Henrik Gerner

His interests as an entrepreneurial engineer led to unsinkable gun platforms, horse-driven dredging machines, and desalination equipment for Orient-bound trading ships.

The greatgrandson of the bishop of the same name, Henrik Gerner was born on 5 July 1742 in Copenhagen and baptised in Holmen Church[1][Note 1] and married in the same church on Christmas Eve 1773, Henrik Gerner became a volunteer cadet at the naval academy in 1755, sailing to the West Indies in the frigate Christianborg before becoming a full cadet the next year.

He was a close colleague of Ernst Wilhelm Stibolt and they obtained junior positions in the Construction Commission[Note 2] They were in England together studying ship building from 1768, and promotion for Gerner to Kaptain Lieutenant came in 1770.

After a shorter spell in France, continuing his studies, Gerner was recalled to Denmark in 1772 and given the post of fabrikmester at Holmen and full membership of the Construction Commission.

[2] Some 117 ships of a variety of types and sizes are recorded [3][Note 3] as designed and built by Gerner, including 18 ships-of-the-line and 11 frigates.