History History

It all started on the island of Seeland or Sjælland, the main island where today's Copenhagen is located, with the culture of Bromme. The collections of the National Museum of Denmark wonderfully illustrate this period during which the first hunter-gatherer populations developed a fascinating civilization based on the cutting of flint and amber. This fossilized resin, collected on the Jutland coast between the Baltic and the North Sea, was considered very valuable. Skillfully carved in the form of beads or pendants, it was used as offerings or ornaments. These jewels were often inlaid in the weaving of textiles. Some of the exceptional pieces on display in the museum's showcases weigh up to 8 kg

Amber circulated throughout Europe, it is found as far away as Greece and in the royal tombs of Mycenae dating back to 1600 BC! In addition, many megalithic monuments attest to a complex religious consciousness and funerary rites. This is evidenced by the many stones engraved with abstract symbols - whose meaning seems to be of a magical order - found in the tombs of the first Danish society that was not afraid of challenges!

Over the centuries, this peninsula located at the crossroads between Terres du Nord and Terres du Sud has attracted the covetousness of mostly Germanic peoples and answering to the sweet names of Cimbres and Angles. In turn, the Daners, who came from present-day Sweden, chose to settle here, but on a more permanent basis. They left their name to the region. These conquerors, who lived divided into clans, would later give birth to the Viking clans. At the beginning of the 8th century, they tried to unite and found a first kingdom, making Denmark the oldest kingdom in Europe! This period known as the "Age of the Vikings" was marked by the epics of these Normans (another name used in Frankish chronicles), superstitious pagans, daring navigators, fearless explorers, gifted merchants and tireless warriors whose history runs until the 11th century. The highly original museography on the ground floor of the National Museum of Denmark brilliantly reconstructs the lives of these little-known, but nevertheless very endearing, "Men of the North".

Harald with the Blue Tooth, a lover of purple berries like blueberries or a man with spoiled teeth, history has not yet decided! His conversion to Christianity brought him the support of the Holy Germanic Empire and allowed him to establish his kingdom with a new capital, Roskilde, located about thirty kilometers from present-day Copenhagen, along the fjord of the same name. This was a strategic position for anyone wishing to control the Kattegat Bay and access to the two seas mentioned above. Its foundation was followed by the establishment of a very powerful bishopric and the construction of a red brick cathedral, a true Gothic masterpiece, used as a royal necropolis. A short detour to Roskilde also allows you to visit the Viking Ship Museum and to see these formidable ships from port to starboard! A consortium of Scandinavian industrialists, including the Nokia and Ericsson groups, has appropriated the nickname of the famous Harald. His Blue Tooth, once translated into English, became Bluetooth... the very popular wireless communication tool used worldwide!

He was one of the most outstanding rulers of his time, skilfully juggling tradition and innovation, just like the country he ruled from 958 to 986. Born of the union between Gorm the Elder and Thyra of Denmark, he came from the Jelling dynasty, which originated in the eponymous town of Jelling, located in the south of the Jutland peninsula. It gave kings to Norway and England in the 10th and 11th centuries. Thanks to her perseverance and her tactical enterprise, the power stabilized, the economy took a momentum which contributed to improve the living conditions of her fellow citizens and to develop the cultural life. The country converted to Christianity. Until then, the Danish fleet, which was essentially made up of ships for military use, was equipped with cargo ships for commercial use. The runes, an ancient writing system, were not neglected and many stones were raised. Among the most famous, the Jelling Stones, listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, erected by Harald and his father. In the manner of an epic, they testify to the highlights of the reign of the one that history has immortalized for his blue tooth! In 2018, Harald was on the front page of the world's newspapers. And what a scoop! A 13 year old child would have found his prestigious treasure! A treasure composed of coins and fabulous objects! Pearls, brooches, an incredible Thor's hammer... A treasure buried after losing the battle against his son Sven. His grave is in the church of Roskilde.

The official birth of Copenhagen, then called København "the port of the merchants", is recounted in the Gesta danorum, a text written towards the end of the 12th century. This is due to Absalon, bishop of Roskilde. The town developed around a small harbour on the banks of the Øresund, a gift from King Valdemar, his milk brother. Soon a fortress was erected on the islet of Slotsholmen, followed by the construction of the Cathedral of Our Lady and several other churches. Prosperity was established thanks to herring fishing. Once dried, these fish were marketed in all the capitals and major ports of Europe, to the great disappointment of Lübeck, a major city of the powerful Hanseatic League.

Called the Dannebrog, which would mean "Danish garment", it consists of a white cross on a red background that is found identically in the flags of other Scandinavian countries. Its origin mixes legend and history. We are in 1219. Valdemar the Victorious leads a crusade against pagan Estonia. The affair looks rather bad for his troops when a banner with a silver cross suddenly appears in the sky. The king sees it as a divine message to his soldiers, who, energized, will fight until the final victory. A second version tells that at the end of this same battle, the white tunic of the king, entirely reddened by the blood of his opponents except for the location of his belt and his harness, would be at the origin of this flag.

The Hanseatic League was an association of merchant cities established in northern Europe. The economic wealth of Denmark attracted the jealousy of the Teuton. Following several attacks, the Hanseatic League succeeded in destroying the fortress in 1369 and forced the Danes to sign the Treaty of Stralsund the following year, thus forcing them to open the ports of the Øresund to its goods. Excavations in connection with work on the last two metro lines (opened in 2019 and 2020) have uncovered the remains of a trading mansion dating from 1020 near Kongens Nytorv Square and traces of a necropolis on the outskirts of Rådhuspladsen, the Town Hall Square.

The Scandinavian countries decided to form an alliance against the formidable Hanseatic League. This was done with the Union of Kalmar which saw Sweden and Norway come under the control of Denmark, then the most populous and richest country in Scandinavia. Denmark was the most populous and wealthiest country in Scandinavia at the time. It was very large, owning the southern part of these territories and controlling all access to the Baltic Sea.

In 1417, its status as a capital became official with the installation of King Erik of Pomerania. This was followed by the establishment of a toll in the Sund Strait, a very important source of income, the construction of Kronborg Castle in Elsinore to reinforce the defensive system already in place, the foundation of the University and the organization of merchants and craftsmen into guilds. Copenhagen then had 10,000 inhabitants. Sweden, exasperated by the increasingly heavy taxes, broke away from the Union and obtained its independence, thus giving birth to its own kingdom.

Its status as a capital became official with the installation of King Erik of Pomerania. This was followed by the introduction of a tollgate on the Sund Strait, a very important source of income, the construction of Kronborg Castle in Elsinore as a reinforcement of the defensive system already in place, the foundation of the University and the organisation of merchants and craftsmen into guilds. At that time, Copenhagen had 10,000 souls. Sweden, exasperated by the increasingly heavy taxes, broke away from the Union and gained its independence, thus giving birth to its own kingdom.

The 16th century was the century of the reforming and building kings. Pivot of history, Christian III. His coup d'état of 12 August 1536 imposed Lutheranism as the official religion, church property was confiscated and the Catholic majority was eliminated from the Council of State. Another important point is that the finances of the kingdom were rigorously cleaned up. As for Christian IV, known as the builder, he undertook various improvements during a long reign (1588-1648), tragically marked by military setbacks against Sweden. New districts entrusted to German and Dutch architects - Chritianshavn on the island of Amager, Nyhavn "the new port" and the sailors' quarter of Nyboder - doubled the surface area of the capital. The sovereign also had the sumptuous royal residence of Rosenborg (1606), the Stock Exchange and thefamous Round Towerbuilt. The city was then swimming in blissful prosperity.

Born in the 16th century, he embodied the man of Modern Times. A scholar, speaking several languages, an art lover, an astronomy enthusiast and a reformer at heart, his court was one of the most refined in Europe. At the age of 11, on the death of his father King Frederick II, he ascended to the throne. His sense of strategy, politics, interest in science and the navy determined profound changes in Danish history. From 1610 onwards, many fortresses were built on the territorial borders and along the shores, the fleet was multiplied by three in number of vessels capable of going to the end of the world where the East India Company was founded in 1616 with the aim of economically suffocating the Habsburg giant! Unfortunately, numerous wars and the loss of certain territories marked the end of his reign. Invested to the end, he went so far as to hock his royal crown... in order to finance his army. To learn more about his daily life, a small visit of his residence, the castle of Rosenborg, is necessary.

Copenhagen was a mighty city... but only a cannon range away from Sweden, which targeted it. For almost 100 years, there would be one war after another. During the siege of 1659 and after six months of resistance, it was forced to abandon Skåne to its rivals. Murdered by these attacks, isolated at the eastern end of the country, its political equilibrium collapsed. Frederick III took advantage of the circumstances to impose an absolute monarchy by relying on the merchant bourgeoisie, which was very useful in weakening the aristocracy. A century of galleys followed, with the black plague and a terrible fire that ravaged the royal residence. It wascompletely rebuilt between 1734 and 1742 and rose from its ashes under the name of Christiansborg.

A new economic boom opened the doors to a period of splendor symbolized by the emergence of a triumphant rococo district, Frederikstaden, "Frederick's City". The architect Nikolai Eigtved was involved in the construction of the four palaces ofAmalienborg, the artistic life experienced a period of splendor marked by the inauguration of the Academy of Fine Arts in 1754 and the publications of the first great Nordic writer, Ludvig Holberg. This luminous period saw the bourgeoisie once again increase its power, partly thanks to the minister Struensee, who took advantage of the insanity of King Christian VII, who came to the throne in 1766, to carry out important reforms. It was not a good idea! He was executed a few years later... The end of the century was struck by disasters, the flames destroying Christiansborg once again in 1794 and a large part of the city in 1795

However, the worst was yet to come with the Napoleonic Wars between France and England. During this conflict, Denmark had opted for neutrality. But Admiral Nelson had decided otherwise. He had finally found an effective way to get rid of a major maritime competitor. After defeating the Danish fleet off the coast of the city, the English pulled out of their hat a secret clause incriminating the Danes, who were a priori willing to lend Napoleon a hand. This pretext was enough for them to bombard the city. Theresult: hundreds of victims, the castle of Christiansborg damaged, a third of the houses and Notre-Dame ravaged. The ruined country had to give Norway, still in its possession, to Sweden. Misery invaded the city, which was confined within its walls. Fortunately, the destroyed public buildings were rebuilt under the aegis of the architect Hansen in a more austere neoclassical style.

Paradoxically, this period of turmoil was accompanied by an intense cultural life to such an extent that one speaks of the Danish Golden Age! All the arts were concerned. The neoclassical trend imposed itself on painting and sculpture. Undisputed master, C. W. Eckersberg is exhibited with his pupils at the Statens Museum for Kunst. Among his famous paintings, the very touching double portrait of Hanna and Bella dating from 1820. The artist Bertel Thorvaldsen embodied the art of this period, he created colossal statues of Christ and the Apostles for the Cathedral of Our Lady. In his will, the sculptor bequeathed his personal collection and the models of his works to the city, which have since been exhibited in the Thorvaldsen Museum. Literature was also present in the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen and the existential philosophical thoughts of Søren Kierkegaard. The sciences were not to be outdone: Hans Christian Ørsted discovered electromagnetism..

A second golden age began, accompanied by the creation of a new constitution. At the same time, Copenhagen entered the era of modernity. In politics first of all, with the election of the first City Council by restricted suffrage, a victory of the bourgeoisie over absolutism, and the establishment in 1849 of the Rigsdag, the bicameral Royal Parliament renamed Folketinget in 1953, housed since its creation in Christianborg Palace. Technological then, with the construction in 1847 of the railroad linking Roskilde and the central station.

In the mid-19th century, the industrialization of the capital attracted many migrants from the countryside. As the city was overcrowded, the ramparts were demolished to allow it to expand beyond the old gates. Here and there, the transformations in the city were consequent: theatres, boulevards, a first department store, the future Magasin du Nord, a more modern port, Frihavn, developed in the north of the city. Around 1870, the beginnings of trade unionism developed in the working-class district of Vesterbro, around Carl Jacobsen'sCarlsberg Brewery, while other districts, such as Nørrebro and Østerbro, became more bourgeois and affluent

During this economically prosperous period, Carl Frederik Tietgen, an industrialist and philanthropist, financed the completion of the Marble Church at his own expense, while Carl Jacobsen commissioned the statue of the Little Mermaid, which was not installed on his rock until 1913

The dark hours of the First World War did not affect Copenhagen, which was relatively unaffected by Denmark's neutrality. The centre-left Social Liberal Radical Party and the Venstre Liberal Left Party shared power for two decades, initiating social and labour law reforms. In 1915, the right to vote was granted to women. The 1920s brought a new face to the city with the opening of Kastrup Airport, the world's first civil airport, in 1925 and the installation of street lighting in 1928. However, like most of the countries of inter-war Europe, the difficult social situation saw unemployment explode and the Social Democrats, Denmark's largest party until 2001, come to power.

The German armies occupied Denmark on 9 April 1940 without imposing too many restrictions. But three years later, with the rise of the Resistance, political freedoms and the right to strike were suppressed, and the first round-ups and deportations were carried out. King Christian X, who was under house arrest in his palace until the surrender of the German forces on 4 May 1945, declared himself opposed to this process. Meanwhile, the people of Copenhagen had organized to allow their Jewish fellow citizens to cross into Sweden, hiding them in fishing boats. For a long time, Denmark was held up as an example of humanitarian and humanist commitment. After the liberation, the country entered a long social democratic period during which the effective and still active social welfare system was established.

Ecological awareness started very early in Copenhagen, as early as 1962, with the pedestrianisation of the old town centre: the famous Strøget. It was reinforced during the following decade by the political will reacting to the two oil crises. The 1960s were marked by happy, glamorous and popular moments alternating with moments of protest and opposition. On 10 June 1967, the people of Copenhagen gathered in the Holmens Kirke, the "Church of the Sailors", to celebrate the wedding of Crown Princess Margrethe with Henri de Laborde de Montpezat. A union blessed by the births of Crown Prince Frederik in 1968 and Prince Joachim in 1969. The Princess ascended to the throne in 1972 under the name of Margrethe II, succeeding her father, Frederick IX. On the other hand, the young protesters were making a name for themselves by requisitioning a military plot of land that had been turned into a squat. Unemployed people and hippies self-proclaimed Christiania a "free city", entirely self-managed from 1971 until 2003. In 1973, Denmark became a member of the European Community.

In terms of architecture, major names have responded to calls for projects, integrating monumental buildings into a city in the throes of renewal. Work has never stopped: the Øresund bridge to Malmö in Sweden, the pedestrianization of City Hall Square, the transformation of industrial buildings and warehouses into housing. The former port areas have become Copenhagen's showcase, a city open to the future. To the west, the Navy has vacated its land on the island of Christianshavn, an area invested with culture and knowledge. Its jewel, the opera house designed by architect Henning Larsen, was inaugurated in 2005. Another achievement is the Black Diamond, a vast dark granite building, an extension of the Royal Library, which rivals the concert hall designed by Jean Nouvel. The opening of metro lines facilitates urban travel in a capital that defends its commitment to ecology: in 2014, it was designated "European Green Capital" by the European Commission.

But today, Copenhagen is expanding at a dizzying pace, perhaps too much so. In January 2022, a controversy arose around the construction of Lynetteholm, a 2.8 ^km2 artificial island with 35,000 housing units planned for completion in 2070!

Another thorn in her side: the difficult management of the crisis linked to the flow of migrants to Denmark, which is making entry into the country more difficult.

In 2022, Queen Margrethe celebrated her Golden Jubilee, the fiftieth anniversary of her accession to the throne, but on January 14, 2024, she abdicated, leaving the kingdom to the Crown Prince, her eldest son, King Frederik X.