Selskabet Kjæden (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: The Society of the Chain), formerly known as Kjæde-ordenen (English: The Order of the Chain), is a fraternal, philanthropical society based in

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 ...

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 = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

. The society has since 1811 been involved in work for blind people.

Princess Elisabeth of Denmark Princess Elisabeth of Denmark, (''Elisabeth Caroline-Mathilde Alexandrine Helena Olga Thyra Feodora Estrid Margrethe Désirée''; 8 May 1935 – 19 June 2018) was a member of the Danish royal family. She was the only daughter and eldest child o ...

is protector of the organization. Its building, situated at

Klerkegade Klerkegade ( lit. "Clergy Street") is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark. The street runs from Borgergade in the east to Rigensgade in the west, passing Adelgade and Kronprinsessegade on the way. History Klerkegade originates in the 1649 ...

10, was listed in the Danish national registry of protected buildings and places by the

Danish Heritage Agency The Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces ( da, Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen) is an agency under the aegis of the Danish Ministry of Culture. The agency carries out the cultural policies of the Danish government within the visual and performing arts, ...

on 1 October 1989.

History

The Order of the Chain is believed to have originated in St Canute's Guild in the 12th century. The Order of the Chain terminated its activities in the late 17th century but it was revived by a group of former freemasons on 27 November 1774. Membership of the order has been open to both men and women from the time of its foundation. The order has been engaged in social-philanthropical work since 1780. One of its first projects was to raise the necessary 100 rigsdaler for the construction of the first public school in

Bornholm Bornholm () is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. It has usually been ruled by ...

Building

The Society of the Chain is headquartered in a low

Renaissance Revival style Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range ...

building at

10 in Copenhagen. The design is by

Vilhelm Tvede Frederik Vilhelm Tvede (13 May 1826 – 27 November 1891) was a Danish architect. Biography Tvede was born in the parish of Trinitatis in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was the son of Johan Frederik Tvede and Christine f. Norup. He was a student of ...

. It was´listed in 1989.

Activities

From 1811 the order has been involved in work for the blind. In 1858, it financed the construction of the Royal Institute for the Blind which was ceded to the Danish state upon its completion. In 1876, it expanded its headquarters with two new wings which were used as a home for blind people. It remained in use until 1971. Since 1829-30, the order has also catered to the poor in Copenhagen.

References

External links

Official website
Masonic organizations Organizations based in Copenhagen 1774 establishments in Denmark Buildings and structures completed in 1869 Listed buildings and structures in Copenhagen {{Denmark-org-stub

History

Building

Activities

See also

References

Further reading

External links