Om Henrik Dorch

On February 12, 1753, master hatter Henrich Henrichsen Dorch established the hat company "Hattefirmaet Henrik Dorch" in Odense, Denmark.

During the 19th century, the firm Henrik Dorch became a large and reputable company under direction of Henrich's son, Jens (1760-1812) captain of Odense's civil guard, and Jens' son, royal hatter Henrich Jensen Dorch (1782-1867, picture to the right) and his  son, manufacturer Niels Peter Dorch (1814-1882).

In 1872 the company was represented at the Nordic Industrial and Art Exhibition in Copenhagen by a collection of hats. The picture shows an admiral's hat by Niels Peter Dorch currently on exhibition at Odense City Museums.

A branch of the firm "Dorch & Co., Hattefabrik", originally led by Rasmus Dorch, was still located in Odense at Vestergade 4 until 1896. In 1897 it had moved to Nørregade 37 in Odense. The Odense branch was eventually run by two of Niels Peter's daughters, Anne Kirstine Henriette Dorch (1852-1936) and Christine Marie Dorch (1858-1942).

Niels Peter's son Henrik Jensen Dorch (1856-1909) moved the firm to shopping street Immervad 3 in central Aarhus in 1881 and later, in 1889, to the prominent address Købmagergade 1 in Copenhagen.

In 1913, the firm's workshop moved to Østergade 61 at "Strøget" in Copenhagen. When Henrik Jensen Dorch's son, Svend Julius Fabricius Dorch (1888-1952) died, Svend's wife Ethel continued to run the company. By then Hattefirmaet Henrik Dorch had existed for 200 years.

Today "Hattefirmaet Henrik Dorch" is run by Søren Bertil Fabricius Dorch (associate professor and library director in Odense): He is the son of Jørgen (1944-2021), son of Erik (1920-2002), son of Paul (1890-1968), son of Henrik Jensen Dorch (1856-1909), great great grandson of the first hatter, Hendrich (Henrik) Hendrichsen. Dorch (1721-1781).