The women at Home of Carlsberg
Historically, many of the roles at the Carlsberg Brewery in Copenhagen have been occupied by men. Take, for example, the coachmen working in the stable. Carlsberg has had coachmen since 1847, but it wasn’t until 2020 that the first woman got a job as a coachman at Carlsberg. Today, the women outnumber the men in the stable, and the share of men and women working at Home of Carlsberg is equal.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we have asked three female colleagues about their roles at Home of Carlsberg and their views on how the Brewery and the people working here have changed through time.
Marie-Louise, Coachman since November 2022
What does your role as a Coachman entail?
As a Coachman, I work in the stable, care for the horses, keep the wagons and equipment nice and clean, and ride and drive the horses with one of the wagons around Copenhagen to train and exercise them. Whenever we get a new horse or colleague, I train and onboard them. In December, we got a new mare, Humle, in the stable. It takes time for the horses to get to know each other and for the new horses to feel comfortable driving around Copenhagen and get used to the city's noises and traffic.
You are the second female coachman working here. Why do you think you are one of the first female coachmen working at Carlsberg?
It’s a great job. So, to be honest, I don’t know why I am one of the first women working as a coachman. I am extremely proud and honoured to be one of the first female coachmen at Carlsberg. It is also something that colleagues and people in the streets comment on positively because they used to see only men with the horses.
Have you ever encountered any prejudice about the profession?
I have encountered some prejudices, especially from older men, who primarily ask about my height (I am 157 cm). Once, a man asked: “Can a small girl like you lift the heavy hoofs on such a big horse?” while grabbing my arm. Another man asked if I was working here to muck out and cuddle with the horses. A third man has asked if I was just here to look pretty while my male colleague was driving the wagon.
Sarah, Guide since September 2023
What does your role as a Guide entail?
As a guide at Home of Carlsberg, I have a diverse day, and no days are alike. During the day, I host fun beer tastings and share stories about Carlsberg on our historical tours. I also have shifts in the bar and in the science room in the exhibition, where I love to talk with the guests about their experiences in the exhibition and answer any questions they might have. The primary responsibility as a guide is to convey Carlsberg’s many great stories about beer, science, family feuds, art, and legacy – which, as a historian, I love.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we want to shed some light on Laura and Ottilia Jacobsen. As a historian and guide, can you share your insights into what role Ottilia and Laura played at the brewery?
Laura and Ottilia had very different roles at Carlsberg. In the 1800s, the woman’s place was thought to be in the home, running the household and taking care of the children, and Laura lived up to this. She worked behind the scenes, ensuring the more prominent family and network were cared for.
When Carlsberg was founded, only about a dozen people worked here, all unmarried, young men capable of the physically demanding work. These men became part of the household for Laura, and she looked after them, ensuring they were fed and that a doctor was called for them if necessary. Laura was also responsible for the Friday dinners hosted every Friday in the villa at Carlsberg. This enabled J.C. to meet with a lot of different people, most of them influential, in a lovely setting. Laura also kept in touch with these people and wrote many letters to them. You can say she was the social relations worker at Carlsberg. Her letters, however, have not survived, making it difficult for us to understand Laura’s thoughts and how much work was put into this.
Laura was fond of the arts, both theatre and artworks and helped Ottilia and Carl fund the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek and the Jesus Church. Laura was the softer, caring parent to Carl. Even as Carl became a grown man, she couldn’t help herself by advising him and trying to correct his behaviour, especially after the death of Ottilia.
Ottilia’s role was very different to that of Laura. Her role was much more public, and Carl involved her in almost everything. She grew up in a Danish merchant’s family in Scotland, and because of that, I assume she already knew quite a bit about running a business, which would help Carl as he wasn’t always wise with money. Like Laura, Ottilia was the social one, and it is said that she would also smooth the waters when Carl would get upset with the people around them.
Both women were also involved with different charities and influenced their husbands. When the first Glyptotek at Carl and Ottilia’s villa opened to the public, a small entrance fee was needed, but all the money was donated to run a local children’s institution to help better the lives of children at risk.
Why has it been essential to shed light on Laura and Ottilia in the exhibition?
Because of the role Laura and Ottilia played behind the scenes, it is often overlooked that they were an essential part of forming the breweries by affecting their husband's views and taking care of the extensive network and connections needed to run a brewery. Ottilia was a driving force behind sharing the art they collected with the public, and she kept Carl in check with some of his wilder ideas. Laura was a very private figure, but she made sure J.C. was surrounded by the people he needed and helped improve many of his relationships, as J.C. was a very stubborn and proud man.
The two women were crucial to the two men reconciling before the death of J.C. and kept contact between the two families, unknown to their husbands.
Tine, Director since April 2023
What does your role as Director entail?
Since taking on the role as director of Home of Carlsberg, my primary focus and responsibility have been to build and grow the organisation, set a strategy, drive the organisation's development, and build an innovative and trust-based culture.
When I started, around 20 people were working here, now we are almost 100. We are a wide-ranging organisation with back-office functions such as Marketing, PR, Sales, Digital, HR, and Finance, a stable team with coachmen and our four-legged colleagues, and a large operational team of all our colleagues meeting our guests daily. I love that we are such a wide-ranging organisation, but it also makes it crucial to set a strategy that works for all parts of the organisation.
What is your perspective on diversity in the organisation, and do you believe we are at a good place?
Fostering a diverse and inclusive organisation is, of course, of high importance to me. At Home of Carlsberg, we are close to a 50/50 share of men and women, which creates a great balance and a good dynamic in the entire team. For me, it is essential to build an organisation that reflects the society we live in. This applies to as many aspects of diversity as possible.
Do you have a female role model from the present or past Carlsberg Family?
There have been, and still are, many extraordinary women working in the wide-ranging Carlsberg Family. The first person that comes to my mind is Majken Schultz. Majken works as Chair of the Carlsberg Foundation and Vice-Chair of the Carlsberg A/S Supervisory Board. I am in awe of her dedication and hard work for, among other things, paving the way for more women in science and the business world. She has greatly supported me and Home of Carlsberg from the beginning. She is down to earth, has a ‘no bullshit’ attitude and is honest, which I respect her for.
Curious to know more about the women's roles at the Carlsberg Brewery? Read about when the women came to Carlsberg here.