Bispetorv ( Danish: ''Bispetorvet'') is a small

public square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Relat ...

in central

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, located on the corner of

Nørregade Nørregade (literally "North Street") is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark, linking Gammeltorv in the south with Nørre Voldgade in the north. Landmarks in the street include Church of Our Lady, Bispegården, St. Peter's Church and ...

and

Studiestræde Studiestræde is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark, running from Bispetorv on Nørregade in the northeast to Axeltorv in the southwest. The oldest section of the street, between Nørregade and Vester Voldgade, is part of Copenhagen's Lati ...

. It takes its name from the Bishop's House, the official residence of the Bishop of Copenhagen, on the other side of Studiestræde. The square is dominated by the main entrance of Church of Our Lady which faces it on the other side of Nørregade. The Reformation Memorial which stands in the middle of the square is from 1943.

History

Bispetorv was established in connection with C. F. Hansen's rebuilding of the Church of Our Lady after its destruction in the British bombardment of the city during the Battle of Copenhagen. As properties which occupied the site had also been destroyed, Hansen was successful in having the Establishment take over the lots, and he also designed the surrounding buildings. Hansen's buildings were sold in 1899 and demolished to make way for a new building for ''Studentersamfundet'', a student society which had been founded in 1882. The new building, was designed by C. F. Jeppesen og Carl Thonning in a

National Romantic Romantic nationalism (also national romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of nationalism in which the state claims its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs. This includes ...

style at the corner of Studiestræde, topped by a steep pyramidical roof. In 1916 the building was sold and redesigned by Gotfred Tvede who removed the tower and adapted it to a more sober, Neo-Classical design. In 1949 the building was acquired by the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University. ...

, which already had a number of buildings in the area, and it became known as the Bispetorv Annex.

Reformation Memorial

A monument in the centre of the square commemorates the Reformation of Denmark. It was inaugurated on 6 June 1943. The monument was designed by the sculptor Max Andersen and architect

Harald Lønborg-Jensen Harald Magnus Lønborg-Jensen (10 October 1871 – 1 November 1941) was a Danish architect known as a productive church and restoration-architect. Biography Harald Lønborg-Jensen was born at Rødemarkshus near Tureby on the island of Zealand ...

. It consists of a column decorated with reliefs and inscriptions on all four sides. The reliefs present key events from the Reformation.

References

External links

Bispetorv
on indenforvoldene.dk {{coord, 55.6792, 12.5717, type:landmark_region:DK, display=title Squares in Copenhagen Odonyms referring to religion

History

Reformation Memorial

See also

References

External links