Bispegården (
English: The Bishop's House) in
Copenhagen,
Denmark, is the residence and office of the
Bishop of Copenhagen. It is located across the street from
Copenhagen Cathedral and
Frue Plads, on the corner of
Nørregade and
Studiestræde
Studiestræde is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark, running from Bispetorv on Nørregade in the northeast to Axeltorv in the southwest. The oldest section of the street, between Nørregade and Vester Voldgade, is part of Copenhagen's Latin ...
, in the city centre.
Bispetorv, the small square next to it, is named after the building.
History
Pre-Reformation situation
The Bishop's House stands on the site where Copenhagen's second
city hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
was built in about 1400. It was a four-winged building in
Gothic style. In 1479, a
new city hall was completed on nearby
Gammeltorv and the old building was taken over by the
University of Copenhagen which was founded the same year by King
Christian I with the approval of
Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...
.
At that time, the
Roman-Catholic Bishop of Roskilde had his bishop's
palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
on
Vor Frue Plads
VOR or vor may refer to:
Organizations
* Vale of Rheidol Railway in Wales
* Voice of Russia, a radio broadcaster
* Volvo Ocean Race, a yacht race
Science, technology and medicine
* VHF omnidirectional range, a radio navigation aid used in ...
on the other side of the street, where it had been built after Bishop
Henrik Gertsen
Henrik is a male given name of Germanic origin, primarily used in Scandinavia, Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia. In Poland, the name is spelt Henryk but pronounced similarly. Equivalents in other languages are Henry (English), Heiki (Estonian), Heikk ...
gave up
Absalon's Castle on
Slotsholmen to King
Valdemar IV
Valdemar IV Atterdag (the epithet meaning "Return of the Day"), or Waldemar (132024 October 1375) was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375. He is mostly known for his reunion of Denmark after the bankruptcy and mortgaging of the country to finance ...
in 1350.
After the Reformation
After the
Reformation, the new
Lutheran Bishop of Zealand was given the university's building, while the university relocated to the dethroned Catholic bishop's palace. Still
Roskilde Cathedral remained the seat of the new Lutheran diocese, as it had been for its Catholic predecessor.
After the Great Fire of 1728
The Bishop's House was destroyed in the
Copenhagen Fire of 1728 but rebuilt from 1731 to 1732, on the same site but smaller and to a new design by
Lars Erichsen, a master builder, who also worked for the university.
In 1896, the building underwent a comprehensive renovation and alteration under the architect
Martin Nyrop
Martin Nyrop (11 November 1849 18 May 1921) was a Danish architect.
Early life and education
Nyrop was born on 11 November 1849 at Holmsland, Ringkøbing, the son of parish priest Christopher Nyrop (1805–1879) and Helene Ahlmann (1807–1874) ...
, known for designing the new
Copenhagen City Hall completed in 1905.
Architecture and decorations
The Bishop's House consists of two wings and is built in warm red brick with a black tile roof. The building has
timberframing toward the yard.
A
bay window on the facade toward Studiestræde was added by Nyrop in the 1896 renovation. Below the window, there is a
plaque, also designed and written by Nyrop, which commemorates the long history and former uses of the site: It reads:
''Helt rædsomt man med mig i Tiden monne raade:
Som Raadhus først jeg stod vor By til Gavn og Baade. 1479.
Saa var jeg Studiegaard, men blev, da her i Landet Guds rene Ord fik Løb, til Bispegaard omdannet. 1537.
Det har jeg siden da igiennem Sekler været, skiønt Ild mig hærget har og Ild har paa mig tæret. 1728.
Nu er i stand jeg sat, Gud lad mig længe staa og skærm i Naade dem, som Bolig i mig faa. 1896''
The
seal and motto of
Peder Palladius, the first Protestant bishop to reside in the property, is placed above the gate.
Bishop
Friedrich Münter
Friedrich Christian Carl Heinrich Münter (14 October 1761 – 9 April 1830) was a German-Danish scholar, theologian, and Bishop of Zealand from 1808 until his death. His name has also been recorded as Friederich Münter.
In addition to his posi ...
's collection of cultural artifacts is displayed in the gate and vestibule.
[
]
See also
* Church of Denmark
References
External links
Official website
of the Bishop of Copenhagen
Architectural renderings
in the Danish National Art Library
The Danish National Art Library is the national research library for architecture, art history, visual arts and museology in Denmark. It was founded in 1754 as part of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and has been located at Charlottenbor ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bispegarden, Copenhagen
Official residences in Copenhagen
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1732