Consul Peder C. Larsen and the Flower Clock of the Municipal Park 'García Sanabria'

Peder Christian Larsen (1913-1996) arrived in February 1938 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and remained in this city for the rest of his life. He was hired by Guillermo H. Olsen, who was then the consul of Denmark, as his employee to take care of the consulate's secretariat, the shipping agency, and other import and representation businesses. Larsen managed to root himself in the Tenerife society of the time, taking some initiatives that have lasted over time, such as the gift of the flower clock in the municipal park 'García Sanabria', donated in 1958, and since July 15, 2014, his name appears in a small square as a token of gratitude.

The mayor of the city, José Manuel Bermúdez, and the consul of Denmark in the Canary Islands, Bjorn Tronholm, participated that day in the simple ceremony, which featured the performance of the municipal music band and evokes the memory of a man who spent 58 years of his life in Tenerife. We had the opportunity to meet Peder C. Larsen in the last phase of his life, thanks to the good work of the beloved and always well-remembered friend and teacher Juan Antonio Padrón Albornoz, and we remember him as a kind person deeply in love with his adopted land, to which he dedicated his best efforts and concerns.

Although Peder C. Larsen is mainly remembered for holding the position of vice-consul and consul of Denmark in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for many years – there was also a time when he was consul of the Republic of Finland, until the unforgettable Kristoffer Öhquist took over the position for another 25 years – the truth is that the bulk of his activity was that of a ship agent, during a prosperous time for the Tenerife port, with much ship movement, where fruit traffic and emigration to Venezuela were hallmarks of an entire era. When the container era arrived, the Danish company EAC Lines established regular stops on round trips to African ports with the ships 'Boringia' and 'Fionia', and their agency was always Olsen and Co.

Peder C. Larsen (1913-1996)

The mayor of the city, José Manuel Bermúdez and consul Tronholm, at the event

An already defunct and once very influential organization called CREP was the one that contracted shipping companies to carry fruit loads to the markets of Northern Europe – Denmark, Sweden, and Finland – at which point regional maritime companies such as DFDS, Svea Line, and Gorthon Line appeared, whose consignments were handled by the agency Guillermo H. Olsen, later Olsen and Co., then owned and directed by Peder C. Larsen. This company also held the representation of the car brand Volvo, the whisky 'Jonnie Walker', Coca-Cola – which had been secured by his predecessor – the delegation of the Scandinavian airline SAS, and other brands. Just as the Subsecretariat of Merchant Marine authorized the establishment of regular stops for emigrant transatlantic ships in Spanish ports. At that time, taking advantage of the situation and contacts, the aforementioned agency managed to represent some Italian companies, such as SIOSA and Flotta Lauro.

Together with archaeologist Luis Diego Cuscoy, Larsen is listed as a co-author of 'The Book of Tenerife' [Ediciones Anaga, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1957]. He had numerous cultural initiatives and contributions of other types, such as the Vintersol rehabilitation center in Los Cristianos, the municipal pool 'Acidalio Lorenzo' in the capital of Tenerife, and the Teleférico del Teide company, of which he was a board member. Due to his interest in the sea and ships, he was one of the most active members of the First Maritime Exhibition of Tenerife, held in May 1956. The Danish frigate 'Danmark' intensified its stops at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and thanks to an initiative by Juan Antonio Padrón Albornoz, during the time he was a councilor of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, a street in the city bears the name of the training ship of the Nordic country's merchant marine.

Throughout his life, Peder C. Larsen received several important distinctions and honors. Some of them in the form of decorations from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Spain; as well as the titles of Favorite Son of Nykøbing Mors, a Danish city on the island of Mors, the capital of the municipality of Morsø, which is part of the Northern Jutland region; and Adopted Son of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. From his marriage to Else Larsen, a son, Danny, was born, who passed away at an early age, although he left descendants.

Photos: José Alberto Díaz-Estébanez León