Copenhagen History And Profile

By Author: Rob Winkler
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Love is impulsive. In the end, the unhappy mermaid looks on speechless as her beloved gives her up in favour of a real woman. In Andersen's fairy tale, the little mermaid throws herself into the sea, dissolving in the foam. Today, the bronze mermaid designed by Eric Eriksen sits on a rock on the harbour at Langelinie Pier.

Vandals have attacked the statue on several occasions, but luckily, city officials keep the original bronze moulds in a safe location. Identical replacement parts are always available to keep the tourists happy.

When Denmark became a kingdom in the tenth century, what would later become the great city of Copenhagen was a small, insignificant fishing village named Havn. Located at the entrance to the Baltic Sea, its strategically advantageous location attracted the attention of the Danish royalty. Recent archeological finds indicate that by the 11th century, Copenhagen had already evolved into a small town with a large estate, a church, a market, at least two water wells and many smaller suburbs spread over a fairly wide area

Havn was transformed virtually overnight into an important business ...
... centre. The building of Slotsholm Fortress in 1167 is usually said to mark the city's founding. Three years later, Copenhagen was given its current name, which in Danish means "merchant's harbour". In 1443, the growing city became the official capital of the Kalmar Union of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. When the union disbanded in 1523 it became capital of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Amalienborg, the famous winter palace of the Danish royal family, stands on a broad, paved, octagonal plaza. Four nearly identical palaces were built along the four diagonal sides of the octagon. At the centre of this beautiful rococo complex, one of the loveliest in Europe, is an equestrian monument honouring King Frederik V. A changing of the guard takes place outside the palaces each midday.

The best view of the Old City of Copenhagen may be from the wide platform on top of the Round Tower. Although the tower is only 36 metres high, the spiral staircase to the top winds around 209 metres. It was once possible to ride to the top on horseback, as Peter the Great did when he visited.

Unfortunately, horses are now banned from the tower. Trinity Church is adjacent to the tower, with the shopping districts of Stroget and Straedet nearby. Most of the Old City is off limits to vehicles, making it one of Europe's biggest pedestrian zones. Christiansborg Palace is on the small island of Slotsholm, the site of the original fortress, which is today joined to the rest of the city by several bridges.

The palace was once home to the Danish royal family, and is now the seat of the Danish government and its parliament, the Folketing. This is the sixth building to stand here since the 1167 founding of the city. Invading armies, fires and modernization have all taken their toll. While the first castle on the site stood from 1417 into the late eighteenth century, rebuilding and renovation has been fast and industrious ever since.

The present Christiansborg was built in the early twentieth century. Accessible from every quarter of the city, Tivoli Gardens amusement park first opened on 15 August 1843. Visitors can take a trip in a small boat on the moats once used for Copenhagen's defense or take a pleasant ride on the big wheel looking down at the city from on high. It has a new, zero-G roller coaster ("the Demon") and twenty-five other rides, as well as many restaurants and concert venues.

The mime presentations in the Pantomimes are extremely popular. After 150 years of continuous operation, neon signs are still banned in Tivoli. Instead, more than 110,000 incandescent lanterns brilliantly illuminate one of Europe's oldest surviving pleasure gardens. The white bulbs hung from trees contribute to Tivoli's uniquely old-fashioned atmosphere, even as the roller Demon hurtles by.