Frederiksværk is a town with a population of 12,837 (1 January 2025) in

Halsnæs Municipality Halsnæs Municipality () is a municipality (Danish language, Danish, ''Commune (subnational entity), kommune'') in the Capital Region of Denmark. The municipality covers a total area (land and water) of 122.15 km2 (2013), according to Municipa ...

Zealand Zealand ( ) is the largest and most populous islands of Denmark, island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size) at 7,031 km2 (2715 sq. mi.). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 Januar ...

Region Hovedstaden The Capital Region of Denmark (, ) is the easternmost administrative region of Denmark, and contains Copenhagen, the national capital. The Capital Region has 29 municipalities and a regional council consisting of 41 elected members. As of 1 ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

History

A French cannon founder, Peyrembert, received permission to build a cannon factory here. Having gotten into difficulties, King Frederik V requested that his chancellery advisor,

Johan Frederik Classen Johan Frederik Classen, frequently also J. F. Classen, (11 February 1725 – 24 March 1792) was a Danish people, Danish-Norwegian people, Norwegian business magnate, industrialist, major general, landowner and founder of Det Classenske Fideic ...

, take over the operation of the foundry. Under Classen's management the town blossomed, and there came a gunpowder mill, as well as light industry and handicrafts to the town. This resulted in Classen's being appointed major general. On 25 August 1756 the king issued a document permitting Classen to call the town "Friederichswerk". Classen was allowed to build a new foundry, Gjethuset, and it was constructed between 1761 and 1767. It has been used as a cannon foundry until 1928, and has been used for heavy industry until 1976. The building has been restored and reopened on 12 June 1996. It is now used as an art and culture center with theatre, music and art exhibitions. The original architect was either

Lauritz de Thurah Laurids Lauridsen de Thurah, known as Lauritz de Thurah (4 March 1706 – 5 September 1759), was a Danish architect and architectural writer. He became the most important Danish architect of the late baroque period. As an architectural write ...

Nicolai Eigtved Nicolai Eigtved (4 June 1701 – 7 June 1754), also known as Niels Eigtved, was a Denmark, Danish architect. He introduced and was the leading proponent of the French rococo or late baroque style in Danish architecture during the 1730s–1740s. ...

. The word ''Gjethus'' comes from

Low German Low German is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language variety, language spoken mainly in Northern Germany and the northeastern Netherlands. The dialect of Plautdietsch is also spoken in the Russian Mennonite diaspora worldwide. "Low" ...

''Gethus'' and means "foundry house". Classen's home in the neoclassical style, Arresødal, is still standing. It is in private ownership, but can be viewed from the outside.

Attractions

There are a number of churches from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

in the villages near Frederiksværk. Vinderød Church, in the town of Frederiksværk, houses the sarcophagus of General Classen and has a view towards the Arresø.

Town Museum

The Town Museum is established in the old Arsenal, which was used as a storehouse for the cannons cast in Gjethuset. Displays in the museum concern weapon fabrication, gunpowder production and copper rolling during the years 1750 to 1900. There is also a restored grocery store from 1900.

The Gunpowder Mill Museum

The small open-air museum, part of the Industrial Museum Frederiks Værk, contains one of the world's best-preserved powder mills with buildings and working machines from 1800. There is also a working watermill on the premises.

Castle ruins

The ruins of Dronningholm Castle lie near the Arresø. It was started by Valdemar the Great, and continued by his son

Valdemar the Victorious Valdemar II Valdemarsen (28 June 1170 – 28 March 1241), later remembered as Valdemar the Victorious () and Valdemar the Conqueror, was King of Denmark from 1202 until his death in 1241. In 1207, Valdemar invaded and conquered Lybeck and Hol ...

. The castle was one of the largest in the country. but burned down in 1525. According to legend the castle was given as a gift to Queen Dagmar. The ruins of Asserbo Castle are also open to the public for viewing and touring. Asserbo Castle, which lies in the woods of Tisvilde Hegn, was founded by Bishop Absalon in the 12th century and was used as a monastery for monks of the

Cistercian Order The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

, originally invited from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The King took claim of the castle , and then by drifting sands. The castle was reclaimed from the sands, first by King Frederik VII in 1849, and then by the

National Museum of Denmark The National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) in Copenhagen is Denmark, Denmark's largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main building is located a short distance from S ...

excavations in 1972.

GeoArt: art gallery & crystalmuseum

GeoArt is located at the northern tip of Lake Arre, between Frederiksværk and Helsinge. It has an art gallery with changing exhibitions and a permanent exhibition of gems and minerals including 225 million year old petrified wood from Arizona, amethyst from Brazil and fluorite from China.

Frederiksværk municipality

Until 1 January 2007 Frederiksværk was also a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') in

Frederiksborg County Frederiksborg County () is a former county ( Danish: '' amt'') in the north of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. Effective January 1, 2007, the county was abolished and merged into Region Hovedstaden The Capital Region of Denmark (, ...

on the island of

(''Sjælland'') in eastern

, located between Lake Arre (''

Arresø Arresø () is the largest lake, by area, in Denmark. It covers 40,72 km2 (15.39 sq mi) and is situated on the island of Zealand 43 kilometers (27 miles) northwest of Copenhagen as the crow flies. Arresø is located in the northern parts of ...

'') and Roskilde Fjord. The municipality covered an area of 90 km², and had a total population of 20,340 (2005). Its last mayor was Helge Friis, a member of the

Social Democrats Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, s ...

(Socialdemokraterne)

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...

. Frederiksværk municipality ceased to exist due to ''Kommunalreformen'' ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007). It was merged with existing

Hundested Hundested is a town with a population of 8,590 (1 January 2025) and a former municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') in Region Hovedstaden in the northern part of the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in eastern Denmark. The former municipality is su ...

municipality to form the new Frederiksværk-Hundested municipality. The name was changed to

on 1 January 2008. This created a municipality with an area of 120 km² and a total population of c. 30,253.

Municipal information

The municipal Frederiksværk contained many small towns and villages besides the city of Frederiksværk, including Ølsted, Kregme,

Liseleje Liseleje is a former fishing village and popular tourist resort in Halsnæs Municipality, North Zealand, some 60 kilometres northwest of Copenhagen, Denmark. The original village is surrounded by extensive areas of summerhouses. It has merged wi ...

, Asserbo and Melby.

Notable people

(1725–1792) a Danish-Norwegian industrialist, major general, landowner and founder of Det Classenske Fideicommis * Anton Frederik Tscherning (1795–1874) a Danish army officer who became a politician *

Arnold Krog Arnold Krog (18 March 1856 - 7 June 1931) was a Denmark, Danish architect, painter and designer who is remembered for his achievements as artistic director of Royal Copenhagen from 1884 to 1916. He revived the company after a period of decline, mo ...

(1856–1931) a Danish architect, painter, designer and artistic director of

Royal Copenhagen Royal Copenhagen, officially the Royal Porcelain Factory (), is a Danish manufacturer of porcelain products and was founded in Copenhagen in 1775 under the protection of Danish Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Dowager Queen Juliane Marie. ...

1884–1916 *

Knud Larsen Knud Erik Larsen (27 August 1865 – 7 December 1922) was a Danish painter. Biography Born in Vinderød near Frederiksværk, Denmark. He was the son of Jens Peter Larsen (1826–97) and Julie Sophie Olsen (1826–97). Larsen studied painting at ...

(1865 in Vinderød – 1922) a Danish painter of landscapes and later portraiture * Aase Hansen (1893–1981) a Danish educator, translator and award-winning writer * Knut Ansgar Nelson (1906—1990) convert to Roman Catholicism, served as Bishop of Stockholm 1957–1962 *

Francis Cardenau Francis Cardenau (born 1957) is a Denmark-based French chef and restaurateur. He achieved two Michelin stars as head chef at restaurant Kommandanten in Copenhagen and was a co-founder of the restaurant chain MASH. Biography Cardenau was born and ...

(born 1957) a Denmark-based French chef and restaurateur, lives on a small farm close to Frederiksværk *

Thomas Blom Hansen Thomas Blom Hansen (born 22 January 1958 in Frederiksvaerk) is a Danish anthropologist and commentator on religious and political violence in India. Background Hansen has a BA in Sociology and an MA in political theory from the University of ...

(born 1958) an anthropologist and commentator on violence in India *

Jan Friis-Mikkelsen Jan Friis-Mikkelsen (born 26 February 1963) is a Danish chef and restaurateur. He was also judge on DR1's ''Den Store Bagedyst'', the Danish version of The Great British Bake Off. Career Jan Friis Mikkelsen was born in the Frederiksberg district of ...

(born 1963) a Danish chef and restaurateur, runs Restaurant Tinggården in Asserbo since 1987 *

Anders Thomas Jensen Anders Thomas Jensen (born 6 April 1972) is a Danish screenwriter and film director. His film ''Election Night (1998 film), Election Night'' won the 1998 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. Life and career Jensen was born in Frederi ...

(born 1972) a Danish screenwriter and film director * David Sakurai (born 1979) a Japanese-Danish actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist; brought up in Frederiksværk IMDb Database
retrieved 23 June 2020

Sport

* Henrik Hansen (1920–2010) a wrestler, bronze medallist at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and officially branded as London 1948, were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus cau ...

* Svend Ove Pedersen (1920–2009) a rower, team bronze medallist at

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad (, ) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. After Japan declared in ...

* Leif Hermansen (born 1925) a Danish rower, competed at the

Tage Juhl Weirum Tage Juhl Weirum (born 16 February 1949) is a Danish wrestler. He competed in the men's Greco-Roman 68 kg at the 1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded ...

(born 1949) a Danish wrestler, competed at the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...

* Benny Nielsen (born 1951) a Danish former football player, played 28 matches for Denmark *

Thomas Frank Thomas Carr Frank (born March 21, 1965) is an American political analyst, historian, and journalist. He co-founded and edited '' The Baffler'' magazine. Frank is the author of the books '' What's the Matter with Kansas?'' (2004) and '' Listen, L ...

(born 1973) a Danish football manager, head coach at

Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...

* Kim Christensen (born 1980) a Danish football coach of Frederiksværk FK, former player with over 200 club caps