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David, Christian Georg Nathan

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

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Danish political economist and politician; born at Copenhagen Jan. 16, 1793; died there June 18, 1874. Christian received his education in his native city, graduating from its university in 1811. His first contribution to literature was a reply (in 1813) to Th. Thaarup's translation of Buchholz's"Moses und Jesus," a work unfriendly to the Jews, under the title "Et Par Ord i Anledning af Forhindringen til Oversaettelsen af Buchholz's Moses und Jesus." He then took the degree of doctor of philosophy at the University of Göttingen, and published "for Statsoekonomisk Archiv," I-II, 1826-29.

In 1830 David deserted Judaism and joined the Protestant Church. In the same year he was appointed professor of political economy at the University of Copenhagen, and about the same time became political correspondent for the "Maanedsskrift for Litteratur" and leader of the Liberals. In 1834 he started a weekly paper, "Feedrelandet," but being accused of publishing articles in advocacy of a constitutional government, he was dismissed from the university, although acquitted by the court. After a trip to England David served as a representative from 1840 to 1846, being also elected (1841) an alderman of Copenhagen. He then associated himself with the government party, and was appointed by the king to the Senate. Soon afterward he was elected representative from Copenhagen to the first Folkething, where he became leader of the "Helstatsparti" (Unionist party).

David was elected chief inspector for the prison department in 1849; was chief of the state statistical department from 1854 to 1875; and became a director of the National Bank in 1858. After the war of 1864, he became secretary of the treasury in the administration of Bluhme, but in the following year he resigned his office. In 1870 he also gave up his seat as member of the Rigsdag, and withdrew entirely from political life.