Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of

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 ...

on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative council of Roskilde Municipality. Roskilde has a long history, dating from the pre-Christian

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...

. Its UNESCO-listed

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

, now housing 39 tombs of the Danish monarchs, was completed in 1275, becoming a focus of religious influence until the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

. With the development of the rail network in the 19th century, Roskilde became an important hub for traffic with Copenhagen, and by the end of the century, there were tobacco factories, iron foundries and machine shops. Among the largest private sector employers today are the IT firm BEC (Bankernes EDB Central) and seed company DLF. The Risø research facility is also becoming a major employer, extending interest in sustainable energy to the

clean technology Clean technology, in short cleantech, is any process, product, or service that reduces negative environmental impacts through significant energy efficiency improvements, the sustainable use of resources, or environmental protection activities. Cle ...

sphere. The

local university Local colleges and universities (LCUs) are higher educational institutions that are being run by local government units in the Philippines. A local government unit (LGU) maybe a barangay, a municipality, city, or a province that puts up a post-sec ...

, founded in 1972, the historic Cathedral School, and the

Danish Meat Trade College The Danish Meat Trade College ( da, Slagteriskolen) founded in 1964 is a non-profit educational institution in Roskilde, Denmark. It offers vocational training courses in industrial slaughter, retail butchering, sausage making, nutrition Nut ...

, established in 1964, are educational institutions of note. Roskilde has a large local hospital which has been expanded and modernized since it was opened in 1855. It is now increasingly active in the research sphere. The Sankt Hans psychiatric hospital serves the

Capital Region A capital region, also called a capital district or capital territory, is a region or district surrounding a capital city. It is not always the official term for the region, but may sometimes be used as an informal synonym. Capital regions can exis ...

with specialized facilities for forensic psychiatry. The cathedral and the Viking Ship Museum, which contains the well-preserved remains of five 11th-century ships, attract more than 100,000 visitors annually. In addition to its internationally recognized tourist attractions and its annual

rock festival A rock festival is an open-air rock concert featuring many different performers, typically spread over two or three days and having a campsite and other amenities and forms of entertainment provided at the venue. Some festivals are singular even ...

, Roskilde is popular with shoppers thanks to its two centrally located pedestrian streets complete with restaurants, cafés, and a variety of shops. The city is home to the FC Roskilde football club which play in the

Danish 1st Division The 1st Division (''1. Division'') is the second-highest football league in Denmark, also known as NordicBet Liga for sponsorship reasons. From 1945 to 1991 the 1. Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark. With the forma ...

, the

Roskilde Vikings RK Roskilde Vikings Rugby Klub began on 22 August 2010 when around 15 players attended the first ever training session. There had apparently also been an earlier attempt to start a rugby club in Roskilde, but little is known about this. The club wa ...

rugby club, and the rowing club,

Roskilde Roklub Roskilde Roklub (English: Roskilde Rowing Club) is a rowing club based in Roskilde, Denmark. Its home water is Roskilde Fjord. History The club was founded in 1890. International performances Carl-Ebbe Andersen, Tage Henriksen, and Finn Peder ...

. In the 1970s, the city benefited from the opening of the university and from the completion of the Holbæk Motorway connecting it to Copenhagen. Roskilde has the oldest operational

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

in Denmark, with connections across Zealand as well as with

Falster Falster () is an island in south-eastern Denmark with an area of and 43,398 inhabitants as of 1 January 2010.

Lolland Lolland (; formerly spelled ''Laaland'', literally "low land") is the fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of . Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of Region Sjælland (Region Zealand). As of 1 January 2022, it has 57,618 inhabitant ...

, and

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

. The local

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...

opened in 1973, mainly serving light aircraft for business use and flight instruction. Among the city's notable citizens are Absalon, the bishop who founded Copenhagen in the 12th century,

L. A. Ring Laurits Andersen Ring (; 15 August 1854 – 10 September 1933) was one of the foremost Danish painters of the turn of the 20th century, who pioneered both symbolism and social realism in Denmark. Considered one of the masterpieces of Danish culture ...

, the

symbolist Symbolism was a late 19th-century art movement of French and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts seeking to represent absolute truths symbolically through language and metaphorical images, mainly as a reaction against naturalism and realis ...

painter who gained fame in the 1880s, the writer Lise Nørgaard who wrote the popular Danish TV series ''

Matador A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...

'' in 1978 and the rower

Thomas Ebert Thomas Ebert (born 23 July 1973 in Roskilde, Sjælland) is a Danish lightweight rower who won gold at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics in the Men's Lightweight Coxless Fours with the Gold Four. He lives near Roskilde Roskilde ( , ...

who became an Olympic gold medallist in 2004.

History

Roskilde, which developed as the hub of the Viking land and sea trade routes over a thousand years ago, is one of Denmark's oldest cities. From the 11th century until 1443, it was the capital of Denmark. By the

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

, with the support of kings and bishops, it had become one of the most important centres in Scandinavia. The '' Saxo Grammaticus'' and other early sources associate the name ''Roskilde'' (meaning 'Ro's spring') with the legendary King Roar who possibly lived there in the 6th century. Old mao of Roskilde

According to

Adam of Bremen Adam of Bremen ( la, Adamus Bremensis; german: Adam von Bremen) (before 1050 – 12 October 1081/1085) was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. Adam is most famous for his chronicle ''Gesta ...

and the ''Saxo Grammaticus'', Roskilde was founded in the 980s by

Harald Bluetooth Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson ( non, Haraldr Blátǫnn Gormsson; da, Harald Blåtand Gormsen, died c. 985/86) was a king of Denmark and Norway. He was the son of King Gorm the Old and of Thyra Dannebod. Harald ruled as king of Denmark from c. 95 ...

. On high ground above the harbour, he built a wooden church consecrated to the Holy Trinity as well as a royal residence nearby. Although no traces of these buildings have been discovered, in 1997 archaeologists found the remains of Viking ships in the

Isefjord Ise Fjord ( da, Isefjorden) is a deeply branched arm of the sea into the Danish island Zealand. From its relatively narrow entrance from the Kattegat at Hundested and Rørvig, branches of Ise Fjord stretch 35 km inland and divide the northern ...

, the oldest of which is dated to 1030. At the time, there were also two churches in the area: St Jørgensbjerg, an early stone church, and a wooden church discovered under today's

St Ib's Church St. Ib's Church (''Sankt Ibs Kirke'' or Ibsker), 3 km south-west of Svaneke on the Danish island of Bornholm, is a fine 12th century Romanesque building. The altarpiece was painted by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg in 1846.King Canute elevated

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

to a bishopric, giving it high national status. Absalon, the Danish bishop, had a brick church built on the site of Harald's church in 1170. Today's cathedral was completed in 1275 after five of Absalon's successors had contributed to its construction. As a result of Absalon's influence, many other churches were built in the vicinity, making Roskilde the most important town in Zealand. Coins were minted there from the 11th to the 14th century. In 1150, Sweyn Grathe built a moat around the city. In 1151/2, a religious confraternity was founded for the defence of the town against Wendish pirates. Under the command of

Wetheman Wetheman or Vedeman (died c. 1170) was a Danish nobleman who in 1151 or 1152 founded a lay confraternity in Roskilde to help fight the pagan Wends. A layman, he was its first commander and led the defence of the coast from Wendish pirates. He also p ...

, it also took part in the Wendish Crusade. The Roskilde bishops owned large areas of land in the region including, from 1186, Havn on the

Øresund Øresund or Öresund (, ; da, Øresund ; sv, Öresund ), commonly known in English as the Sound, is a strait which forms the Danish–Swedish border, separating Zealand (Denmark) from Scania (Sweden). The strait has a length of ; its width v ...

which later became Copenhagen. By the time of the Danish Reformation in 1536, there were 12 churches and five monasteries in the city. Roskilde ratusz mpazdziora

It is not clear when Roskilde became a market town but it was certainly enjoying trading privileges under King Eric II who reigned from 1134 to 1137. These privileges were firmly established when the Roskilde City Council granted market town status to other towns on Zealand on 15 June 1268. By that time, it was probably the largest and most important town in Denmark. In 1370, the city owned 2,600 farms throughout Zealand. The Reformation brought Roskilde's development to an abrupt stop. While the cathedral continued to be the preferred location for the entombment of the Danish monarchs, most of the other religious institutions disappeared. For the next three centuries, the city suffered a series of disasters including the effects of the Dano-Swedish War which terminated with the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658, the plague in 1710 and 1711, and a series of fires in 1730. Conditions improved in 1835 when the city became the Assembly of the Estates of the Realm () and in 1847 with the railway connecting Copenhagen and Roskilde. Maglekilde-Maskinfabrik

With the development of the rail network, Roskilde became an important hub for traffic with Copenhagen. In the 1870s and 1880s, the harbour was extended attracting industrial firms to the area. By the end of the century, there were tobacco factories, iron foundries and machine shops. At the beginning of the 20th century, Roskilde first prospered as a satellite community for Copenhagen but then, as ships increased in size, suffered from the fact that the harbour was too small and Roskilde Fjord too shallow for navigation. Industries began to move out of the harbour area but were still the largest source of employment, thanks in part to the spirits factory (''

De Danske Spritfabrikker Danish Distillers ( da, Det Danske Spiritus Kompagni known as ) is a company that was headquartered in Aalborg, Denmark. Isidor Henius, the father of Max Henius, was one of the founders of a company that was acquired by Danish Distillers, which en ...

'') and the slaughterhouse (). In the 1970s, the city benefited from the Holbæk Motorway which linked it to Copenhagen and the establishment of Roskilde University in 1972. Since the 1980s, the service sector has prospered, replacing manufacturing industry as the major employer (65% by 2002). With the increase in population, several new districts have grown up, including Himmelev and Kongebakken. Some of the surrounding villages such as

Svogerslev Svogerslev is a small satellite town located four kilometres west of Roskilde, Denmark. The original village features a village pond, a Romanesque church, one of the smallest in Denmark, and a number of old farm buildings. The historic centre is ...

, Vor Frue, Vindinge and Veddelev have developed as satellite communities.

Geography

Roskilde is located in north-central Zealand at the south end of Roskilde Fjord which is itself the south branch of the

. By road, it is west of downtown Copenhagen, northwest of

Køge Køge (, older spelling ''Kjøge'') is a seaport on the coast of Køge Bugt (''Bay of Køge'') 39 km southwest of Copenhagen. It is the principal town and seat of Køge Municipality, Region Sjælland, Denmark. In 2022, the urban area had a p ...

and northeast of Ringsted. The city centre around the cathedral, south of the fjord, is about above sea level. On the slope down to the harbour, there are a number of springs, the most powerful of which is Maglekilde. The historic centre of the town covers the area around the main streets Skomagergade and Algade including the squares of Stændertorvet and Hestetorvet. Two parks, Byparken and Folkeparken which run down towards the fjord, are immediately north of the old town. Neighbourhoods in the vicinity include Himmelev, Hyrdehøj,

Musicon Musicon is a district of the city of Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. It is being developed south of Roskilde Station in an area of where a cement factory once stood. Roskilde Municipality Roskilde municipality ( da, Roskilde kommune) is ...

Sankt Jørgensbjerg Sankt Jørgensbjerg is a district of Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. Initially a fishing village in its own right with a history dating back to the Viking era, it became part of Roskilde in 1938. Today it has become the most desirable dis ...

and

Trekroner Trekroner is a district in the north-eastern outskirts of Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. The Trekroner district has been a major growth area of the city, expanding in the fields surrounding the campus of Roskilde University Roskild ...

. Boserup Skov, a wood next to Roskidle Fjord northwest of the city centre, consists mainly of beech trees. In spring, its hilly slopes are covered with wild flowers, including white, blue and yellow anemones. Chaffinches, nightingales and other songbirds can be heard in the early summer. Also of note is the recently planted wooded area of Hyrdehøj Skov, to the south of the stadium and just north of Route 23 in the southern outskirts of Roskilde.

Demographics and administration

As early as 1070, Adam von Bremen referred to Roskilde as "Zealand's largest town". At the time of the Reformation in 1536, it had some 6,000 inhabitants but as a result of war, fire and disease, by 1753 its population had dropped to only 1,550. By the 1860s, it had grown to around 5,000 and by the 1900s to some 9,000. Thereafter it increased appreciably until 1970 when there were almost 45,000 inhabitants. The population dipped slightly to 40,000 in the 1980s, but thanks to improved connections with Copenhagen and the establishment of the university, it grew steadily to reach 47,117 by 2014 making Roskilde Denmark's tenth largest city. In Roskilde Municipality as of 1 October 2014, 76,545 residents had Danish background, 6,287 were immigrants and 2,006 were second or third generation descendants of immigrants. The most common countries of birth of foreign-born residents of Roskilde Municipality are Turkey, Iraq, Poland and Afghanistan. Roskilde is governed by the administrative council of Roskilde Municipality. Following the local elections of November 2013, Joy Mogensen (born 1980), a Social Democrat, was reappointed mayor (first elected mayor in 2011), gaining three additional seats on the council. The council now consists of 13 seats for the Social Democrats, one for the Social Liberal Party, one for the Conservative People's Party, one for the Socialist People's Party, three for the People's Party, nine for the Left Liberal Party and three for the Red–Green Alliance.

Economy

In the 1890s, 37% of Roskilde's economy was in crafts and manufacturing industry with only 15% in administration and services. By 1984, industry had dropped to 16% while services had risen to 57%. In 2002, services had reached 62%, leaving industry at 15% and trade and transport at 22%.

Companies

One of the largest employers in Roskilde is BEC (Bankernes EDB Central) who provide IT services to the financial sector. In July 2014, Novo A/S acquired Sonion, producing micro-acoustical components for hearing aids. Top-Toy A/S with up to 200 employees is a major Scandinavian toy importer and retailer based in Tune near

Roskilde Airport Roskilde Airport , officially known as Copenhagen Airport, Roskilde ( da, Københavns Lufthavn, Roskilde, ), is located 4 nautical miles (7 km) southeast of Roskilde near the town Tune. It was opened in 1973 as the first of three planned re ...

. DLF-Trifolium A/S, a seed producer for the farming sector, has its headquarters in Roskilde with a workforce of over 50.

Rambøll Rambøll Group A/S (also known as just "Ramboll") is a Danish consulting engineering group. History Rambøll was founded in October 1945 as "Rambøll & Hannemann" in Copenhagen. In 1991 the company merged with "B. Højlund Rasmussen A/S" into ...

, the international Danish engineering consultancy, has recently concentrated its Zealand operations in Roskilde bringing 60 new jobs to the city. Among the city's smaller companies are GPI (Glim Plastic Industri) established in 1987 producing plastic piping, Roskilde Galvanisering A/S, one of Denmark's leading galvanization companies, and Mathiesen A/S, a wholesaler of office equipment. Vestergaard Company A/S, an American firm which produces de-icing equipment and washing products for the aviation industry, has offices in Roskilde. The new city district of

has already attracted 29 businesses in the area of culture and the creative arts, providing over 1,000 jobs. Several food industries have their headquarters or production facilities in Roskilde, including: Chr. Hansen A/S, producing cultures for the dairy industry, DanÆg, eggs, the Scandinavian Pizza Company, and Stryhns, a cold cuts and

meat paste Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as ch ...

producer with over 100 on the payroll.

Research parks

There are a number of research institutes in the city including Risø, promoting sustainable energy, which is now part of The

Technical University of Denmark The Technical University of Denmark ( da, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet), often simply referred to as DTU, is a polytechnic university and school of engineering. It was founded in 1829 at the initiative of Hans Christian Ørsted as Denmark's fi ...

. The research facilities are being extended over an additional to cover the

area liable to provide up to 4,000 more jobs. The CAT (''Center for Avanceret Teknologi'') research park is also part of the university working mainly in the areas of wind energy and

biotechnology Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...

. In the public sector, the

Accident Investigation Board Denmark Accident Investigation Board Denmark (AIB, da, Havarikommissionen for Civil Luftfart og Jernbane, HCLJ) is the aviation accidents and incidents and railway accident and incident investigation board of the Denmark government. The agency is headquart ...

has its headquarters in Roskilde.

Tourism

An important component of the city's economy is tourism which currently accounts for DKK 1.2 billion (US$200 million) per annum. Provisional figures show an increase of 16.6% in overnight stays for 2014. The cathedral and the Viking Ship Museum attract more than 100,000 visitors per year although 20 years ago there were some 200,000 visits to the cathedral. The city is also popular with shoppers, having received Denmark's Best Shopping City Award in 2012. In addition to a wide variety of shops and restaurants along its two downtown pedestrian streets, Algade and Skomagergade, Roskilde's shopping centre

RO's Torv Ro's Torv is a shopping centre in central Roskilde, 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 ...

on Københavnsvej to the east of the city houses 70 stores under one roof. One of the oldest restaurants in Roskilde is the ''Raadhuskælderen'', in a building dated to 1430, noted for its salmon steak with tartar sauce and grilled chicken and cream sauce dishes. Also of note is ''La Brasserie'' on Algade, the ''Gimle Musikcafe'' on Ringstedgade, which is an English-style pub-restaurant with live music, and ''Restaurant Toppen'' at the top of an water tower, built in 1961, with fine views of the town. The 76-room Hotel Prindsen has foundations which date to 1695. It has been a hotel for over 100 years and is decorated in the Nordic style with wooden floors and contains the large luxury Hans Christian Andersen suite.

Scandic Hotel Roskilde Scandic Hotels is a hotel chain headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with its main operations in the Nordic countries. Alongside hotels in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark, the company also has a presence in Germany and Poland. As of 31 Decem ...

is a 98-room chain-run hotel established in 1989, with a restaurant serving Danish and international cuisine. The thatched-roof Svogerslev Kro is an 18-room inn dated to 1727 in the

area, about 2.5 miles to the west of Roskilde's centre.

Cityscape

The old town of Roskilde is centred around the main square, Stændertorvet, just south of the cathedral. The original street plan is preserved in nearby Skomagergade, Algade and Hestetorvet although most of the buildings were rebuilt after serious fires in the 18th century. The area is flanked to the north by two large parks, Byparken and Folkeparken, which stretch down to Roskilde Fjord. The old town is bordered to the south by the railway and main station, beyond which there are commercial buildings and apartment blocks. The residential areas of Himmelev and Veddelev to the east and north of the city have grown up around former villages. More recently, with the establishment of Roskilde University even further to the east beyond the ring road, the district of

is in full development, expected to attain some 3,500 houses in the coming years. One of the most exclusive residential districts of the city,

, covers the hilly area to the northwest, bordered by the fjord. Initially a fishing village dating back to the Viking era, it became part of Roskilde in 1938. Finally, Roskilde Municipality is developing the innovative

quarter to the south of the city in an area of where a cement factory once stood. Located in the same district as the fairgrounds used for the Roskilde Festival, there are medium-term plans for establishing creative companies and housing for young people in the area. A large rock museum named "Ragnarock" opened in April 2016.

Landmarks

Roskilde Cathedral

Located on the site of a 10th-century wooden church, the cathedral was built in the 12th and 13th centuries when the Romanesque style was influenced by

trends from northern France. It was the first

cathedral in Scandinavia to be built of brick, resulting in the spread of this style throughout northern

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. With its 39 royal tombs, the cathedral is to this day the burial site for

Danish monarchs This is a list of Danish monarchs, that is, the kings and queens regnant of Denmark. This includes: * The Kingdom of Denmark (up to 1397) ** Personal union of Denmark and Norway (1380–1397) * The Kalmar Union (1397–1536) ** Union of Denmark ...

. Since 1995, it has been listed as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

, encouraging some 100,000 tourists to visit it each year. The cathedral houses a museum on its upper floor, tracing the building's history. A working church, it also hosts concerts throughout the year.

Roskilde Palace

Adjacent to the cathedral is

Roskilde Palace Roskilde Mansion (Danish: Det Gule Palæ i Roskilde), also known as Roskilde Palace and as the Yellow Mansion (Danish: Det Gule Palæ), is a former royal Baroque mansion in central Roskilde, Denmark. Located just east of Roskilde Cathedral, it now ...

, built from 1733 to 1736 on the site of the former residence of the bishops of Roskilde. It was used by members of the royal family when they were in the city or attended funerals. Today it houses the Museum of Contemporary Art. During the English siege of Copenhagen in 1807, the mansion served as headquarters of General Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington. Built in the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

style with yellow-rendered masonry and red tile roofing, the four-winged complex consists of a two-storey main wing, two one-storey lateral wings and a curved gate wing opening onto the Stændertorvet. The four wings are connected by curving galleries. Facing the courtyard, the façade of the main wing has

pilaster In classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the ...

s and a median risalit tipped by a triangular

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...

decorated with the royal coat of arms.

Roskilde Convent

Roskilde Convent is on the site of the former St Catherine's Priory from the mid-13th century which belonged to the Dominican friars until it was dissolved after the Danish Reformation. A private manor house (''Sortebrødregaard'' or Blackfriars Manor) was built on the site in 1565 which in 1699 became a convent for women of high rank, the first of its kind in Lutheran Denmark. The building now houses a collection of 150 paintings from the 16th to 18th centuries as well as period furniture. The convent chapel has a carved altarpiece and pulpit.

Roskilde Museum

Roskilde Museum Roskilde Museum is a local history museum based in Roskilde, Denmark. The museum, which is run by the municipalities of Roskilde, Frederikssund and Lejre, has eight separate branches. The main branch in Roskilde, on the corner of Sankt Olsgade and ...

is a local history museum, run by the municipalities of

Frederikssund Frederikssund () is a Danish town, seat of the Frederikssund Municipality, in the Region Hovedstaden with a population of 16,850 (1 January 2022).Lejre. The main branch in Roskilde, on the corner of Sankt Olsgade and Sankt Olsstræde, is based in two listed buildings, ''Sukkerhuset'' (the Sugar House) and ''Liebes Gård'' (Liebe House), a former sugar refinery and merchant's house. The Sugar House was built by a consortium led by Johan Jørgen Holst as a facility for the processing of raw sugar from the Danish West Indies. Jacob Borch constructed Liebe House in 1804 on the site next to the sugar factory. It replaced a modest house with timber framing and a straw roof dating from the 17th century. The building takes its name from the Liebe family who owned the property for two generations later in the century. On the occasion of his death in 1900, Liebe left the entire building complex to Roskilde Municipality. In 1908, the Sugar House came into use as a fire station. Roskilde Local History Museum was founded on 12 November 1929 on the ground floor of the Liebe House. When the fire station moved to new premises in 1989, Roskilde Museum took over the Sugar House. The museum has exhibits from prehistory, through the Viking Era and the Middle Ages to modern times. The Museum of Tools, housed in separate premises, contains a collection of tools used by craftsmen such as wheelwrights, carpenters, shoemakers and wood carvers from around 1850 to 1950.

Viking Ship Museum

Skuldelev 3 in Vikingeskibsmuseet, Roskilde

A major attraction in the city is the Viking Ship Museum (''Vikingeskibsmuseet'') located alongside Roskilde Fjord. The centrepieces of its collection are the well-preserved remains of five 11th-century Viking ships, excavated from the fjord some north of the city in the late 1960s. The ships were scuttled there in the 11th century to block a navigation channel, protecting the city, then the Danish capital, from seaborne assault. The five Viking ships represent several distinct classes, such as the Longship and Warship, and smaller fishing and ferry boats. The ships on display range from 10 feet (3 m) to 50 feet (15 m) in length. The museum also undertakes research in experimental archaeology centred on Viking shipbuilding and seaworthiness. The boatyard, which also forms part of the museum, safeguards the Viking boat-building tradition by building and exhibiting full-scale ships on site.

Ragnarock Museum

On April 29, 2016, the Ragnarock museum for pop, rock and ungdomskultur (youth culture) in Roskilde was inaugurated by

Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, (Frederik André Henrik Christian; born 26 May 1968) is the heir apparent to the Danish throne. He is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik. Early life Crown Prince Freder ...

. The 3,100 square-meter museum, designed by the Dutch architectural firm

MVRDV MVRDV is a Rotterdam, Netherlands-based architecture and urban design practice founded in 1993. The name is an acronym for the founding members: Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, and Nathalie de Vries. History Maas and Van Rijs worked at OMA, De Vr ...

and by the Danish architecture firm COBE Architects, presents and disseminates youth culture and

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

from the 1950s to the present, both as a means of communication and to enhance socialization between people from different cultures and social backgrounds.

Historic churches

The Old Church of Our Lady (''Gammel Vor Frue Kirke'') is an 11th-century stone church on the southern outskirts of the old town. It is the only surviving

travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a pro ...

basilica in Denmark with a high central nave opening onto two lower lateral aisles. Its carved altarpiece and pulpit from the 1620s are from

Brix Michgell Brix Michgell, also Brix Michael (born before 1612, died after 1627), was a carpenter and wood carver who was active in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. He is remembered for his intricately carved pulpits and altarpieces in the area. Life ...

's Roskilde workshop. The church was attached to a convent for women of rank until the

. It has been called the "Old" Church of Our Lady since 1907 when a new Church of Our Lady was built to the south of the city. There are two other historic churches in central Roskilde. St Ib's is located below the cathedral plateau near the harbour. Built in travertine around 1100, the Romanesque building was once richly decorated in frescos, remains of which can be seen on the rear wall. It is no longer a functioning church.

St Jørgensbjerg Church Saint Jørgensbjerg Church ( da, Sankt Jørgensbjerg Kirke) is a historic church in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. With a nave and chancel in travertine, travertine limestone dating from c. 1080, it is Denmark's oldest preserved stone b ...

stands on a little hill to the northwest of the old town, overlooking the fjord. With a nave and chancel in travertine dating from c. 1080, it is Denmark's oldest preserved stone building. It features a carved pulpit from 1616. The

Sankt Laurentii Church Tower The Sankt Laurentii Church Mama Tower is all that remains of Sankt Laurentii Church in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. The church itself was built of travertine in the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque style in the 13th century but was ...

is all that remains of the Romanesque Sankt Laurentii Church, built of travertine in the 13th century. It was torn down after the

leaving only the tower which was built at the beginning of the 16th century and now forms part of the former town hall on Stændertorvet. It contains a museum where archaeological finds from 1998 can be seen.

Roskilde Jars

The three huge Roskilde Jars (''Roskildekrukkerne'') stand in a shallow water basin on the square outside the main railway station. They are in height and together weigh about 24 tons. The jars are the work of the Danish abstract sculptor

Peter Brandes Peter Brandes (born 5 March 1944 in Assens, Denmark) is a Danish painter, sculptor, ceramic artist and photographer. Brandes' art is abstract and often in brown colours. He had his breakthrough as artist in the beginning of the 1980s. He ...

(born 1944). They were commissioned by Elsebeth Stryhn of Stryhns Leverpostej, a local meat paste company, and presented to the city in 1998 on the occasion of Roskilde's 1,000th anniversary.

Roskilde Festival

Since it was first held in 1971, the

Roskilde Festival The Roskilde Festival is a Danish music festival held annually south of Roskilde. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in the Nordic countries. It was created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter. In 1 ...

, a

festival, has been held annually on the fairgrounds south of the city centre. It has grown to become one of the biggest music festivals in Scandinavia, with a turnout of around 80,000 every year. It features a diverse selection of music, including rock, metal, hip-hop, electronica, dance, and world music. All profits from the festival are donated to charities. The fairgrounds are also the site of regionally popular agricultural and animal exhibitions, and large flea markets.

Education and sport

Roskilde University (Danish: ''Roskilde Universitet, RUC'') was founded in 1972. The university is on the eastern outskirts of Roskilde, in the

district (named after a signalman's cabin on the Roskilde-Copenhagen line). RUC hosts students from around the world. Roskilde University has on-campus dormitory style housing and apartments but many students commute from Copenhagen. In 2013, there were about 7,600 students, 630 teaching staff and 380 technical and administrative personnel. Designed by Preben Hansen (1908–1989), the university buildings were first brought into use in 1972. Founded around 1020 to educate priests for the cathedral, Roskilde Cathedral School is possibly the oldest school in Denmark. Initially located close to the cathedral, it moved into larger premises in 1969 to accommodate an increasing number of pupils (currently over 1,300). The

(''Slagteriskolen''), founded in 1964, is a non-profit institution offering vocational training courses in industrial slaughter, retail butchering, sausage making, nutrition and the meat service sector. Training is also offered to kitchen staff, waiters, cooks and bakers. The school employs about 150 teachers and supporting staff. Courses are also available for international students. There is a hostel with accommodation for some 200 students. Roskilde hala widsport mpazdziora

There are eleven public primary schools in the municipality split up between eleven school districts. Six

gymnasiums A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational ins ...

(including Roskilde Cathedral School and Roskilde Gymnasium) offer Upper Secondary School Exit Examinations, Higher Preparatory Examinations,

Higher Commercial Examination Programme Higher may refer to: Music * The Higher, a 2002–2012 American pop rock band Albums * ''Higher'' (Ala Boratyn album) or the title song, 2007 * ''Higher'' (Ezio album) or the title song, 2000 * ''Higher'' (Harem Scarem album) or the title song ...

and

Higher Technical Examination Programme In Denmark, the Higher Technical Examination Programme (HTX, in Danish language, Danish: ''Højere Teknisk Eksamen'') is a 3-year vocationally oriented general upper secondary programme which builds on the 10th-11th form of the Danish Folkeskole ...

. There are many adult education, technical and trade schools in addition to the gymnasiums. Roskilde University Library (RUB) is a research library serving the students and staff at the university. On the sports front, Roskilde is home to the FC Roskilde football club which play in the

, the country's second highest league. Their home stadium is Roskilde Idrætspark with a capacity of 6,000. The city's rugby club,

, forms part of the Vor Frue Idrætsforening which also has facilities for badminton, soccer and gymnastics. Members of the rowing club,

, have distinguished themselves at the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

and other recent championships. The

Roskilde Congress & Sports Centre Roskilde Congress & Sports Centre (Danish: Roskilde Kongres & Idrætscenter) is a multi-purpose venue in downtown Roskilde, Denmark. It is used for conferences, meetings, sport events Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical acti ...

provides facilities for sporting events accommodating up to 3,500 spectators. It is home to the Roskilde Handball Club. In 1955 a motor racing circuit called the Roskilde Ring was built in an abandoned gravel quarry. The circuit was just 670 metres in length, being extended to 1.38 km in 1957. The circuit had no straight and all of the corners were banked. The Danish Grand Prix for Formula Two cars was held at the circuit every year from 1960 to 1968. The last meeting was held on the 22nd of September 1968, and the site is now a park.

Transport

The principal road running through Roskilde is Danish national road 21, better known as Holbæk Motorway, which connects the city to the capital in the east. Roskilde has a four-platform

. Its seven tracks serve as a central hub connecting western and southern Zealand, the islands of Falster and Lolland, and Jutland to Copenhagen. Also within the municipality is the

station, serving Roskilde University and the developing residential areas to the east of Roskilde. Roskilde Station is the oldest railway station in Denmark still in operation and the first to be built of stone. The first train arrived from Copenhagen on 26 June 1847. The main airport for Roskilde is

Copenhagen Airport Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup ( da, Københavns Lufthavn, Kastrup, ; ) is an international airport serving Copenhagen, Denmark, Zealand, the Øresund Region, and southern Sweden including Scania. It is the second largest airport in the Nordic coun ...

which can be reached in about 40 minutes by train. Since April 1973, there has also been the small local

, serving light aircraft for training, taxi, and flight instruction. There are plans to expand it for use by larger aircraft, possibly including discount international flights. The plans were approved, but lack of commitment from any carriers has postponed progress. The airport currently handles up to 100,000 operations (flights) per year, most of which are light aircraft operations associated with school flights. The airport is also home to a small Royal Danish Air Force detachment, maintaining a helicopter based search-and-rescue service covering Zealand and the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

. Military passenger services have occasionally used the airport. However, there are now plans to close the military facilities in 2017 or 2018.

Healthcare

The principal hospital in Roskilde is

Roskilde Sygehus Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde (former name Roskilde Sygehus) is the main hospital in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. It should not be confused with Zealand University Hospital, Køge (formerly named Køge Sygehus). Zealand Universi ...

, founded in 1855. It currently has 437 beds for in-patients and several specialist wards, having been continuously modernized and expanded over the years. Recently physics facilities have been established in medical and hematological outpatient units, while in 2010 the cardiology laboratory was expanded for CAG/

PCI PCI may refer to: Business and economics * Payment card industry, businesses associated with debit, credit, and other payment cards ** Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, a set of security requirements for credit card processors * Pro ...

. In addition, in 2011 a haematological and a urological ward were modernized and re-equipped. The hospital works in conjunction with Roskilde University in biomedical research, health services research, research assignments, direct research and pharmaceutical biology. It is also involved in a scientific co-operation with the Risø Research Centre.

Sankt Hans Hospital Sankt Hans Hospital is a psychiatric hospital in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand, 30 km from Copenhagen. Although situated in the Zealand Region, it is owned by the Capital Region and serves patients from that region. The land was bought ...

is a psychiatric hospital located in Roskilde but operated by the

Capital Region of Denmark The Capital Region of Denmark ( da, Region Hovedstaden, ) is the easternmost administrative region of Denmark. The Capital Region has 29 municipalities and a regional council consisting of 41 elected members. As of 1 August 2021 the chairperson ...

. With a history beginning in 1620, the hospital now has 180 beds and offers specialized treatment in the areas of forensic psychiatry and

dual diagnosis Dual diagnosis (also called co-occurring disorders (COD) or dual pathology) is the condition of having a mental illness and a comorbid substance use disorder. There is considerable debate surrounding the appropriateness of using a single categor ...

Notable people

Business

Peter Heering Heering Cherry Liqueur is a Danish liqueur flavored with cherries. It is often referred to simply as ''Peter Heering'' or ''Cherry Heering'' in cocktail recipes. Heering Cherry Liqueur has been produced since 1818, and the company is purveyor ...

(1792–1875), founder of

, a liqueur flavored with cherries *

Arnold Busck Arnold Andreas Bull Ahrensen Busck (29 November 1871 – 22 February 1953) was a Danish bookseller and publisher, founder of Arnold Busck A/S, Denmark's largest chain of bookstores. Early life and education Arnold Busck was born into a well-edu ...

(1871–1953), bookseller and publisher, founder of Arnold Busck A/S * Jørgen Kastholm (1931–2007) furniture designer and academic * Winnie Liljeborg, (born ca.1960) co-founder of Pandora (jewelry), Pandora AS, lives on Strandvejen * Morten Lund (investor), Morten Lund (born 1972) entrepreneur

Culture

Otto-bache-porträt-der-malerin-sofie-holten-(1858-1930)

* Peder Syv (1631–1702) philologist, folklorist and priest *

(17th century) carpenter and wood carver of pulpits and altarpieces * Anders Nielsen Hatt (17th century), created carved pulpits and altarpieces * Ejler Andreas Jorgensen (1838–1876), a Danish-American landscape and portrait painter * Carl Rohl-Smith (1848-1900) Danish-American sculptor of life-size and small bronzes * Golla Hammerich (1854–1903), pianist *

(1854–1933), painter, lived at Sankt Jørgensbjerg from 1923 * Clara Schønfeld (1856–1938), a Danish stage and film actress * Sophie Holten (1858-1930) a Danish painter of portraits, flower paintings and genre works * Pauline Thomsen (1858–1931), painter and art teacher * Gustav Wied (1858–1914 in Roskilde), writer and satirical critic of society * Hans Knudsen (painter), Hans Knudsen (1865–1947) artist, landscape paintings * Aksel Schiøtz (1906–1975), a Danish tenor and later baritone; lieder singer * Jørgen Beck (1914–1991) a Danish film actor * Lise Nørgaard (born 1917), a writer of humorous portrayals of Danish cultural life * Willy Rathnov (1937–1999) a Danish film actor * John Olsen (Danish artist), John Olsen, (born 1938) sculptor, illustrator and painter * Jørgen Boberg (1940–2009), a self-taught Surrealist Danish painter and illustrator * Ib Michael (born 1945), a Danish novelist and poet of magic realism style * Else Torp (born 1950) a Danish soprano * Thomas Boberg (born 1960) a Danish poet and travel writer * Ole Christian Madsen (born 1966), film-maker, director * Thure Lindhardt (born 1974), actor, grew up in Roskilde * Clemens (rapper), Clemens Legolas Telling (born 1979) rapper, singer, music writer, actor * Gitte Hanspal (born 1982) Danish-Indian model, Miss Scandinavia 2005 * Simon Sears (born 1984), actor, raised in Solrød Strand * Natasha Thomas (born 1986) a Danish pop singer-songwriter * Freja Beha Erichsen (born 1987) a Danish model, ''"Queen of Cool"'' with an androgynous look

Politics

* Canute Lavard (1096–1131) Prince and first Duke of Schleswig * Absalon (1128–1291), Bishop of Roskilde from 1158 to 1192 * Carl Christian Vilhelm Liebe (1820–1900) politician, speaker of Landstinget (Denmark), Landstinget * Louis Pio (1841–1894), a co-founder of the organized worker's movement in Denmark * Carl Theodor Zahle (1866–1946), 5th Danish Prime Minister and co-founder of the Danish Social Liberal Party * Slimane Hadj Abderrahmane (1973–2013)a Danish citizen, held in Guantanamo Bay detention camp, Guantanamo Bay * Michael Aastrup Jensen (born 1976) politician * Zenia Stampe (born 1979) politician, elected to the ''Folketinget'' in 2011 * Joy Mogensen (born 1980) a Danish politician, Mayor of Roskilde Municipality 2011 to 2019, Minister of Culture and Church since 2019

Sport

2019 Formula One tests Barcelona, Magnussen (32309895977)

* Oskar Nørland (1882–1941) a Danish amateur footballer, played 14 games for Denmark national football team, Denmark and won two team silver medals at the 1908 Summer Olympics, 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics * Tage Henriksen (1925–2016) rower, team gold medallist at the 1948 Summer Olympics * Finn Pedersen (1925–2012) rower, team gold medallist at the 1948 Summer Olympics, 1948 also competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics * Carl-Ebbe Andersen (1929–2009), rower, team gold medallist at the 1948 Summer Olympics * Reno Olsen (born 1947), racing cyclist, team gold medallist at the 1968 Summer Olympics *

(born 1973), rower, team gold medallist at 2004 Summer Olympics, 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics * Jan Magnussen (born 1973), racing driver * Rikke Olsen (born 1975) a retired badminton player, three time contender for Olympic bronze * Peter Madsen (footballer), Peter Madsen (born 1978) a retired footballer with 275 club caps and 13 for Denmark national football team, Denmark * Jesper Christiansen (footballer, born 1978), Jesper Christiansen (born 1978) retired football goalkeeper with 348 club caps and a coach * Carsten Mogensen (born 1983) badminton player, team silver medallist at the 2012 Summer Olympics * David Ousted (born 1985) a Danish football goalkeeper with over 350 club caps * Lasse Lindbjerg (born 1992) footballer and physiotherapist * Kevin Magnussen (born 1992), racing driver * Dennis Lind (born 1993), racing driver

Science

* Rasmus Bartholin (1625–1698), scientist, physician, grammarian and astronomer * Hans Egede Saabye (1746–1817) priest, missionary to Greenland and botanist * Jacob Kornerup (1825–1913), archeologist and painter * Ernst Østrup (1845–1917) botanist, phycologist, mainly working on diatoms * Ejnar Hertzsprung (1873–1967 in Roskilde), chemist and astronomer * Hans Helbæk (1907–1981) a Danish archaeologist and palaeobotanist * Ada Bruhn Hoffmeyer (1910–1991) a Danish museum curator, writer and medieval weapons expert

Crime

*Peter Lundin (born 1972), convicted murderer

References

;Bibliography * * *

External links

*
Wineroads.dk
græsk rødvine og hvidvine i Roskilde * {{Authority control Roskilde, Municipal seats of Region Zealand Municipal seats of Denmark Cities and towns in Region Zealand Viking Age populated places Former national capitals Roskilde Municipality Populated places established in the 10th century