Background
Vilhelm Petersen was born in Copenhagen in 1830.
Vilhelm Petersen was born in Copenhagen in 1830.
He was admitted to the Art Academy in 1843, when just 13 years old, where he initially studied decorative arts Foreign a few years he also apprenticed as a mason to acquire practical knowledge of the building trade.
He was the father of architect Knud Arne Petersen. Later he turned to architecture and became a student of Gustav Friedrich Hetsch for whom he also worked as an assistant and draughtsman. In 1892 he received appointment as Royal Building Inspector, an office he held until his death.
Back in Denmark, he became a member of the Art Academy in 1866 and he served as Building Inspector in Copenhagen from 1869 until 1874. He became a titular professor at the Art Academy and from 1887 until 1911 was a member of the Academy Council.
