Christianshavn () is a neighbourhood in

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 ...

. Part of the

Indre By Indre By (English language, English: ), also known as Copenhagen Center or K or Downtown Copenhagen, is an districts of Copenhagen, administrative district (''bydel'') in central Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. It covers an area of , has a p ...

District, it is located on several artificial islands between the islands of

Zealand Zealand ( ) is the largest and most populous islands of Denmark, island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size) at 7,031 km2 (2715 sq. mi.). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 Januar ...

and

Amager Amager ( ), located in the Øresund, is Denmark's most densely populated island, with more than 216,000 inhabitants (January 2022). The protected natural area of ''Naturpark Amager'' (including Kalvebod Fælled) makes up more than one-third of the ...

and separated from the rest of the city centre by the Inner Harbour. It was founded in the early 17th century by

Christian IV Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years and 330 days is the longest in Scandinavian history. A member of the H ...

as part of his extension of the

fortifications of Copenhagen The fortifications of Copenhagen is the broad name for the rings of fortifications surrounding the city of Copenhagen. They can be classified historically as follows: * The medieval fortifications dating from the 12th century * The bastioned for ...

. Originally, it was laid out as an independent privileged merchant's town with inspiration from

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

cities but it was soon incorporated into Copenhagen proper. Dominated by canals, it is the part of Copenhagen with the most nautical atmosphere. For much of the 20th century a working-class neighbourhood, Christianshavn developed a bohemian reputation in the 1970s and it is now a fashionable, diverse and lively part of the city with its own distinctive personality. Businessmen, students, artists, hippies and traditional families with children live side by side. Administratively, Christianshavn has been part of Indre By since 2007, but it still has its own local council.

Geography

Christianshavn covers an area of 3.43 km², and includes three minor islands to the north, jointly referred to as Holmen. It has a population of 10,140 and a population density of 2,960 per km². To the south and east Christianshavn is defined by its old ramparts. To the west Christianshavn borders on the Inner Harbour that separates it from

Slotsholmen Slotsholmen (English language, English: The Castle Islet) is an island in the harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark, and part of Copenhagen Indre By, Inner City. The name is taken from the successive castles and palaces located on the island since Absal ...

and the rest of Copenhagen's

city centre A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, Culture, cultural and often the historical, Politics, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely e ...

History

In 1612, Christian IV initiated an ambitious programme to fortify Copenhagen. During the period 1618–1623, he erected earthen embarkments with five

bastion A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...

s in the marshy area between Copenhagen and the island of

. At the same time the idea was hatched of creating a new merchant town in the area. In 1639 the little merchant and fortress town of Christianshavn was established. However, competition from Copenhagen soon proved too strong for the little town, and by 1674 it was incorporated into its larger neighbour. The fortifications were further developed with six more bastions in the 1660s, and seven more bastions between 1682 and 1692. Additional reinforcements occurred between 1779 and 1791, and again in 1810–1813. Even though the fortifications around the Inner City were being dismantled in the late 19th century, Christianshavn's fortifications continued in use into the 20th century. Some areas were opened up in the late 1910s-1920s, and the final areas were made public space in 1961. The fortifications are a part of the total fortification system around the old part of Copenhagen, and are one of Denmark's best preserved fortifications from the 17th century. Today the area around the fortifications is a park area.

Christianshavn today

Christianshavn is a lively, primarily residential area. It is quartered by the Christianshavn Canal, running north–south along its length, and Torvegade, the main thoroughfare of Christianshavn, running east–west, connecting Amager Side Copenhagen to the city centre across Knippelsbro. Where the canal and the street intersects, at the geographical centre of Christianshavn, lies the square

Christianshavns Torv Christianshavns Torv is the central town square, public square of the Christianshavn neighborhood in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is situated at the intersection of Torvegade and Christianshavns Kanal, Christianshavn Canal, roughly at the center of the ...

. Along the eastern shoreline of the island runs Christianshavns Vold which now serves as the principal greenspace of the neighbourhood. The Lower City Side of Christianshavn, also known as Christiansbro, is the most affluent part of the neighbourhood, with several modern residential developments built on the grounds of the former

Burmeister & Wain Burmeister & Wain was a large established Danish shipyard and leading diesel engine producer headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded by two Danes and an Englishman, its earliest roots stretch back to 1846. Over its 150-year history, it g ...

/ B&W Shipyard. Several headquarters are also found in the area, including most notably the former Danish headquarters of

Nordea Nordea Bank Abp, commonly referred to as Nordea, is a Nordic financial services group operating in northern Europe with headquarters in Helsinki, Finland. The name is a blend of the words "Nordic" and "idea". The Nordic countries are considered ...

(now repurposed as Hotel NH Collection Copenhagen) along its entire harbourfront, while its most important historic building is Christian's Church. On the other—Rampar Side—side of the canal, the area is dominated by historic residential buildings and institutions. Christianshavn's Upper City Side, stretching along Strandgade from Torvegade to the Trangaven Canal, is dominated by old renovated

warehouses A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities, to ...

and merchant's houses. A number of large institutions are located in the area, including the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

. Cultural institutions include

Danish Architecture Centre Danish Architecture Center ( Danish: Dansk Arkitektur Center), (DAC), is Denmark’s national center for the development and dissemination of knowledge about architecture, building and urban development. DAC’s objective and legitimacy consist i ...

and the

North Atlantic House North Atlantic House () is a cultural centre located on the harbour front in Copenhagen, Denmark, dedicated to preserve, promote and communicate culture and art from the North Atlantic area. It is made as a cooperation between Denmark, Iceland, G ...

. On the other side of the canal, Christianshavn's Upper Rampart Side is the densest and most neglected part of the neighbourhood with around half of Christianshavn's 10,000 inhabitants living in that area. It is in this area that the Church of Our Saviour and Christiania are found. Holmen is characterized by a mixture of old military buildings and new residential developments and is the home of many creative business like

advertising agencies An advertising agency, often referred to as a creative agency or an ad agency, is a business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising and sometimes other forms of promotion and marketing for its clients. An ad agency is generall ...

and architectural practices as well as creative educational institutions like The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture and

National Film School of Denmark The National Film School of Denmark () is an independent institution under the Danish Ministry of Cultural Affairs. It was established in 1966 and is based on Holmen in the harbour of Copenhagen. History The National Danish Film School was e ...

Freetown Christiania Freetown Christiania (), also known as Christiania or simply ', is an intentional community and anarchist commune in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of the Danish capital city of Copenhagen. It began in 1971 as a squatted military base. Its m ...

, a partially self-governing neighborhood which has established semi-legal status as an independent community in an area of abandoned military barracks, appears as a "city within the city". It has a considerable population and is a venue for many cultural events as well as the experimental and idiosyncratic Architecture Without Architects.

Attractions

* Church of Our Saviour * Christian's Church *

with Restaurant Noma * Christiania * Christianshavn Rampart *

* Lille Mølle *

Copenhagen Opera House The Copenhagen Opera House (in Danish usually called Operaen, literally ''The opera'') is the national opera house of Denmark, and among the most modern opera houses in the world. It is also one of the most expensive opera houses ever built at a ...

* Nyholm * Arsenal Island

Transport

Christianshavn metro station is located at Christianshavns Torv at the intersection of Christianshavn Canal and Torvegade. The station serves both the M1 and M2 lines of the Copenhagen Metro. The 901 & 902 lines of the

Copenhagen Harbour Buses The Copenhagen Harbour Buses ( Danish: Københavns Havnebusser) is a system of water buses along the harbourfront of Copenhagen, Denmark, operated by Movia which also operates the city’s regular buses. The system is notable for being all-electr ...

have a stop at Christianshavn at the end of Knippelsbro.

Christianshavn in culture

* In

Søren Kierkegaard Søren Aabye Kierkegaard ( , ; ; 5 May 1813 – 11 November 1855) was a Danes, Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical tex ...

's philosophical work ''Stages on Life's Way'' (1845), his pseudonymous alter ego Hilarius Bookbinder states that in Christianshavn "one is far, very far away from Copenhagen" and therefore Langebro (Long Bridge) deserves its name (''Stages on Life's Way'' p. 259). *The Church of Our Saviour in Christianshavn appears in a chapter of

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

's A Journey to the Center of the Earth. The character Axel is made to climb the winding spire for five consecutive days by his uncle to cure him of his

Acrophobia Acrophobia, also known as hypsophobia, is an extreme or irrational fear or phobia of heights, especially when one is not particularly high up. It belongs to a category of specific phobias, called space and motion discomfort, that share similar ...

before their descent into the

volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...

. * In the 1973 film ''

Tony Arzenta ''Tony Arzenta'' (internationally released as ''Big Guns'' and ''No Way Out'') is a 1973 Italian gangster-action film directed by Duccio Tessari. The film was commercially successful. Plot When Milan-based mafia hitman Tony Arzenta asks to ge ...

'', a car hunt takes

Alain Delon Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon (; 8 November 1935 – 18 August 2024) was a French actor, film producer, screenwriter, singer, and businessman. Acknowledged as a cultural and cinematic leading man of the 20th century, Delon emerged as one of ...

though Christianshavn, including

Torvegade Torvegade () is the central thoroughfare of Christianshavn in Copenhagen, Denmark, linking the city centre by way of Knippel Bridge with Amagerside Copenhagen at Christmas Møllers Plads. The street crosses Christianshavn Canal at Christianshavn ...

and the street along the canal. *Christianshavn has been immortalised in the then extremely popular Danish 1970s television series " Huset på Christianshavn" (English: The House on Christianshavn), one of Danish television's most popular shows ever. * The action of

Peter Høeg Peter Høeg (born 17 May 1957) is a Danish writer of fiction. He is best known for his novel ''Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow'' (1992). Early life Høeg was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Before becoming a writer, he worked variously as a sailor, ...

's novel

Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow ''Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow'' (), published in America as ''Smilla's Sense of Snow'', is a 1992 novel by Denmark, Danish author Peter Høeg tracing the investigation into the suspicious death of a Greenlandic boy in Denmark. A global bestsel ...

sets off in the public housing projects 'Det Hvide Snit' (English: The White Cut, popular Danish for leukotomy) in Christianshavn. * ''Christianshavns Kanal'', named for the canal, is the last track on Danish singer-songwriter

Kim Larsen Kim Mellius Flyvholm Larsen (23 October 1945 – 30 September 2018) was a Danish singer, songwriter, author, and guitarist. He began his musical career in 1968 after a brief period as an elementary school teacher and became known from 1969 as ...

's 1973 debut album Værsgo. *

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...

wrote one of his

signature song A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. Signatures are often, but not always, handwritten or styliz ...

s "

Tom Traubert's Blues "Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)" (commonly known as "Tom Traubert's Blues" or "Waltzing Matilda") is a song by American musician Tom Waits. It is the opening track on Waits' fourth studio album '' Small Change'', re ...

(Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)" commonly known as "Tom Traubert's Blues" or "Waltzing Matilda") after visiting Christianshavn with Danish singer and violinist Mathilde Bondo.

Notable people

Carl Christian Hall Carl Christian Hall (25 February 1812 – 14 August 1888) was a Danish statesman. Hall served as the Council President of Denmark (Prime Minister), first from 1857 to 1859 and again from 1860 to 1863. Early life Hall was the son of the highly ...

(1812–1888), Danish statesman. *

Martin Andersen Nexø Martin Andersen Nexø (26 June 1869 – 1 June 1954) was a Danish writer. He was one of the authors in the Modern Breakthrough movement in Danish art and literature. He was a socialist throughout his life and during the Second World War moved ...

(1869–1954), Danish writer *

Halfdan Rasmussen Halfdan Wedel Rasmussen (29 January 1915 in Copenhagen – 2 March 2002) was a Danish poet. He was known for his literary nonsense verse for children and his serious adult writings about social issues and human rights. He was awarded with th ...

(1915–2002), Danish poet *

Link Wray Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr. (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist who became popular in the late 1950s. His 1958 Instrumental rock, instrumental single "Rumble (instrumental), Rumble", reached the ...

(1929–2005), guitarist * Tom Bogs (1944-2023), Danish middleweight boxer *

Jesper Christensen Jesper Christensen (; born 16 May 1948) is a Danish actor. A veteran of European cinema, he has made the transition to English language projects, including '' The Interpreter'' and '' Revelations''. He has also appeared as the mysterious vill ...

(born 1948), Danish actor *

Frank Arnesen Frank Arnesen (born 30 September 1956) is a former Danish footballer and sporting director at Dutch football club Feyenoord. Arnesen was the director of football at English football clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, and was sporting directo ...

(born 1956), Danish-footballer and sporting director *

Lukas Forchhammer Lukas Forchhammer (born 18 September 1988) is a Danish-Irish singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and former actor. He is best known as the lead singer and multi-instrumentalist for the Danish band Lukas Graham. As a child, Forchhammer st ...

(born 1988), Danish-Irish singer, songwriter

References

{{Authority control Artificial islands of Denmark Copenhagen city districts Populated places established in 1639 Amager