Frederiksværk is a town with a population of 12,718 (1 January 2022) in

Halsnæs Municipality Halsnæs Kommune is a municipality (Danish, '' kommune'') in Region Hovedstaden ("Capital Region"). The municipality covers a total area (land and water) of 122.15 km² (2013), according to Municipal Key Figures (De Kommunale Nøgletal (www. ...

Zealand Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020. It is the 1 ...

Region Hovedstaden 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 chairperso ...

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 ...

History

A French cannon founder, Peyrembert, received permission to build a cannon factory here. Having gotten into difficulties, King Frederik V requested that his chancellery advisor,

Johan Frederik Classen Johan Frederik Classen, frequently also J. F. Classen, (11 February 1725 – 24 March 1792) was a Danish- Norwegian industrialist, major general, landowner and founder of Det Classenske Fideicommis. He served as chancellery adviser to King ...

, take over the operation of the foundry. Under Classen's management the town blossomed, and there came a gunpowder mill, as well as light industry and handicrafts to the town. This resulted in Classen's being appointed

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

. On 25 August 1756 the king issued a document permitting Classen to call the town "Friederichswerk". Classen was allowed to build a new foundry, Gjethuset, and it was constructed between 1761 and 1767. It has been used as a cannon foundry until 1928, and has been used for heavy industry until 1976. The building has been restored and reopened on 12 June 1996. It is now used as an art and culture center with theatre, music and art exhibitions. The original architect was either Lauritz de Thurah or

Nicolai Eigtved Nicolai Eigtved, also known as Niels Eigtved (4 June 1701 – 7 June 1754) was a Danish architect. He introduced and was the leading proponent of the French rococo or late baroque style in Danish architecture during the 1730s–1740s. He design ...

. The word ''Gjethus'' comes from

Low German : : : : : (70,000) (30,000) (8,000) , familycolor = Indo-European , fam2 = Germanic , fam3 = West Germanic , fam4 = North Sea Germanic , ancestor = Old Saxon , ancestor2 = Middle ...

''Gethus'' and means "foundry house". Classen's home in the neoclassical style, Arresødal, is still standing. It is in private ownership, but can be viewed from the outside.

Attractions

There are a number of churches from 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 ...

in the villages near Frederiksværk. Vinderød Church, in the town of Frederiksværk, houses the sarcophagus of General Classen and has a view towards the Arresø.

Town Museum

The Town Museum is established in the old Arsenal, which was used as a storehouse for the cannons cast in Gjethuset. Displays in the museum concern weapon fabrication, gunpowder production and copper rolling during the years 1750 to 1900. There is also a restored grocery store from 1900.

The Gunpowder Mill Museum

The small open-air museum, part of the Industrial Museum Frederiks Værk, contains one of the world's best-preserved powder mills with buildings and working machines from 1800. There is also a working watermill on the premises.

Castle ruins

The ruins of Dronningholm Castle lie near the Arresø. It was started by Valdemar the Great, and continued by his son Valdemar the Victorious. The castle was one of the largest in the country. but burned down in 1525. According to legend the castle was given as a gift to Queen Dagmar. The ruins of Asserbo Castle are also open to the public for viewing and touring. Asserbo Castle, which lies in the woods of Tisvilde Hegn, was founded by Bishop Absalon in the 12th century and was used as a monastery for monks of the

Cistercian Order The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Sain ...

, originally invited from

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The King took claim of the castle ca. 1560, and then by drifting sands. The castle was reclaimed from the sands, first by King

Frederik VII Frederick VII (Frederik Carl Christian; 6 October 1808 – 15 November 1863) was King of Denmark from 1848 to 1863. He was the last Danish monarch of the older Royal branch of the House of Oldenburg and the last king of Denmark to rule as a ...

in 1849, and then by the

National Museum of Denmark The National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) in Copenhagen is Denmark's largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main building is located a short distance from Strøget ...

excavations in 1972.

GeoArt: art gallery & crystalmuseum

GeoArt is located at the northern tip of Lake Arre, between Frederiksværk and Helsinge. It has an art gallery with changing exhibitions and a permanent exhibition of gems and minerals including 225 million year old petrified wood from Arizona, amethyst from Brazil and fluorite from China.

Frederiksværk municipality

Until 1 January 2007 Frederiksværk was also a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') in

Frederiksborg County Frederiksborg Amt ( en, Frederiksborg County) is a former county ( Danish: ''amt'') in the north of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. Effective January 1, 2007, the county was abolished and merged into Region Hovedstaden The Capital R ...

on the island of

(''Sjælland'') in eastern

, located between Lake Arre (''

Arresø Arresø () is the largest lake, by area, in Denmark. It covers 40,72 km² (15.39 sq mi) and is situated on the island of Zealand 43 kilometers (27 miles) northwest of Copenhagen as the crow flies. Arresø is located in the northern parts of Z ...

'') and

Roskilde Fjord Roskilde Fjord is the fjord north of Roskilde, Denmark. It is a long branch of the Isefjord. Cities The cities Frederiksværk, Frederikssund, Jægerspris, Jyllinge and Roskilde (including Himmelev), (home to the famous Roskilde Festival), all ...

. The municipality covered an area of 90 km², and had a total population of 20,340 (2005). Its last mayor was Helge Friis, a member of the

Social Democrats Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote so ...

(Socialdemokraterne)

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...

. Frederiksværk municipality ceased to exist due to ''Kommunalreformen'' ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007). It was merged with existing

Hundested Hundested is a town with a population of 8,543 (1 January 2022) and a former municipality (Danish, '' kommune'') in Region Hovedstaden in the northern part of the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in eastern Denmark. The former municipality is ...

municipality to form the new Frederiksværk-Hundested municipality. The name was changed to

on 1 January 2008. This created a municipality with an area of 120 km² and a total population of c. 30,253.

Municipal information

The municipal Frederiksværk contained many small towns and villages besides the city of Frederiksværk, including Ølsted, Kregme,

Liseleje Liseleje is a former fishing village and popular tourist resort in Halsnæs Municipality, North Zealand, some 60 kilometres northwest of Copenhagen, Denmark. The original village is surrounded by extensive areas of summerhouses. It has merged wi ...

, Asserbo and Melby.

Notable people

(1725–1792) a Danish-Norwegian industrialist, major general, landowner and founder of

Det Classenske Fideicommis Det Classenske Fideicommis (literally "The Classen Fideicommiss") is a Danish charitable foundation. By testament in 1789 and his codicil of March 23, 1792, the industrialist Major General Johan Frederik Classen left behind his wealth and possess ...

Anton Frederik Tscherning Ant(h)on Frederik Tscherning (12 December 1795 – 29 June 1874) was a Danish army officer who became a politician. During the First Schleswig War he served, briefly, as Denmarks's first Minister for War between March and November in 1848. Tsch ...

(1795–1874) a Danish army officer who became a politician * Arnold Krog (1856–1931) a Danish architect, painter, designer and artistic director of

Royal Copenhagen Royal Copenhagen, officially the Royal Porcelain Factory ( da, Den Kongelige Porcelænsfabrik), is a Danish manufacturer of porcelain products and was founded in Copenhagen in 1775 under the protection of Danish Dowager Queen Juliane Marie. It i ...

1884–1916 *

Knud Larsen Knud Erik Larsen (27 August 1865 – 7 December 1922) was a Danish painter. Biography Born in Vinderød near Frederiksværk, Denmark. He was the son of Jens Peter Larsen (1826–97) and Julie Sophie Olsen (1826–97). Larsen studied painting at ...

(1865 in Vinderød – 1922) a Danish painter of landscapes and later portraiture * Aase Hansen (1893–1981) a Danish educator, translator and award-winning writer *

Knut Ansgar Nelson Knut Ansgar Nelson (1 October 1906 – 31 March 1990) was a Danish-born convert to Roman Catholicism who served as bishop of Stockholm from 1957 to 1962. Life Nelson was born in 1906 in Frederiksværk, Denmark, but travelled to the United Sta ...

(1906—1990) convert to Roman Catholicism, served as Bishop of Stockholm 1957–1962 * Francis Cardenau (born 1957) a Denmark-based French chef and restaurateur, lives on a small farm close to Frederiksværk *

Thomas Blom Hansen Thomas Blom Hansen (born 22 January 1958 in Frederiksvaerk) is a Danish anthropologist and leading contemporary commentator on religious and political violence in India. Background Hansen has a BA in Sociology and an MA in political theory fro ...

(born 1958) an anthropologist and commentator on violence in India * Jan Friis-Mikkelsen (born 1963) a Danish chef and restaurateur, runs Restaurant Tinggården in Asserbo since 1987 *

Anders Thomas Jensen Anders Thomas Jensen (born 6 April 1972) is a Danish screenwriter and film director. His film '' Election Night'' won the 1998 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. Life and career Jensen was born in Frederiksværk. He won the Oscar ...

(born 1972) a Danish screenwriter and film director *

David Sakurai David Sakurai ( Copenhagen, 19 July 1979) is a Danish Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist. Biography Born in Copenhagen to a Danish mother and a Japanese father and raised in Frederiksværk, Sakurai has a brother named Kri ...

(born 1979) a Japanese-Danish actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist; brought up in Frederiksværk IMDb Database
retrieved 23 June 2020

Sport

* Henrik Hansen (1920–2010) a wrestler, bronze medallist at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ...

Svend Ove Pedersen Svend Ove Pedersen (31 October 1920 – 3 August 2009) was a Danish rower who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games o ...

(1920–2009) a rower, team bronze medallist at

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...

* Leif Hermansen (born 1925) a Danish rower, competed at the

Tage Juhl Weirum Tage Juhl Weirum (born 16 February 1949) is a Danish wrestler. He competed in the men's Greco-Roman 68 kg at the 1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Mu ...

(born 1949) a Danish wrestler, competed at the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 19 ...

* Benny Nielsen (born 1951) a Danish former football player, played 28 matches for Denmark * Thomas Frank (born 1973) a Danish football manager, head coach at Brentford F.C. * Kim Christensen (born 1980) a Danish football coach of Frederiksværk FK, former player with over 200 club caps