnud Lyne Rahbek'sMinerva and other journals. Collin left the Class Lottery when his father died. His contacts among high-ranking civil servants got him a position as a volunteer in the Treasury (Rentekammeret) where he mainly worked in the agriculture departments. In 1801, he was first appointed as copyist and then clerk. In 1807, he was appointed as bank commissioner and in 1812 asAssessor inFinanskollegiet and in 1816 as a finance deputy (deputeret for finanserne). He worked first underErnst Schimmelmann and thenJohan Sigismund von Møsting.[1]
From early in his career, Collin had thoughts about a fundamental reorganization of the central administration. In 1815 he anonymously published as short article inMinerva in which he mocked the indolent and incompetent civil servants who only thought of their work as long as they were in their offices instead of "bringing it along wherever they go, going to bed with it at night and getting up with it in the morning". In the same articles, he proposed placing the responsibility for thegovernment's spending and income in a single department. On several occasions, he in vain personally presented the same idea to Møsting. He was a member of the important finance commission which was established in 1836 under the leadership ofAdam Wilhelm Moltke. He was a member of the Treasury from 1831–1840. Collin retired in December 1848.[1]
Collin and H. Bech foundedSparekassen for Kjøbenhavn og Omegn in 1820. He worked for the establishment of a public bathing facility at Rysensteen Bastion and theRosenborg Brøndanstaltday spa and mineral water factory inRosenborg Castle Garden.[1]
Collin was a member ofLandhusholdningsselskabet from 1805 and served as president of the association from 1809–1855.
Collin was secretary for theFoundation ad usus publicos [da] from 1803 to 1833. This brought him in contact with most of the leading cultural figures of the time.[1]
In 1821, in response to the so-called Mythological Dispute, he fostered the idea of a competition for artwork inspired by Norse mythology. He was a co-founder of Athenæum andSelskabet til naturlærens udbredelse [da]. In 1841, he became an honorary member of the Academy of Fine Arts.
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Collin married Henriette Christine Birckner, née Hornemann, (c. 26 November 1772 – 21 May 1845) on 13 November 1803 in Ledøje Church. She had previously been married toMichael Gottlieb Birckner, Collin's former teacher. They had daughters Louise Collin (married Lind) and Ingeborg Collin (married Drewsen) and sons Edvard Collin, Gottlieb Collin and Theodor Collin.[2]
He died on 28 August 1861 and is buried inFrederiksberg Old Cemetery.[3]
Collin became aKnight in the Order of the Dannebrog in 1813, received theCross of Honour in 1826, became aCommander in the Order of the Dannebrog in 1836 and received theGrand Cross in 1849.
Jonas Collin (Lars Brygmann) is depicted in the 2005DR television seriesUnge Andersen. The couple had five children.
Collin publishedFor Historie og Statistik især Fædrelandet in 1822–1825.
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