Ole Judichær

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Ole Judichær (also Olaus Judichær) was a Danish shipbuilder and admiral in the Royal Danish Navy. He was born on 20 March 1661 on Gotland, Sweden (some sources say 20 February). He died on 29 September 1729 in Næstved, Denmark, and was buried in the Church of Holmen in Copenhagen. He served Denmark from 1690 to 1725 and reached the rank of admiral. His era included the Great Northern War.

Life and career:
- At 17, he moved to Copenhagen and studied theology in 1683–84, then mathematics under Ole Rømer, who recommended him to Niels Juel and Admiral Henrik Span. He was a tutor in Span’s household and sometimes preached in the naval church at Holmen.
- In 1690 he became deputy dockmaster at Bremerholm and soon led shipbuilding. With the 1692 launch of the Dannebroge—the first ship built at Nyholm—he was officially named dockmaster and fabrikmester, roles he held until 1725.
- He was commissioned in 1698 as a commander (kommandørkaptajn) despite not following the usual officer training path.
- Around 1706–1708, criticism that his designs were too theoretical led him to a study tour in Holland and England. In Britain he accompanied Admiral George Byng to Lisbon. Afterward he worked on timber procurement in Lithuania and on defence works at Christiansø.
- In 1710, at the Battle of Køge Bay, he commanded a squadron in Gyldenløve’s fleet. From 1711 he led coastal defence and oversaw the scuttling of old warships to form the Trekroner sea fort near Copenhagen.
- He is credited with designing 23 ships of the line and nine frigates. He introduced scientific methods into Danish shipbuilding and became Holmen’s Admiral in 1714.
- During the Great Northern War he also commanded Zealand’s coastal defences, despite not having traditional naval training. He was known for his strong will.
- Notable actions include in 1700 refusing to block Flinterenden, even though Swedish forces later struggled to join the bombardment of Copenhagen and Humlebæk.
- In 1718 he designed and built shallow-draft floating mortar platforms for Sweden’s rocky coasts. In 1719 he used a self-designed diving bell to study and raise ships sunk at Marstrand.
- After the war, rivals in the Danish Admiralty accused him of bringing his office into disrepute and complained to the king, Frederik IV. His bold replies made him enemies, and he was dismissed in 1725 (formally approved in 1727). The claim that he left Holmen through the Slaves Gate is not true.
- He retired to Næstved, where he died on 29 September 1729. His coffin was placed in the naval church chapel at Holmen in 1730.