Bertel Thorvaldsen
København
Københavns Magistrat
København
Ingen udskrift.
Dateringen fremgår af brevet.
Kommentarerne til dette brev er under udarbejdelse.
Concept
Undertegnede Billedhugger Bertel Thorvaldsen, Conferentsraad, Commandeur af Dannebrog og Dannebrogsmand, p.t. Directeur for det Kongl Akademie for de skiønne Kunster i Kiøbenhavn, erklærer herved, at ligesom jeg under mit Ophold i Rom, deels i et d: 24 August 1837 i Notarii publici Torrianis Contoir deponeret Document, deels i en senere ligeledes i bemeldte Contoir deponeret Codicil af 25deJulii d: A: har tilkiendegivet min sidste Villie om, hvorledes der efter min Død skulde forholdes med mine Efterladenskaber; saaledes har jeg, der, som Kongelig Dansk Embedsmand, navnligen som Professor ved Akademiet for de skiønne Kunster i Kiøbenhavn formeentligen maa ansees domicilieret i denne Stad; i Betragtning heraf, og med Hensyn til, at den Hovedskiftebehandling, der i sin Tid efter min dødelige Afgang vil finde Sted maa blive at afholde her i Staden, besluttet: her at samle og paa behørig Maade at forkynde de Dispositioner, hvilke det er min bestemte og uigenkaldelige Villie at skulle ubrødeligen overholdes. 1 Thi fastsætter jeg heved: “Til Staden Kiøbenhavn efterlader og skienker jeg alle mig tilhørende Kunstgienstande, Denne min urokkelige Gave er underkastet følgende Betingelser:
A, at alle de ovenfor anførte Gienstande skulle udgiøre et eneste og særskilt Museum, der skal bære mit Navn, saaledes at det aldrig skal kunne blandes med hvilkesomhelst andre Samlinger, og følgeligen heller ikke formindskes, deles eller forandres under nogetsomhelst Paaskud eller af nogensomhelst Aarsag.
B, at Staden Kiøbenhavn skal lade indrette et passende særskilt og for Ildsvaade sikkert Locale, for dette Museum.
C, at de Statuer og Basrelieffer, som ved min Død skulde findes ufuldendte, paa mit Stervboes Bekostning skulle fuldføres af Hr Professor Freund og Herr Pietro Galli, min Elev, hvorefter disse saaledes fuldendte Arbeider skulle forenes med og indbefattes i denne Donation under samme Betingelser
D, at der bestemmes en moderat Adgangspriis for de Personer, som maatte ønske at see Museet, undtagen for Kunstnere af ethvert Fag, hvilke skulle have fri Adgang dertil. Det, som vil indkomme for Adgangen, skal tiene enten tildeels eller aldeles til de Fond, der vil være fornøden til at lønne en Opsynsmand, der udnævnes af Magistraten, til at bevare og holde Gienstandene i Museet rene, til Reparationer ved Bygningen og i Almindelighed til alt, hvad der udfordres til Museets Vedligeholdelse.
2
Med Hensyn til at jeg i Overeensstemmelse med den mig allernaadigst forundte Bevilling af 12teMarts 1833 har som min Datter adopteret Frue Elisa Sophia Charlotte i Ægteskab med Hr Oberst Paulsen, ligesom og bemeldte Ægteskab er bleven autoriseret af den pavelige Stol, erklærer jeg herved, at, da jeg, ifølge min tidligere Bestemmelse, ved et Depositum i Nationalbanken, har sikkret bemeldte min adopterede Datter Renterne af 40,000rbr Sølv saalænge hun lever; saa er det min bestemte Villie, at hun hermed skal lade sig nøie, da det altid har været og fremdeles er min Mening, at fornævnte hende for Livstid tillagte aarlige Rente skal træde istedetfor og betragtes som hendes Arvelod; hvorfor jeg herved gientager de i min ovennævnte Codicil indeholdte Bestemmelser, ifølge hvilke hverken hun eller hendes Mand skal kunne fremsætte nogen videre Paastand efter min Død; hvorimod fornævnte Rente efter hendes dødelige Afgang skal tilfalde hendes i Ægteskab med Oberst Paulsen eller hvilket Andet [sic] Ægteskab hun, dersom hun blev Enke, maatte indgaae, avlede Børn og deres Descendentere saalænge nogen af disse er til, men naar de alle maatte være uddøde, anvendes saaledes, som jeg nedenfor har bestemt angaaende den Deel af mine Efterladenskaber, over hvilke jeg ikke specielt har disponeret.
3
Jeg forbeholder mig at kunne disponere til Fordeel for hvilkensomhelst Person, der er mig kiær og som har fortient det af mig, og derfor erklærer jeg herved, at naar der findes imellem mine Papirer og i min Skriverpult noget Blad Papir med specielle Legater eller Dispositioner, og som maae antages at være skrevne og underskrevne af mig, efter Udfærdigelsen af denne min sidste Villie, da skal et saadant Blad Papir ansees at udgiøre en Deel af dette mit Testament, og mine Arvinger skulle være forpligtede til, nøiagtigen at opfylde hvad der saaledes af mig maatte være anordnet, ligesom ogsaa mine Testamentsexecutores med den største Nøiagtighed skulle fuldbyrde disse Legater, uden at Nogen paa nogensomhelst Maade skal kunne modsætte sig hvad jeg, som ovenfor anført, specielt maatte have anordnet, Dog er det en Selvfølge at det skal være mine Executorer forbeholdt, at undersøge, saavel Ægtheden af et saadant Document, der maatte paaberaabes, som i Særdeleshed hvorvidt det maatte antages, at være ældre end den 24’ Aug: 1837 efterdi jeg herved erklærer enhver angaaende min Formue forinden bemeldte Dato affattet testamentarisk Disposition ugyldig, forsaavidt den ellers ikke maatte kunne ansees udtrykkeligen eller stiltiende gientaget ved nærværende Document. (See nu vedlagte Papiir)
[Det følgende er overstreget lodret eller på skrå]
Jeg bekræfter og vil, at hvad der af mig er anordnet til Fordeel for de Børn, der avles af de ovennævnte Ægtefolk Elisa Sophia Charlotta og Oberst Paulsen, skal aldeles og fuldkomment fuldbyrdes, nemlig, at de Syv Tusind Piastre, som jeg har bestemt til Fordeel for ethvert af dem, der i min Levetid har opnaaet Aars Alderen, forbliver hos Herr C.H. Donners Handelshuus i Altona for at forøges og accumuleres, saaledes at Renter og Renters Renter føies til Capitalen, indtil ethvert af disse Børn opnaaer den myndige Alder, i hvilket Tilfælde ethvert af disse Børn, uafhængigt af Faderen, hvem det er min Hensigt at al Ret til Nytten og Brugen deraf nægtes, skal kunne nyde Renterne af den omtalte, særskilt skiænkede og derefter forøgede Capital. Jeg anordner og vil derfor, at hvis engang i Tiden et af de omtalte Børn skulde døe uden Børn og Afkom, eller en af deres Linier eller Successioner skulde uddøe da skal Renterne, uden Hensyn til Kiønnet, tilfalde i lige store Portioner og in capita de Overlevende (Tilbageblivende) af Linierne af dem, til hvis Fordeel jeg har giort den ovenanførte Disposition af Sex Tusinde Scudi. Dersom fremdeles ethvert Individuum af disse Linier skulde døe og enhver Linie saaledes uddøe, vil jeg, at i et saadant Tilfælde, den omtalte Renter [sic] skal gaae til de andre Arvinger og mandlige og qvindelige Efterkommere, der nedstamme fra de ovennævnte Ægtefolk Elisa Sophia og Paulsen, deres Ægteskab, hvorfra stedse udelukkes ethvert Afkom af noget andet Ægteskab, som den ovennævnte Herr Paulsen kunde indgaae. Naar endeligen enhver Descendent og enhver Linie af de Børn, som nu ere fødte eller herefter fødes af de ovennævnte Ægtefolk Elisa Sophia og Paulsen skulde døe, vil jeg, at Renterne af denne Capital skulle tilfalde det Museum i Kiøbenhavn, der, som ovenfor er anført, skal oprettes og bære mit Navn, og paa samme Maade, som jeg nedenfor vil forklare med Hensyn til mine andre Eiendele.
Hvad endeligen angaaer det Øvrige af min Formue, der bestaaer i hvad der indkommer af mine Arbeider der ere udførte efter Ordre af Kongen af Danmark, i rørligt Gods og Andet, hvorover jeg ikke særskilt har disponeret, i Rettigheder og Adkomster af hvilkensomhelst Art, der tilhøre mig, saavelsom i de Penge, som ville forefindes hos mig eller der ere anlagte i Vexler, Renter eller paa hvilkensomhelst anden Maade deponerede, og overhovedet i enhver anden Gienstand, Gods og Adkomst mig tilhørende, udnævner jeg fremdeles til Universalarvinger til lige Arvelodder de Børn, der ere fødte og fødes af den ovennævnte Frue Sophia Charlotta Elisas Ægteskab, med Forbeholdenhed af de ovenanførte Prælegatariers specielle Rettighed med Hensyn til Capital og Renter af de Pengesummer, som ere deponerede hos Hr C.H. Donner i Altona. Thi anordner og vil jeg, forsaavidt herover ikke ovenfor specielt er disponeret, at mit hele Stervbo realiseres i rede Penge, og at Capitalen fastsættes i Nationalbanken i Kiøbenhavn, eller paa noget andet Sted, der frembyder samme eller større Sikkerhed, for at Renterne alene skulle nydes i lige store Dele af mine ovennævnte Arvinger og deres Afkom i det Uendelige, saavel mandlige som qvindelige, under den Betingelse, at dens eller deres Andeel, som skulde døe uden Efterkommere, skal tilfalde de Overlevenden af den samme Linie, og hvis en Linie aldeles uddøer, skal denne Linies Andeel tilfalde Individuerne af de overlevende Linier, og det i lige Dele og in capita, og det i det Uendelige saalænge der skulle være Descendenter og Efterkommere af de Linier, der nedstamme fra de ovennævnte Ægtefolks Ægteskab, stedse med Udelukkelse af ethvert Barn eller Afkom af noget andet Ægteskab, der kunde indgaaes af den ovennævnte Herr Oberst Paulsen, der skal være Bestyrer af de Renter hvis Nydelse jeg har tillagt de Børn, som ere avlede eller avles af ham med Sophia Charlotta, saalænge disse Børn ere mindreaarige og opdrages og underholdes paa hans Bekostning, men naar de blive myndige eller naar Døttrene gifte sig, skulle de, foruden deres særskilte Rettigheder og Fordringer paa Faderen, hver for sig kunne frit nyde den Deel af Indtægterne, hvortil de ere berettigede. Hvis endelig enhver Descendent af enhver Linie af de ovenanførte Børn, der ere fødte eller kunne fødes, uddøer, vil jeg, at Indtægten af min Formue, forsaavidt derover ikke er specielt disponeret, den i Altona deponerede Capital iberegnet, i det ovenfor forudseete Tilfælde, skal anvendes til Fordeel for det af mig i Kiøbenhavn oprettede Museum, [her slutter det afsnit, der er overstreget lodret eller på skrå] for at anvendes til Bestillinger til Fordeel for danske Kunstnere, for at befordre de skiønne Kunster i Danmark og derved tillige at berige mit Museum, hvorhos jeg indskiærper og udtrykkeligen bestemmer, at Capitalerne stedse skulle være uafhændelige, og at de af ingensomhelst Aarsag under intet Paaskud skulle nogensinde kunne formindskes eller forbruges.
Min tidligere Udnævnelse af DHerr Filippo Ricci og mine Landsmænd Herr Johan Bravo og Herr Albert Küchler, til som Testaments Exwecutorer at sørge for den prompte og nøiagtige Fuldbyrdelse af Alt, hvad jeg har bestemt, paa den Maade og i den Form, som de maatte ansee for rigtigst, og med Myndighed til Hr Ricci, eller, hvis han døer, til de overlevende Executorer, at udnævne en Anden i Stedet for den, der maatte være død, eller mueligen ikke vilde befatte sig hermed, stadfæster jeg herved i Henseende til de Forretninger, som Behandlingen af mit Stervbor maatte foranledige i Italien; men forsaavidt Skiftet bliver at behandle her i Staden udnævner jeg herved DHrr NN og NN til, saavel i Egenskab af Executorer, i det Heele efter bedste Skiønnende, at overholde og fuldbyrde mine i dette Document udtrykte sidste Villie, som i Særdeleshed til at besørge den fastsatte Fordeling af Renter, i hvilken Henseende det er mit Ønske at Een af Magistratens Midte maatte auctoriteres til at besørge det Fornødne i Forening med de Executorer, som af mig ere valgte, hvilke af mig herved bemyndiges til forsaavidt dette bliver fornødent at udnævne deres Eftermænd, som for Fremtiden tillægges en liige Myndighed til at udnævne Andre, som dertil kunne ansees skikkede, med hvilke dog jeg ønsker, at stedse Een af Magistratens Medlemmer tager Deel i Bestyrelsen.
Kiøbenhavn, d. [tom plads] Nov 1838.
Draft
The undersigned sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, Konferensråd Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog and decorated with the Silver Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog, at present Director of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen hereby declares that just as during my stay in Rome, in a document deposited August 24th 1837 in Notarii Publici Torriani’s office, as well as in a later codicil also deposited in the mentioned office July 25th this year I have made known my last will and testament as to what is to be done after my death with my estate; in this way I, who as a royal Danish public servant, especially as professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen presumably must be considered domiciled in this city; considering this and as regards that the main administration of my estate which in time after my death will take place in this city I have decided to collect here and in due form announce the dispositions which are my determined and irrevocable will to be inviolably kept. 1. For I hereby stipulate: “To the City of Copenhagen I leave and donate all objects of art belonging to me, this my firm donation is subject to the following conditions:
A, that all the above-mentioned objects should constitute one single and detached museum, which shall carry my name, so that it will never be possible to mingle with any other collections and consequently neither be decreased, be divided, or changed on any pretext or for any reason.
B, that the City of Copenhagen must organize suitable, single, and fireproof premises for this museum.
C, that the statues and bas-reliefs, which at my death should be found unfinished, should be finished by professor Freund and Mr Pietro Galli, my student at the expense of my estate, after which these then finished works should be combined with and included in this donation on the same conditions.
D, that a moderate entrance fee is decided upon for the persons who might wish to see the museum, except for artists of any kind, who should be given free admittance to it. What will be paid in for the entrance shall make either partly or completely for the funds, which will be necessary to pay an attendant appointed by the corporation of Copenhagen to preserve and keep the objects of the museum clean, for reparations on the building and in general for all that is needed to maintenance of the museum.
2
Regarding that in accordance with the permission I received March 12th 1833 I have as my daughter adopted Mrs Elisa Sophia Charlotte married to colonel Paulsen and the mentioned marriage has been authorized by the Papal Holy See, I hereby declare that as according to my earlier decision by a deposit in the National Bank I have ensured the mentioned, my adopted daughter, the interest of 40,000 rbr silver as long as she lives; it is my will and testament that she must content herself with this, as it has always been my intention and still is that the mentioned interest given to her annually for life shall replace and be considered as her inheritance. So I here repeat the stipulations in my abovementioned codicil according to which neither she nor her husband shall be able to make further claims after my death. Whereas the abovementioned interest after her decease shall pass on to her children from her marriage to colonel Paulsen or any other [sic] marriage she might contract in case she is widowed, to her children and their descendants as long as any of these are alive, but when they all may have died out, it must be used such as I have decided regarding the part of my property for which I have not made particular arrangements.
3
I reserve for myself the right to make arrangements in favour of any person, who is dear to me and who has deserved it from me, and so I hereby declare that when any sheet of paper is found among my papers and in my desk with specific grants or dispositions, which may be assumed to be written and signed by me after the drawing up of this my last will, such a sheet of paper must be considered to be part of this, my will, and my heirs should be obliged accurately to fulfil, what may be decreed by me in this way. Just as also the executors of my will with extreme exactitude should execute these grants, and nobody will in any way be able to oppose what I especially may have arranged, as mentioned above. It is obvious, however, that my executors must have the right to investigate the authenticity of such a document which might be referred to, as well as whether it especially could be supposed to be older than August 24th 1837, because hereby I declare any drawn up testamentary disposition regarding my fortune for invalid before the mentioned date, if it cannot be regarded as repeated in distinct terms or implicitly by this document. (See now enclosed paper)
[the following has been crossed out vertically or aslant]
I certify and want that what has been arranged by me for the benefit of the children bred by the abovementioned married people Elisa Sophia Charlotta and colonel Paulsen must entirely and fully be fulfilled, namely that the seven thousand piastre, which I have decided for the benefit of each of those, who while I am alive, has attained one year of age, that this money stays at Mr C. H. Donner’s business house in Altona to increase and accumulate, so that interests and accumulate interests are added to the capital, until each of these children attain the age of majority, in which case every one of these children, independently from their father, whom it is my intention to deny all rights to the use of the interests, shall be able to enjoy the interests of the mentioned, separately granted and subsequently increased capital.
I arrange and therefore want that if once in time one of the mentioned children should die without children and issue, or if one of their lines or successions should die out, then the interests, without regard to sex, and in equal portions and in capita should go to the survivors (those remaining) of the lines of those, for whose benefit I have made the abovementioned arrangements of six thousand Scudi. If furthermore all individuals of these lines should die out and all lines thus die out I want in such case that the mentioned interests shall go to the other heirs and male and female descendants, descending from the abovementioned married couple Elisa Sophia and Paulsen, their marriage, from which is ever excluded any issue of any other marriage, which the mentioned Mr Paulsen might contract. When finally every descendant and every line of the children who have now been born or will be born after this by the mentioned married couple Elisa Sophia and Paulsen should die I want the interests of this capital to go to the museum in Copenhagen, which as mentioned above, shall be established and carry my name, and in the same way which I will explain below as regards my other property.
What finally regards the rest of my fortune, which consists of what is received from my works which have been executed after commission from the King of Denmark, in movable property and other items over which I have not made arrangements separately, in rights and claims of any kind belonging to me, as well as in the money which will be found at me or invested in bills, interests, or deposited in any other way, and altogether in any other object, estate and claims belonging to me, I ever appoint for residuary legatees for equal shares of inheritance the children, who have been born and shall be born by the mentioned Mrs Sophia Charlotta Elisa’s marriage reserving the rights of the abovementioned prelegatees’ particular rights as regards capital and interests of the sums which have been deposited at Mr C. H. Donner in Altona. As far as I have not particularly made arrangements for it, I arrange and want that all my estate is sold out and that the capital is placed in the national Bank in Copenhagen, or another place which offers the same or greater security, so that the interests only, should be received infinitely in equal parts by my abovementioned heirs and their issue, male as well as female, on the condition that his or their part, who might die without descendants shall go to the survivors of the same line, and if a line dies out completely, the part of this line shall go to the individuals of the surviving lines, in equal parts and in capita, infinitely as long as there are descendants and issue of the lines descending from the abovementioned married couple’s marriage ever excluding any child or issue from any other marriage, which might be contracted by the abovementioned colonel Paulsen, who is to be administrator of the interests whose receipt I have bestowed on the children bred with him by Sophia Charlotta as long as these children are minors and are brought up and supported at his expense. But when they come of age or when the daughters marry, besides their particular rights and claims to the father they should each of them without problems be able to receive the part of the incomes to which they are entitled. If eventually every descendant of every line of the mentioned children, who have been born or might be born, die out. I wish that the income from my fortune, as far as I have not made particular arrangements for it, the deposited capital in Altona included, must be used for the benefit of the by me established museum in Copenhagen, [here the paragraph ends which has been crossed out vertically or aslant] to be used for commissions for the benefit of Danish artists to promote the fine arts in Denmark and thus enrich my museum, at which I enjoin and emphasize that the capitals should always be independent, and that they for no reason and on no account ever should be allowed to be reduced or be spent.
I hereby confirm my earlier appointment of Mr Filippo Ricci and my countrymen Mr Johan Bravo and Mr Albert Küchler as the executors under the will to see the punctual and precise fulfilment of everything I have stipulated, in the way and the form they might consider proper and with authority to Mr Ricci, or if he dies, to the surviving executors to appoint another one instead of the one who might be deceased or possibly will not have to do with this any longer, as regards the matters which the administration of my estate might give rise to in Italy. But if the administration of my estate will take place in this city I hereby appoint Messrs blank and blank in the capacity of executors, in all to the best of their judgment to keep and fulfil my last will expressed in this document, as well as especially to see to the stipulated distribution of interests, where it is my wish that one from the midst of the corporation of Copenhagen might be authorized to do the needful together with the executors who have been appointed by me and who hereby are authorized to appoint their successors, if this should be necessary, and equal authority is for the future conferred on them to appoint others who might seem suitable for this, with whom however I wish that ever one of the members of the corporation will be on the board.
Copenhagen, [empty space] November 1838
[Translated by Karen Husum]
Sidst opdateret 02.10.2017