Slotsholmen (
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 ...
: The Castle Islet) is an island in the harbour 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 a ...
,
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 ...
, 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 city's first castle on the island in 1167 at the site where
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace ( da, Christiansborg Slot; ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament ('), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme ...
lies today.
Recognised as the centre of the
Government of Denmark since 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 ...
, the island is sometimes referred to as 'the Island of Power', and is lined with central government institutions and ministries; the name ''Slotsholmen'' is thus also frequently used as a
metonym for overall Danish governmental administration.
The island is dominated by the vast
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace ( da, Christiansborg Slot; ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament ('), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme ...
which houses the
Danish Parliament, the
Supreme Court of Denmark, the
Prime Minister's Office and the
State Rooms
A state room in a large European mansion is usually one of a suite of very grand rooms which were designed for use when entertaining royalty. The term was most widely used in the 17th and 18th centuries. They were the most lavishly decorated in ...
of the
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
. Also located on the island are the most important ministries, the
Danish National Archives, the
Royal Danish Library, several museums and the historic buildings of the
Christian IV's Stock Exchange, the
Chancellery and
Christian IV's Brewhouse
Christian IV's Brewhouse (Danish: Christian IV's Bryghus) is a building in Copenhagen, Denmark, dating from 1608. In spite of the name under which it is known today, the building was not originally built for the purpose of brewing beer. It is loc ...
.
The population number was 18 people as of 1 January 2020.
History
The site used to consist of several small natural islands in the sound between the islands of
Zealand and
Amager
Amager ( or, especially among older speakers, ) in the Øresund is Denmark's most densely populated island, with more than 212,000 inhabitants (January 2021) a small appendage to Zealand. The protected natural area of ''Naturpark Amager'' (includi ...
. On the largest of these, Strandholmen (English: Beach Islet),
Bishop Absalon of Roskilde constructed a small castle in 1167. In 1250 the castle was extended with two side towers to get the appearance that is now depicted on
Copenhagen's Coat of Arms. The castle was conquered by the
Hanseatic League 1368 and pulled down the following year as part of peace terms. Shortly after
Copenhagen Castle
Copenhagen Castle ( da, Københavns Slot) was a castle on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built in the late 14th century and was located at the site of the current Christiansborg Palace.
History
In 1167, Bish ...
was built on the same site and it became the residence for the Danish king in 1443.
After the 1535-36 siege of Copenhagen during the
Count's Feud, it became clear that the castle was outdated as a military installation, and
King Christian III transformed the castle from a military stronghold to a more liveable royal residence. However, the reconstruction took place in a rather haphazard way and continued during the reign of the following kings, resulting in a rather irregular appearance of the castle.
At the same time, it became clear that the castle was becoming too small to hold the functions necessary in order to function as a royal residence and seat of the administration so a series of smaller buildings began to be erected on Slotsholmen. Probably during the reign of Christian III a building was constructed on the quay of the canal in front of the castle to house the Chancellery. During the reign of Christian III and
Frederick II an arsenal was constructed by the beach south of the castle, and during the reign of Frederick II probably also a supply depot.
Under King
Christian IV Slotsholmen saw considerable development, especially in the southern part of the island. Here a new naval harbour was established, surrounded on one side by an
Arsenal and on the other side by a
Supply Depot
Supply depots are a type of military installation used by militaries to store battlefield supplies temporarily on or near the front lines until they can be distributed to military units. Supply depots are responsible for nearly all other types o ...
. Other new buildings constructed were the
Stock Exchange and the
Brewhouse. All four of these historic buildings are still there today.
By the time of the introduction of the
absolute monarchy
Absolute monarchy (or Absolutism as a doctrine) is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute power, though a limited constituti ...
in 1660, the role of Slotsholmen as the centre of administration was firmly established.
During the reign of
King Frederick III, further lack of space in the castle led to the construction in 1665-1673 of an additional building between the Supply Depot and the Arsenal. This building, also still visible today, was to house the
Cabinet of curiosities of the king, founded about 1650, and the
Royal Library, founded in 1648.
During the reign of
King Frederick IV, a magnificent administration building was constructed in 1716-21 next to the palace adjacent to the Supply Depot. This new building was to house the chancelleries, thus replacing the previous chancellery building situated by the canal. The new chancellery building was connected to the castle by an arched passageway, thus allowing the king to stay in close contact with his government. The Chancellery Building (also known as the ''Red Building'' or the ''Building of Colleges'') has functioned as the heart of the central administration for almost 300 years, and is today used by the
Ministry of Finance.
In spite of many attempts and projects to replace the small and antiquated castle with a more up-to-date royal residence fit for an absolute king, the old castle continued to exist well into the 18th century. Several renovations were made, most notably by Frederick IV in 1721-29. This rebuilding thoroughly changed the irregular appearance of the castle to a more regular shape.
However, just two years after the rebuilding was completed, the Copenhagen Castle was demolished in 1731 to give room for three consecutive
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace ( da, Christiansborg Slot; ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament ('), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme ...
s, the two first of which were destroyed by fires (in 1794 and 1884). Parts of the first and second Christianborg Palace still remain and is integrated in the present palace. The ruins of Absalon's Castle and the Copenhagen Castle are excavated and at display today under the present Christiansborg.
Notable buildings
File:W bryghus.jpg, Christian IV's Brewhouse
Christian IV's Brewhouse (Danish: Christian IV's Bryghus) is a building in Copenhagen, Denmark, dating from 1608. In spite of the name under which it is known today, the building was not originally built for the purpose of brewing beer. It is loc ...
File:Toejhusmuseet Istedloeven Copenhagen.jpg, Christian IV's Arsenal
File:Boersen.jpg, The entrance to Christian IV's Stock exchange on Slotsholmen
File:Børsen København.jpg, Christian IV's Stock Exchange
File:W undervisningsministeriet.jpg, The Ministry of Education
File:Det Kongelige Bibliotek.jpg, Royal Danish Library, Old Building, seen from the Library Garden
File:Kbh IMG 6504.JPG, Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace ( da, Christiansborg Slot; ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament ('), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme ...
File:Thoraldsens Museum.jpg, Thorvaldsens Museum
File:Finansministeriet.jpg, The side façade of the Chancellery building
File:Den Sorte Diamant 2.jpg, Black Diamond extension to the Royal Danish Library
File:Christiansborg Slotskirke Copenhagen.jpg, Christiansborg Palace Chapel
Bridges
Slotsholmen is surrounded partly by Copenhagen Inner Harbour, partly by canals. Nine bridges connect Slotsholmen to the rest of Copenhagen, both
Zealand-side and
Amager
Amager ( or, especially among older speakers, ) in the Øresund is Denmark's most densely populated island, with more than 212,000 inhabitants (January 2021) a small appendage to Zealand. The protected natural area of ''Naturpark Amager'' (includi ...
-side.
Knippelsbro
Knippelsbro is a
bascule bridge and one of several bridges over Copenhagen's Inner Harbour; others being
Langebro,
Lille Langebro
Lille Langebro ( en, Little long bridge), is located close to and named after the Langebro bridge, is a walking and cycling bridge in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was designed by WilkinsonEyre and it is classified as a double-swing bridge. The unique ...
,
Bryggebroen
Bryggebroen ( lit.: ''The Quay Bridge'') is one of the new bicycle/pedestrian bridges in Copenhagen inner harbour and is a combined pedestrian and bicyclist bridge directed east-west. The bridge is joined to ''Kalvebod Brygge'' and Cykelslange ...
and Copenhagen's
Inner Harbour Bridge. It connects Slotsholmen to
Christianshavn
Christianshavn (literally, "ingChristian's Harbour") is a neighbourhood in Copenhagen, Denmark. Part of the Indre By District, it is located on several artificial islands between the islands of Zealand and Amager and separated from the rest of t ...
by extending Børsgade to Torvegade.
Marmorbroen
Marmorbroen (English: The Marble Bridge) connects Christiansborg Riding Ground Complex to Ny Vestergade that continues to Dantes Plads with the
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. The bridge was constructed from 1739-45. It has a
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...
cladding with
medallion ornamentation on the sides while the top is covered with marble.
Stormbroen
Stormbroen (English: The Assault Bridge) is a small arch bridge in stone, connecting Stormgade (towards
The City Hall Square) with Vindebrogade on Slotsholmen.
The bridge is named after the
Assault on Copenhagen in 1659. It was at this very spot, where the city ramparts at that time was located, that the
Swedish troops made their principal attack. After a series of defeats, the Danish troops finally gained victory, the Swedish troops leaving 2,000 dead soldiers in front of the ramparts at Stormgade.
Various sources state that the bridge was erected in 1681 but on the side the inscription "erected in MDCLX is carved into its stone foundation. The bridge was renovated by
Martin Nyrop in 1918.
Højbro
Højbro (English: High Bridge) is an arch bridge in
wrought iron, connecting Højbro Square with Slotsholmen. It is designed by
Vilhelm Dahlerup and was built in 1878. Holmens Bro and Børsbroen also used to be the work of Dahlerup but these gave both been replaced.
The current bridge is not high at all. The name goes back to the wooden bascule bridge that was the first bridge to Slotsholmen.
Holmens Bro
Holmens Bro is an arch bridge built in granite in 1954 to replace Dahlerup's design from 1878.
File:Marmorbroen-03-2007.jpg, The Marble Bridge as seen from Frederiksholm Canal
File:Hoejbro Kbh.jpg, Højbro connecting Højbro Square to Slotsholmen
File:Christian IV's Bro.jpg, Christian IV's Bro
File:Knippelsbro København.jpg, Knippelsbro
File:Stormbroen, Nybrogade.jpg, Stormbroen
File:HolmensBro.jpg, Holmens Bro
Round Christiansborg Open Water Swim
Since efforts to improve water quality in Copenhagen Harbour has made the water clean enough to allow swimming, an open-water swimming competition around Slotsholmen has been revitalized.
With the course being 2,000 metres, the 10,000 metre race involves five loops. There is both a competition for amateurs who swim in the afternoon and a
FINA Marathon Swimming World Cup event with US$11,000 in prize money that takes place in the morning. The swim takes place in August and water temperatures are 18-22 °C.
The nature of the course makes it unusually good for spectators and that combined with the historical surroundings have gained it a reputation as one of the best open water swim competitions in
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 ...
.
See also
*
Districts of Copenhagen
*
List of islands of Denmark
References
{{Denmark islands
Copenhagen city districts
Islands of Denmark
Geography of Copenhagen
Canals in Copenhagen
Bridges in Copenhagen
Open water swimming