The Marble Church

The Marble Church (Marmorkirken or Frederiks Kirke) is easy to be spotted because of its outstanding green copper dome. It lies near the Amalienborg castle, which is the official residence of the Danish queen and her family. Nowadays the church is serving as a popular wedding site and touristic attraction, and belongs to the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The original plan of the church.
Source: http://marmorkirken.dk/index.php?page=galleri

Facts

• Built: 1754-1894
• Height: 46 meters
• Address: Frederiksgade 4
• Telephone: +45 3315 0144
• Website: www.marmorkirken.dk
• Entrance fee: DKK 35 (Adults), DKK 20 (Students and youth under 18)

Marble?

Most of the church is constructed of Norwegian marble, however, the upper parts are built from different materials (For example Danish faxe marble). This is because the original plan turned out to be too expensive to carry out, hence they had to cut the amount of costly Norwegian marble.

Architecture

According to the original plans the Marble church was erected to honour the anniversary of the Danish royal family's (the Oldenburg dynasty) 300 years reign. Initially Nicolai Eigtved made the plans (see on the upper picture) in 1740 in rococo style. Nine years after King Frederik himself laid the foundation stone. When Eigtved died in 1754 the plans for the church were modified by Nicolas Henri Jardin, a French architect. The constructions was stopped because of budgetary reasons, and only finished in 1894.

The completed church.
Source: http://marmorkirken.dk/index.php?page=galleri

One of  the largest...

The dome has a majestic 46 metres high. There are 12 pillars that carry the dome.  The diameter of  the dome is 31 metres, which makes this dome one of the largest domes in Europe, and the larges church in Denmark.

Interesting

The construction was stopped for years because of lack of funding. Finally, it was a rich financier C.F. Tietgen (founder of the Tuborg brewery)  who donated money to complete the construction. 

Video

Church of Holmen

The church which is famous for being the venue where the Queen of Denmark had her wedding ceremony and for being the burial site for many famous Danish heroes.

Facts:

Source: www.kb.dk

• Built: 1563
• Converted to a church: 1619
• Address: Holmens Kanal 21, København K, 1060
• Website: www.holmenskirke.dk

A little island

Holmen was a little island close to the centre of Copenhagen in the medieval times. Later in the 16th century constructions works started and the island was turned into a peninsula surrounded by the Holmens Canal. In the 19th century this canal was filled up, and the new street preserved the name Holmens Kanal.

Anchore forge and later church

Interior of the church today
Source: www.holmenskirke.dk

The Church of Holmen (Holmens Kirke) lies near the street called Holmens Kanal, in the centre of Copenhagen. It was built in the 16th century to forge anchors for vessels. However, later in the 17th century king Christian IV converted the building to a naval church belonging to the Danish lutheran denomination.
The first church looked not much different from the forge in 1619. However, later on in 1641 the building was rebuilt in a cruciform church. 

Interesting

Even though the great fire and the siege of Copenhagen by the English did not damage the church significantly, the Swedish assault in 1658 left a mark on the building: a cannonball is still visible in the plinth of the northern side of the choir. 

Royal wedding between Marghrete and Henrik

Copenhagen Court House

Did you know that the Court House (Københavns Byret) used to be the town hall of Copenhagen for 300 years? If not, read this article and find out more interesting facts about this neoclassical building at Nytorv, Copenhagen.

A postcard from 1910 with the present Court House at Nytorv.
Source: www.indenforvoldene.dk

Facts

• Built: 1805-1815
• Style: neoclassicism
• Adress: Domhuset, Nytorv, 1450 København K
• Web: www.domstol.dk

Town hall for 300 years

King Christian IV modernised the city centre and Nytorv in the beginning of the 17th century. Then it was decided that the newly erected town hall of Copenhagen will also serve as the city court. The first town hall and court house was built in the Dutch renaissance style (like Rosenborg Castle). Unfortunately the great fire of Copenhagen destroyed the old building in 1795. Hence, it was decided to build a new building with the same joint functions (city hall and court).

The first Court House and Town Hall was burnt down in 1795.
Source: www.copenhagenet.dk

The present Court House

After the fire the constructions started in 1805 and the building was only completed in 1815 because of material shortage and the siege of the city by the British in 1807 during the napoleonic wars. The new building was designed in neoclassical style with a beautiful tympanon and Ionian columns. The designer was the Danish professor and architect C. F. Hansen (he also planned the Church of our Saviour). 

The tympanon

Above the Ionian columns you can see the neoclassical tymoanon with the inscription: "Med lov skal man land bygge" ( With law the country shall be built). This is a quotation from the Jutlandic law Valdemar the Victorious from 1241.

One function

The tympanon of the present Court House.
Source: www.visitcopenhagen.com

In 1905, when the new town hall was finished the city council moved from the Court House to the present Københavns Rådhus at Rådhuspladsen. Since then the Court House has one sole function, the City Court for Copenhagen. This is the largest of the 24 city courts in Denmark.

Movie venue

In the famous Scandinavian series Broen (The Brige) this court house is being used during the trial of a policeman who is accused of abusing a man to death.