The article examines the professional mobility of Jean‑Rodolphe‑François Marmillod (1720–1786), a Swiss-born engineer trained in Paris under the influence of his relative, Jean‑Rodolphe Perronet, director of the École des Ponts et Chaussées. While previous scholarship has highlighted the circulation of engineers across Europe, the Scandinavian dimension has received little attention. Marmillod’s twelve-year stay in Denmark offers a case study of how foreign expertise was recruited to support state-driven infrastructural modernization.
In the early 1760s, the Danish monarchy sought to improve its deteriorating road network as part of a broader economic and administrative reform. Lacking a domestic engineering school, Denmark turned to France for technical know-how. Through diplomatic channels—particularly the involvement of ambassador Baron de Gleichen—Marmillod was recruited as chief road inspector, accompanied by two French colleagues. His appointment reflected both Denmark’s ambitions and the prestige of French engineering.
Once in Copenhagen, Marmillod proposed and supervised major road projects, including new routes between Copenhagen, Fredensborg, and Roskilde, as well as urban improvements such as paving, sidewalks, and drainage. He also trained Danish apprentices to transfer French road-building techniques. Despite his technical contributions, Marmillod’s Danish experience did not lead to the career advancement he had hoped for within the French Ponts et Chaussées. His case illustrates the complex relationship between geographic mobility, expertise transfer, and professional recognition in the eighteenth century.
Revye historique 2025/3 No 715, s. 465-488 (sm. Anne Counchon og Steffen Elmer Jørgensen).