Support from patrons was absolutely decisive for Andersen's social rise. Prominent among them were the professor and poet Frederik Høegh-Guldberg (a brother of Colonel Christian Høegh-Guldberg, chief in command of the garrison in Odense), Jonas Collin, theatre manager and financial adviser to the King, and Peter Frederik Wulff, captain (later admiral), writer, and translator (and his family).
In addition Andersen, like other Danish artists, scholars and hopeful talents, was supported from the King's private foundation ad usus publicos (at which Jonas Collin, and later his son, Edvard, functioned as secretary).
From 1838 Andersen received a yearly tax-free state stipend of 400 rdl. (approx. 40,000 DKK.), which in 1845 was raised to 600 rdl. and in 1860 to 1,000 rdl.
