He collected and published Danish folk tales with inspiration from the Brothers Grimm and founded the Royal Print Collection, today part of the Danish National Gallery.

After the death of Bertel Thorvaldsen, he saved his archives and other papers and based on them he wrote his first biography.

He also wrote poetry and drama but to no great acclaim and his works within that field are forgotten today.

While working at the Royal Library, he was the main force behind saving its neglected collection of 70,000 prints which became the basis for establishing the Royal Print Collection, today part of the holdings of the Danish National Gallery.

His children included: Just Mathias Thiele was throughout his life an active part of the cultural environment in Copenhagen.