Marienborg, a mid 18th-century country house perched on a small hilltop on the northern shore of
Bagsværd Lake,
Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality
Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality (occasionally spelled Lyngby-Tårbæk) is a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') in the Capital Region of Denmark near Copenhagen on the eastern coast of the island of Zealand (Danish: ''Sjælland''). It is part of the ...
, north of downtown
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
, has served as the official residence of
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
's
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
since 1962. It is frequently used for governmental conferences, summits and other official purposes, including the prime minister's new year speech. Unlike the residences of many other heads of government and state (e.g. the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
,
10 Downing Street,
La Moncloa
The Palace of Moncloa or Moncloa Palace ( es, Palacio de la Moncloa) is the official residence and workplace of the Prime Minister of Spain. It is located in Puerta de Hierro Avenue, in the Moncloa-Aravaca district in Madrid. It has been the ...
and
Élysée Palace), Marienborg does not serve as the government headquarters or contain the office of the prime minister. The
Prime Minister's Office is instead located in
Christiansborg on
Slotsholmen
Slotsholmen (English: The Castle Islet) is an island in the harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark, and part of Copenhagen Inner City. The name is taken from the successive castles and palaces located on the island since Bishop Absalon constructed the c ...
in downtown Copenhagen. Marienborg was listed on the
Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1964.
History
18th century
![Delineatio Agri Fridrichsdalensis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Delineatio_Agri_Fridrichsdalensis.jpg)
In the 18th century, the region north of Copenhagen became popular for its scenic views and opportunities for recreation with the surrounding meadows, woods and lakes, with many summer residences being built. Marienborg is one of several properties which were sold off from the
Frederiksdal estate from the middle of the 18th century and used for the construction of country houses. They were collectively referred to as Ny Frederiksdal (New Frederiksdal) and also comprised Søro, Tusculum,
Sophienholm and
Christianelyst. The main building was constructed in around 1745 for the naval officer and director of the
Danish Asiatic Company Olfert Fas Fischer. He was the father of the much more famous naval hero
Olfert Fischer
Johan Olfert Fischer (4 August 1747 – 18 February 1829) was a Danish officer in the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy. He commanded the Dano-Norwegian fleet against British forces under Lord Nelson during the Danish defeat at Copenhagen on 2 April 18 ...
.
![Johan Frederik Lindencrone](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Johan_Frederik_Lindencrone.jpg)
In 1750, Fischer sold the estate to Peter de Windt. Windt's widow, Maria Cathrine Michaelsdatter Fabritius, a daughter of the wealthy merchant
Michael Fabritius
Michael Fabritius (2 May 1697 – 13 November 1746) was a Danish merchant, shipowner and shipbuilder.
Early life and education
Michael Fabritius was born in Copenhagen on 12 May 1697. His parents, wine merchant Herman Fabritius (1667-1729) an ...
, sold the estate to Jacob Frederik Schaffalitzky de Muckadell a few years after his death. The next owner
Gysbert Behagen
Gysbert Behagen (8 March 1725 – 17 December 1783) was a German-Danish merchant, ship owner and director of Danish Asia Company. His home at Strandgade 26 in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of Copenhagen is known as Behagen's House (Danis ...
, from 1764 to 1792, was a wealthy merchant, ship-owner and director of the Danish Asiatic Company. His city home was the
Behagen House in
Christianshavn. He was succeeded by
Hans Werner Rudolf Rosenkrantz Giedde.
The estate was in 1795 acquired by Johan Frederik Lindencrone, the owner of the
Lindencrone Mansion in Copenhagen as well as
Gjorslev Manor on
Stevns, who named it Marienborg after his wife Marie.
19th century
In 1800, Lindencrone had to sell Marienborg due to economic difficulties. The buyer, Johann Traugott Lebrecht Otto (1766-1824), had served as garrison surgeon on Saint Thomas in the
Danish West Indies
The Danish West Indies ( da, Dansk Vestindien) or Danish Antilles or Danish Virgin Islands were a Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas with ; Saint John ( da, St. Jan) with ; and Saint Croix with . The ...
. In 1801, he sold the estate to Julius Ludvig Frederik Rantzau and Johan de Windt. In 1803, Marienborg changed hands again when it was acquired by
Jean de Coninck (1744-1807). He was the brother of
Frédéric de Coninck
Frédéric de Coninck (2 December 1740 – 4 September 1811) was a Dutch merchant and shipowner active in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Biography
Frédéric de Coninck was born at The Hague in the Netherlands. In 1763, he moved to Copenhagen to set up a f ...
.
![Nybrovej, 1876](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Nybrovej%2C_1876.jpg)
Peter Boll Wivet (1760-1824), a Supreme Court attorney, owned Marienborg from 1809 and until his death in 1824.
Marienborg was in 1853 acquired by Vilhelm Junius Lorentz Petersen, the owner of
Lorentz Petersen, a wine business with roots dating back to 1788. On his death in 1863, it was sold to Rosalie Hennings, whose husband,
Adam Gottlob Moltke
Count Adam Gottlob von Moltke (10 November 171025 September 1792) was a Danish courtier, statesman and diplomat, and Favourite of Frederick V of Denmark. Moltke was born at Riesenhof in Mecklenburg. His son, Joachim Godske Moltke, and his gra ...
of
Espe and
Bonderup, had also just died. On her death, Marienborg remained in the hands of the Moltke family for the next 15 years.
20th century
![Agnes Lunn - Fra Marienborg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Agnes_Lunn_-_Fra_Marienborg.jpg)
Oscar Wandel, owner of Carl Wandel & Søn, a wine company, purchased Marienborg in 1899. In 1915, he sold the estate to Vilhelm Skovgaard-Petersen,
Upon the death of the last private owner,
barrister and patron of the arts
C. L. David, Marienborg was bequeathed in 1960 to the Danish state as a summer residence for the prime minister in office.
Architecture
Many different owners have left their marks on Marienborg and its architecture. The interiors have also been modified repeatedly. Today, Marienborg stands out as a restored
classicist
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
estate with a few carefully selected modern accents.
Interior
The interior of the mansion was refurbished in 2018. The A.P. Møller and Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation has made a DKK 3.65 million donation for new furniture and art for the mansion.
List of owners
![Marienborg havepavillon oppefra, sankthans 2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Marienborg_havepavillon_oppefra%2C_sankthans_2016.jpg)
* (1745–1750) Captain
Olfert Fas FischerMarienborg - sammenkomster - Den Store Danske
Accessed: 2 September 2012 .
* (1750–1753) Peter de Windt
* (1753–1755) Maria Cathrine Michaelsdatter Fabritius
*1755–1764: Jacob Frederik Schaffalitzky de Muckadell
* (1764–1793) Gysbert Behagen
Gysbert Behagen (8 March 1725 – 17 December 1783) was a German-Danish merchant, ship owner and director of Danish Asia Company. His home at Strandgade 26 in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of Copenhagen is known as Behagen's House (Danis ...
* (1793–1795) Hans Werner Rudolf Rosenkrantz Giedde
* (1795–1800) Johan Frederik Lindencrone
* (1800–1801) Johann Traugott Lebrecht Otto
* (1801–1803) Julius Ludvig Frederik Rantzau/Johan de Windt
* (1803–1807) Jean de Coninck
* (1807–1809) Estate of Jean de Coninck
* (1809–1824) Peter Boll Wivet
* (1824–1849) Cathrine Ernst
* (1849) Cecilie Wivet
* (1849–1855) Edvard Knudsen
* (1855–1863) Vilhelm Junius Lorentz Petersen
*1863–1864: Estate of Vilhelm Junius Lorentz Petersen
*1864–1885: Rosalie Hennings
*1885–1899: Moltke family
*1899–1915: Oscar Wandel
*1915–1934: Vilhelm Skovgaard-Petersen
*1934–1960: C. L. David
*1960–1962: Estate of C. L. David
*1962–present: State residence
State ownership: Prime Ministers
*Viggo Kampmann
Olfert Viggo Fischer Kampmann (; 21 July 1910 – 3 June 1976) was a Danish politician who served as the leader of the Danish Social Democrats and Prime Minister of Denmark from 1960 to 1962. He formed his first cabinet just prior to the 1960 el ...
1960–1962 (born Viggo Olfert Fischer Kampmann, a descendant of the original owner)
*Jens Otto Krag
Jens Otto Krag (; 15 September 1914 – 22 June 1978) was a Danish politician who served as prime minister of Denmark from 1962 to 1968 and from 1971 to 1972, and as leader of the Social Democrats from 1962 to 1972. He was president of the Nord ...
1962–1968, 1971–1972
*Hilmar Baunsgaard
Hilmar Baunsgaard (26 February 1920, Slagelse – 30 June 1989) was a Danish politician who served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 1968 to 1971. He was a member of the Danish Social Liberal Party and the party's leader from 1968 to 1975. He wa ...
1968–1971
*Anker Jørgensen
Anker Henrik Jørgensen (13 July 1922 – 20 March 2016) was a Danish politician who served at various times as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Denmark. Between 1972 and 1982 he led five cabinets as Prime Minister. Jørgensen was Presiden ...
1972–1973; 1975–1982
*Poul Hartling
Poul Hartling (14 August 1914 – 30 April 2000) was a Danish politician and diplomat. He was leader of Venstre from 1965 to 1977, and served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 1973 to 1975. Prior to that, he served as foreign minister from 1968 ...
1973–1975
*Poul Schlüter
Poul Holmskov Schlüter (; 3 April 1929 – 27 May 2021) was a Danish politician who served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 1982 to 1993. He was the first member of the Conservative People's Party to become Prime Minister, as well as the first ...
1982–1993
*Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
Poul Oluf Nyrup Rasmussen (, informally Poul Nyrup, born 15 June 1943) is a retired Danish politician. Rasmussen was Prime Minister of Denmark from 25 January 1993 to 27 November 2001 and President of the Party of European Socialists (PES) from ...
1993–2001
*Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen (; born 26 January 1953) is a Danish politician who was the 24th Prime Minister of Denmark from November 2001 to April 2009 and the 12th Secretary General of NATO from August 2009 to October 2014. He became CEO of polit ...
2001–2009
*Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Lars Løkke Rasmussen (; born 15 May 1964) is a Danish politician who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2022. He previously served as the 25th Prime Minister of Denmark from 2009 to 2011 and again from 2015 to 2019. He was the le ...
2009–2011, 2015–2019
* Helle Thorning-Schmidt 2011–2015
* Mette Frederiksen
Mette Frederiksen (; born 19 November 1977) is a Danish politician who has been Prime Minister of Denmark since June 2019, and Leader of the Social Democrats since June 2015. The second woman to hold either office, she is also the youngest prime ...
2019–present
References
External links
Official website of the Prime Minister
*
Fra Marienborg
'
Source
{{Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality
Official residences in Copenhagen
Prime ministerial residences
Houses in Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality
Listed buildings and structures in Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality