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What is nonetheless certain is that Løbner spent a quarter
of a century on the Faroes, and that he was around sixty
when he left. One reason for this lengthy sojourn were the
major changes occasioned by the Napoleonic Wars.
Denmark, namely, had not waged war since the Great
Northern War ended in 1720, and during the long stretch of
time that followed, which historians term the ‘Florissante
Period’, Copenhagen was transformed into a European
trading center. Throughout the various wars that plagued
Europe, the Danes sailed the seas under a flag of neutrality,
which proved extremely profitable for both ships and
maritime trading companies. The Danish-Norwegian trade
fleet was the second largest in Europe, and aside from
overseeing Danish colonial interests, the fleet sailed the
globe, shipping goods out and carrying goods home.
The Florissante Period came to an end in 1807 when the
British attacked. They feared what might happen if the
Danish fleet were to fall into Emperor Napoleon’s hands.
30,000 soldiers were put ashore at Vedbæk north of
Copenhagen, and a mighty armada besieged the capital.
From September 2 - 6, Copenhagen was bombed and
burned, and the British seized the entire Danish navy and
every transport ship they could find.
However, it was not just for Denmark that economic
progress stalled. All of Europe suffered a stagnation that
lasted until around 1830.