Ole Kirk Christiansen

Christiansen was born on 7 April 1891 in Omvraa Mark, Filskov, South Jutland, Denmark, which is 20 km northwest of Billund. He was one of 13 children of a farm labourer. His parents were Jens Niels Christiansen and Kirstine Christiansen. Although his family was poor, Christiansen was able to receive a basic high-school education. It was while he was working as a farmhand from the age of six that Christiansen developed a fascination with whittling wood, in between the two days per week that he attended school. In 1905, when Christiansen was 14, he began working as an apprentice for his older brother, Kristian Bonde Christiansen. In 1911, after his apprenticeship, he served in the military and studied at Haslev Technical School. After, he travelled abroad and went to work in carpentry in Germany and Norway before returning to Denmark.

In 1916, Christiansen returned to Denmark and settled in Billund. He bought a carpentry shop with the money he had saved and named it Billund Maskinsnedkeri og Tømreforretning (Billund Woodworking and Carpentry Shop). During the late 1920s, the business focused on restoring and developing new buildings and also producing household goods for the local community. In 1924, Christiansen's business was almost destroyed when his sons, Karl Georg and Godtfred, caused a fire to break out by accidentally setting fire to wood shavings in the workshop while trying to light a hot glue machine. Consequently, both the workshop and the family home burned down. Following this event, Christiansen decided to expand his business and employed an architect to build a larger workshop and family home. The construction of the house, which is situated on Hovedgaden in Billund, was completed in 1924 with two stone lions placed at its entrance. By 1930, Christiansen employed a small workforce to maintain his growing business.

While establishing his business, Christiansen met Kirstine Sörensen, the daughter of a local cheese-maker. They married in 1916 and had four children. Sörensen died in 1932 after the birth of their fourth child. Two years later, Christiansen married Sofie Jörgensen and they had one daughter. Christiansen was a member of the Church Association for the Inner Mission in Denmark.