Roskilde Cathedral School ( da, Roskilde Katedralskole, Roskilde Domskole) is a historic

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

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 ...

, Denmark. It was established around 1020 with close connections to

Roskilde Cathedral Roskilde Cathedral ( da, Roskilde Domkirke), in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand (Denmark), Zealand (''Sjælland'') in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheranism, Lutheran Church of Denmark. The cathedral is the most importan ...

. The school has since 1969 been located on Holbækvej in the western part of the city while its old main building next to the cathedral now houses Roskilde Gymnasium, another high school.

History

The school was probably established in the early 11th century (c. 1020) in connection with the cathedral. It was initially designed for the education of priests who could serve the cathedral. There are references to pupils at the school from 1074. Around 1080, a building was constructed to the north of the first travertine cathedral known as ''Kloster for Brødrene'' (Friars' Cloister) which was no doubt used as a school house. When the brick cathedral was built in the 13th century, a new school building was constructed immediately west of the cathedral. After 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 ...

in 1536, the school was struck by a period of poverty, forcing the pupils to beg in the neighbourhood for food and clothing. The curriculum did not change until the 18th century when it was adapted to include both theology and law, attracting more pupils. Roskilde Gymnasium

A new building for the school was completed on the cathedral square in 1842 to a design by

Jørgen Hansen Koch Jørgen Hansen Koch (4 September 1787 – 30 January 1860) was a Neoclassical Danish architect. He was chief of the national Danish building administration from 1835 and director of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1844 to 1849. K ...

. With its six classrooms, it was able to accommodate all 70 pupils. Girls were first admitted to the school in 1903 but were initially kept away from the boys. Despite several extensions, by 1969 the building had again become too small. The school moved to its current premises on Holbækvej designed by Preben Hansen.

Today

As of September 2014, the school has 1,352 pupils and a staff of 150, of whom 129 are teachers. The school provides a high level of secondary-school education thanks to its competent staff and a pleasant teaching environment designed to motivate pupils on an individual basis.

Notable alumni

Absalon Absalon (21 March 1201) was a Danish statesman and prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the bishop of Roskilde from 1158 to 1192 and archbishop of Lund List of (arch)bishops of Lund. Until the Danish Reformation the centre of a gr ...

(ca. 1128-1201), archbishop, statesman *

Saxo Grammaticus Saxo Grammaticus (c. 1150 – c. 1220), also known as Saxo cognomine Longus, was a Danish historian, theologian and author. He is thought to have been a clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, the main advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark. ...

(ca. 1150-1208), historian * Christian Friis til Borreby (1556–1616), Chancellor of Denmark *

Andreas Brünniche Andreas Pedersen Brünniche (4 April 1704 in Roskilde – 4 November 1769 in Copenhagen) was a Danish portrait painter, active in the period called either late Baroque or early Rococo. Biography Andreas Brünniche was the son of Peder Jacobsen ...

(1704–1769), painter * Andreas Christian Hviid (1749–1788), linguist and theologian * Gottsche Hans Olsen (1760–1829), writer, diplomat and theatre director * Johan Ernst Hartmann (1770–1844), composer *

Severin Claudius Wilken Bindesbøll Severin, Séverin or Severinus may refer to: People * Severin (given name) * Severin (surname) Places * Caraș-Severin County, a county in Romania * Severin County, a defunct county in Romania that was merged into the present Caraş-Severin Coun ...

(1798–1871), bishop and politician *

Jacob Kornerup Jacob Kornerup (19 November 1825 – 9 March 1913) was a Danish archeologist and painter who is remembered above all for discovering and restoring medieval frescos in Danish churches.Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg Johan Ludvig Carl Christian Tido Holstein (10 June 1839 – 1 March 1912), was a Danish politician who was Minister of State of Denmark. He was Council President of Denmark for two months, from 16 August to 28 October 1909. He also served as ...

(1839–1912), prime minister * Vilhelm Topsøe (1840–1881), writer and journalist *

Morten Pedersen Porsild Morten Pedersen Porsild (1 September 1872, Glibstrup near Store Andst – 30 April 1956, Copenhagen) was a Danish botanist who lived and worked most of his adult life in Greenland. He participated in expeditions to Greenland in 1898 and 1902, tog ...

(1872–1956), botanist * Vilhelm Lassen (1861–1908), politician and finance minister *

Asger Ostenfeld Asger Skovgaard Ostenfeld (13 October 1866 – 23 September 1931) was a Danish civil engineer who specialized in the theory of steel and reinforced concrete structures. He is now considered to be the founding father of the theory of structures ...

(1866–1931), engineer * Eduard Reventlow (1883–1963), diplomat * Poul Sørensen (1904–1969), politician *

Aksel Schiøtz Aksel Schiøtz (1 September 190619 April 1975) was a Danish tenor and later baritone, who was considered one of Europe's leading lieder singers of the post-World War II period.Alan Blyth"Review: The Singer and His Art by Aksel Schiøtz" ''The Musi ...

(1906–1975), singer *

Ada Bruhn Hoffmeyer Ada Bruhn Hoffmeyer (1 December 1910 – 8 August 1991) was a Danish museum curator, writer and medieval weapons expert. She founded "The Institute of Studies on Ancient Weapons" which was recognised as the authority on Spanish arms and armour. L ...

(1910-1991) weapons expert * Elias Bredsdorff (1912–2002), writer and resistance fighter *

Lise Nørgaard Lise Nørgaard (born Elise Jensen; 14 June 1917 – 1 January 2023) was a Danish journalist and writer known for her precise and often humorous portrayals of Danish cultural life. Nørgaard wrote novels, compilations of essays and short stories. ...

(born 1917), writer *

Jytte Hilden Jytte Hilden (born 12 September 1942) is a Danish chemical engineer and politician (Social Democrats). She was elected member of the Folketing from 1979 to 1998, and was appointed Minister for Culture in Poul Nyrup Rasmussen Poul Oluf Nyrup R ...

(born 1942), politician *

Ib Michael Ib Michael (born 1945 in Roskilde, Denmark) is a Danish novelist and poet. His writing style has been described as magic realism. He attended the University of Copenhagen, where he studied Central American and Indian Language and Culture. Michae ...

(born 1945), novelist, poet *

Thure Lindhardt Thure Frank Lindhardt (; born 24 December 1974) is a Danish actor, educated at the drama school at Odense Theatre in 1998. Life and career Lindhardt was born in Copenhagen, and grew up in Roskilde. At the age of 12, he got a part in Bille Augu ...

(born 1974), actor

References

Literature

External links

Official website
{{Roskilde Gymnasiums in Denmark Cathedral schools Education in Roskilde Buildings and structures in Roskilde Municipality Educational institutions established in the 11th century School buildings completed in 1969