Wilhelm Hellesen
Frederik Louis Wilhelm Hellesen (2 February 1836 – 22 December 1892) was a Danish inventor and industrialist. In 1887 he designed what is thought to be the first dry cell battery based on the Leclanché cell design.
Also recorded as Frederik Louis Wilhelm Hellesen
Wilhelm Hellesen
US Patent Office, Wilhelm Louis Frederik Hellesen, dead 1892. · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Frederik Louis Wilhelm Hellesen
- Born
- 2 February 1836
- Birthplace
- Kalundborg, Denmark
- Died
- 22 December 1892 (aged 56)
- Place of death
- Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Full name
- Vilhelm Louis Frederik Hellesen.
- Nationality
- Kingdom of Denmark.
- Occupation
- engineer and designer.
- Languages
- Danish.
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Documentary summary
Frederik Louis Wilhelm Hellesen (2 February 1836 – 22 December 1892) was a Danish inventor and industrialist. In 1887 he designed what is thought to be the first dry cell battery based on the Leclanché cell design.
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q8002190 · wikipedia · Wilhelm Hellesen
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Frederik Louis Wilhelm Hellesen • Born — 2 February 1836 • Birthplace — Kalundborg, Denmark • Died — 22 December 1892 (aged 56) • Place of death — Frederiksberg, Denmark
Career
Career
The same year he founded the company W. Hellesen. In 1889 he sold his first batteries to the Danish Telephone Company. The same year a young chemist Valdemar Ludvigsen (1861–1939) came to the factory helping by the further development of the batteries. When Frederik Hellesen died in 1892 his widow took over the company with the help of Ludvigsen. In 1906 V. Ludvigsen became the sole owner of the factory with the name A/S Hellesens Enke & V. Ludvigsen. (later known as A/S Tudor-Hellesens, A/S Hellesens, and GN Hellesens), now defunct.
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
Wilhelm Hellesen was recorded at birth as Vilhelm Louis Frederik Hellesen. His recorded language was Danish.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1836
Wilhelm Hellesen was born on 2 February 1836.
1892
Wilhelm Hellesen died on 22 December 1892.
Places
Named by the record
Places
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Kalundborg.
Birth place
Frederiksberg.
Death place
Legacy
Today the Hellesens brand name is owned by Duracell. In 1992 the Danish company was sold to GP Batteries International in Singapore belonging to Gold Peak Industries Ltd. Hong Kong. In 2005 the last factory in Thisted was closed and all machinery were shipped to a new factory in Malaysia.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q8002190: Wilhelm Hellesen
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Wilhelm Hellesen”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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