 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 | |
35°F / 2°C
(Passing Clouds. Chilly.)
more...
|
|
|
|
|
 add to Travel Bag (NEW)
"My dreams of Copenhagen—a song from a faithful lover: thus the poet Poul Henningsen (PH) began the declaration of his love to the city of Copenhagen.
The history of Copenhagen spans many years and reaches back to when Absalon lived in the twelfth century.
In 1167 Absalon founded a castle at the place where Christiansborg lies today, not far from the site of the Statue of Absalon. Originally Copenhagen was the property of the church and in 1416 the city was finally put under the authority of the king. During the 1500s Copenhagen became the most important city in Denmark and was built with the Church of Our Lady as its centrepiece. This was the area where the University of Copenhagen was founded in 1476.
It was only after the fall of absolute monarchy, in place between 1600 and 1661, that Copenhagen first became the nucleus of the kingdom. The army, the navy and most of the administration then relocated to Copenhagen. Throughout the centuries, when people referred to Copenhagen, they meant the city located inside the ramparts. These structures were situated where now the streets of Gothersgade, Østre- and Nørrevoldgade run. You can see what is left of the ramparts and moats in Tivoli, Ørstedsparken and in Østre Anlæg. Outside the ramparts you began to encounter the countryside. Here, the cattle grazed on large areas of grass.
During the 16th and 17th Centuries the stream of ships and boats through Øresund increased dramatically. The collection of duties for sailing through Øresund became the basis of Copenhagen’s growing prosperity. As a consequence, a lot of prestigious building activity took place in the reign of Christian IV. Wonderful buildings such as Børsen, Rosenborg, Rundetårn and housing districts like Christianshavn and Nyboder came into existence. All this still stands and is viewable today in more or less the same form.
Between 1658 and 1660 a potentially dangerous time for the city began to unfold—the Swedes besieged the Danish capital. However, a somewhat humiliating peace was made with the Swedish king, which among other things meant the concession of the island of Bornholm to Sweden; Copenhagen was saved! The defeat against Sweden resulted in the eventual construction of Vestvolden (the western rampart) and later the Kastellet fortress.
Over the centuries, a whole host of disasters have acted as a catalyst for great transformations in Copenhagen. In 1711-1712 the Black Death took a hold and 22,000 of the city's 60,000 inhabitants fell victim to it. In 1728 a fire broke out and a big part of the city fell into ruins. In 1795 yet another fire ravaged Copenhagen. However, new buildings replaced the old. In 1749 Frederiksstaden came into existence with Amalienborg and the Marble Church. The classical city of Copenhagen with which we are familiar today only came into being after 1794.
Copenhagen gained international recognition when the Danish became Napoleon’s ally and fought against England. The famous battle against the English on Reden took place in 1801. Although the Danes lost that battle, seafaring heroes such as Peder Willemoes were immortalised as a result. The English bombarded Copenhagen in 1807. After the attacks were over, buildings such as Our Lady's Church (as we know it today) and Thorvaldsens Museum were erected.
Around 1850 the ramparts finally lost their military importance. Shortly afterwards industrial development started to escalate. People were moving from the countryside into the big city in droves. In 1852 the city inside the ramparts had become so overpopulated that it was necessary to start building houses outside the ramparts, even outside Søerne, the lakes. Vesterbro and Nørrebro were built, and later, the more exclusive Østerbro was created. Frihavnen was opened in 1894.
The year 1900 ushered in new and different times. Cars and electric trams gradually appeared on the streets of Copenhagen. By 1928 the traffic had already become so intense that the first traffic lights were put up. The building of the The Town Hall (1905) and Hovedbanegården—the Grand Central Station (1911)—meant that the centre of the city moved westward.
World War I (1914-1918), the 1920s and the 1930s—with mass unemployment and social unrest—left their mark on Copenhagen. This was also the case with the Second World War and the German occupation of Denmark in 1940-1945; the first half of the 20th century proved a traumatic period in the history of the city.
During the 1960s and 1970s many plans were dreamt up for elaboration on the city. One was the construction of Søringen—a highway running around the lakes.
Now we have reached the real new millennium and after the opening of Øresundsbroen, Copenhagen and its citizens expect a boom. Many beautiful buildings and traffic installations have come into being: Tycho Brahe Planetarium, The Black Diamond (part of the Royal Library), the renovation of Frihavnen and the harbour of Copenhagen, Arken—the art museum, the extension of Statens Museum for Kunst, Glyptoteket and the construction of the Metro.
|
|
|
|
|
Travel Bag
Interested in writing content for Wcities?