Oluf Nielsen Bagger*

   Et andet navn for Oluf var Købmand Bagger*.

  Generelle notater:

Han var købmand og rådmand i Odense. Han var den berømteste af alle Odenses store købmænd i det 16. århundrede. Til hans ungdom og uddannelse kendes intet, men omtrent 1550 nedsatte han sig som købmand i Odense, blev snart rådmand. Hans væsentligste handel bestod i udførsel af fedestude og indførsel af kram og klæde, hvilken sidste handel antog meget store forhold under Den Nordiske 7 Års Krig. Under 7 årskrigen tjente han en betydelig formue ved leverancer til hæren, og lån til staten.
Oluf Bagger havde også mange skibe på søen og erhvervede sig efterhånden mange faste ejendomme i byen og på landet. Han blev kaldet: "Den rige" Købmand. Han opførte flere smukke stenhuse i Odense. Han nød i sin velmagt megen anseelse i sin fødeby, ligesom han var yndet af kong Frederik den II. Dog drev han det ikke videre end til at blive rådmand. Han blev aldrig borgmester Ved sin død var han ikke længere byens rigeste mand, men fattig blev han ikke. Han ejede endnu ved sin død mange gårde og huse. Det er forbavsende, hvor mange af byens anseelige gårde, der bevistlig har været i hans eje, og endnu findes der jo den dag i dag hans bekendte bomærke, det opadvendte anker, flere steder i byen. Udenfor byen var hans kendteste ejendom Trollelund; desuden havde han konge og kirketiender i fæste. I Sanderum sogn ejede han en stor gård som kaldtes Østerlev. I Pejdrup ved Fåborg ejede han Ellegård, desuden ejede han vikkelsø, hvor hans stude kunne gå på græs.

I 1576 lod Oluf Bagger male en mindetavle til ophængning i Gråbrødre Kirke; på den er malet Treenigheden svævende i himlen og oveover en regnbue mellem engle og hellige mænd og kvinder; nedenunder er fremstillet Oluf Bagger, hans hustru og deres 7 sønner og 5 døtre. Rammen er udskåret af træ og danner en søjleportal. Ved foden står følgende vers:

Jeg Oluf Bagger og min hustru Margrethe vi have ladet denne tavle opsætte alle fromme at lære hvad velgerninger og stor ære Gud af sin nåde os beteede, med livs nødtørft, venner, helbrede og med livs frugt, vore tolv børn kære, som her med os er afmalede ere. For dine gaver, Gud, Fader bold, ske dig lov og tak tusindfold! Dit hellige navn, os og vor næste dine gaver lad os bruge til bedste. Her så at leve os alle giv, at vi må få det evige liv!

Fra gråbrødre Kirke kom billedet til Sct. Hans kirke. Noget stort kunstværk er det just ikke, men dog et meget værdifuldt minde om en af byens berømtestemænd.
(Dansk biografisk Leksikon 1887 - H.St. Holbech: Odense Bys Historie).


FamilySearch:
Olaf Bager was a rich merchant of Odense, Denmark, and a man of noble and generous sentiments. He lent money to his king Frederick the Second, who when he visited Odense, never failed to sup at the house of his friend and subject. One night at dinner the king praised highly some conserves of apricots. “What a sweet smell they have too,” he added. “Wait, my liege, until the dessert. I will give you some incense that will please you much better.” When supper was over, an incense burner was brought laden with perfumed cedar chips on top of which was laid a mass of papers. “Will you deign to light the pile?” requested Bager, offering a match. The king did so most graciously, and with quiet satisfaction saw reduced to powder his own bonds for sums so enormous that he had little hope of paying the debt. Time rolled on and Bager had a numerous family. He portioned his daughters and established his sons in business. Through some inevitable misfortunes, however, the merchant became ruined, and became like King Lear, mentioned in Shakespeare, to go to his children for help and refuge, but they treated him badly, “He had much better” they said to have kept his bonds instead of ruining himself for his sovereign’s sake, and becoming a burden to his family. Olaf, sick at heart, and in want of the common necessities of life, felt deeply grieved, at this unnatural conduct of his children, but he thought of an expedient to punish them, and to provide at their expense with what he needed. He went round to his various friends and merchants with whom he had done business, and returned with a heavy coffer, which he deposited in a place of safety, well-closed with wrought iron lock and key. He gave out he had received gifts from some and recovered various debts long due. The contents of the box he intended to leave to the son or the daughter who treated him best. It was wonderful to see now how ready and even zealous the children of Olaf Bager were to relieve their father. There was a constant rivalry between them who should receive him best and attend to his wants. The comforts of life were showered upon him, and he was the object of the most filial solicitude. Amidst this prodigality of affection, old Bager at length ended his days of peace, but not before he had addressed his children on the treasures he was about to leave them. He could make no distinction among them; all his “dutiful” children had been kind to him, so the contents of the coffer were to be equally divided among them. There would be enough for all. Olaf Bager was conducted with pomp and honor to his last resting place, followed by his sorrowing children. Afterwards, the will was read and the coffer opened, and it was found to be full of stones. This you will say is a just requital for avarice and undutiful behavior/ Another story: “Some particularly well-off bourgeois designed their garden in the English style, favored at the time and decorated it with ruins and temples. The garden adjoining the building at 11 Vestergrade was of this sort and belonged to a merchant named Ree (now to Mr. Monsted). Along the river rose an amphitheater on the sloping banks. A bridge over the river was the starting point of carefully maintained paths which zig-zagged to the top of the hill, the highest part of the garden, where the artificial ruins of an ancient fortress dominated, which, along with the cathedral’s spires, were seen from far away fields. All around were seen pretty bridges with vaulted barriers pained white,flower beds, trees and rare thicket groves, benches painted white, arbors and grottes. But it must be recognized as well that this garden constituted one of the city’s marvels which the travelers guidebooks recommend as a sight not to be missed. It even attracted the attention of King Frederic VI, but let us say that at this visit, the owner did his best to show off the garden in all its glamor. At the example of the late Oluf Bager, he had shoot forth from one of the grottos a “spring” of wine which he offered a glass of to the pleasantly surprised monarch. The ruins were reduced to ashes by a fire in 1875 during a festival. In the lane at the top of the garden the owner had set 2 old cannons last discharged in 1870 at the birth of King Christian X.

Children of Oluf Nielsen Bager and Margrethe Clausdatter Halvbjorn:

1. Else Olufsdatter Bager (1550-1631)
2. *CLAUS OLUFSEN BAGER (1552-1629)
3. Niels Olufsen Bager (1553-1602)
4. Maren Olufsdatter Bager (1558-1598)
5. Anne Oluifsdatter Bager (1561-1562)
6. Lisbeth Olufsdatter Bager (1563-1638)
7. Jens Olufsen Bager (1565-1582)
8. Magister Oluf Olufsen Bager (1567-1616)
9. Erik Olufsen Bager (1568-1592)
10. Anne Olufsdatter Bager (1571-1631)
11. Hans Olufsen Bager (1573-)
12. Anders Olufsen Bager (1575-)

  Begivenheder i hans liv:

• Beskæftigelse: Merchantt Alderman.

Oluf blev gift med Margrethe Clausdatter Halvbjørn *, datter af Claus Eriksen * og Maren Jensdatter Bang*, i 1551 i Odense, Danmark. (Margrethe Clausdatter Halvbjørn * blev født i 1536 i Bogense, Odense, Danmark, dåb den 1 Jan. 1536 i Bogense, Odense, Danmark, døde den 4 Feb. 1581 i Gråbrødre, Odense, Danmark. og blev begravet i Gråbrødre, Odense, Danmark.)