Kronborg
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
---|---|
Location | Helsingør, Denmark |
Criteria | Cultural: iv |
Reference | 696 |
Inscription | 2000 (24th Session) |
Website | kongeligeslotte.dk/en |
Coordinates | 56°2′20″N 12°37′15″E / 56.03889°N 12.62083°E |
Kronborg is a
The castle is situated on the extreme northeastern tip of the island of
The castle's story dates back to a stronghold, Krogen, built by King Eric VII in the 1420s. Along with the fortress Kärnan in Helsingborg on the opposite coast of Øresund, it controlled the entranceway to the Baltic Sea. From 1574 to 1585, King Frederick II had the medieval fortress radically transformed into a magnificent Renaissance castle. The main architects were the Flemings Hans Hendrik van Paesschen and Anthonis van Obbergen, whereas the sculptural work was coordinated by Gert van Groningen.
In 1629, a fire destroyed much of the castle, but
History
Krogen
The castle's story dates back to a fortress, Krogen (
The castle was built on Ørekrog, a sandy tongue of land stretching into the sea from the coast of
King Christian III had the corners of the curtain wall supplemented with bastions in 1558–1559.
Frederick II's Kronborg
As a consequence of developments in the military technique of the era and the improved striking power of the artillery, it became clear that it was necessary to modernize the fortifications of Krogen. After the conclusion of the Northern Seven Years' War in 1570, King Frederick II initiated an extension of the advanced bastions to relieve the medieval curtain wall. The main architect was the Flemish architect Hans Hendrik van Paesschen and the fortification works were completed in 1577. After this, the castle acquired its current name of Kronborg (lit. 'Crown Castle').
The castle itself was rebuilt from 1574 to 1585, with the separated buildings of Krogen being extended to three coherent wings. The north wing was equipped with chambers for the king, queen and her ladies-in-waiting as well as for the chancellery. In the south wing, the medieval building in the southeast corner was refitted as a modern chapel with the vaulted windows facing the chapel being retained. Frederick was a keen patron of theatre and players performed at the castle when he held court there in 1579.[3]
Initially, the castle was reconstructed only to a height of two storeys. In 1578, however, the Flemish architect
Fire of 1629
In 1629, a moment's carelessness by two workmen caused much of the castle to go up in flames in the night between the 24 and 25 September. Only the chapel was spared by the strength of its arches. King Christian IV put great efforts into restoring the castle. Already in 1631, the work was underway, led by the architect Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger. By 1639, the exterior — which in keeping with the king's wish was reconstructed without major changes — was once again magnificent, but the interior never fully regained its former glory. Furthermore, certain modernizations were made, and portals, chimneypieces, ceiling paintings and other decorations were renewed in Baroque style.
Swedish conquest of 1658
During the
As a result of the Swedish occupation, Kronborg was deprived of many of its most precious art works, including the richly decorated fountain in the castle courtyard, Frederick II's canopy and a number of the large ceiling paintings commissioned by Christian IV for the ballroom.
Garrison fortress
The Swedish conquest of Kronborg in 1658 demonstrated that the castle was far from impregnable. Afterwards, the defences were strengthened significantly. From 1688 to 1690, an advanced line of defence was added called the Crownwork. Shortly afterwards, a new series of ramparts were built around it. After their completion, Kronborg was considered the strongest fortress in Europe.[8]
From 1739 until the 20th century, Kronborg was used as a
As Kronborg's importance as a royal castle diminished, the armed forces came to play a greater role. From 1785 to 1922, the castle was completely under military administration. During this period, a number of renovations were completed.
Sound Dues and recent history
The captain of every ship sailing through the strait had to state the value of ship's cargo. Money that had to be paid to the King of Denmark, called Sound Dues, was then calculated depending on the value of the cargo. The king had the right to buy the cargo for the price the ship's captain stated. This policy prevented captains from stating prices that were too low.[9] The Royal Danish Army left the castle in 1923, and after a thorough renovation it was opened to the public in 1938.
Kronborg today
Kronborg Castle is located on the extreme northeastern tip of the island of
Royal apartments
The royal apartments are located on the first floor of the north wing. The apartments were originally furnished by
The King's Chamber has a bay window, located right above the castle's main portal, from which the king could keep an eye on guests arriving at the castle, whereas the Queen's Chamber has access to a vaulted tower chamber overlooking the Flag Bastion.
Ballroom
Measuring 62 x 12 metres, the Ballroom was the largest hall in Northern Europe when it was completed in 1582. The walls are hung with a series of large paintings which were originally made from 1618 to 1631 for the Great Hall of Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen. The paintings in the Ballroom include:[11] Children off to School by Francis Cleyn, Feminine Pursuits by Reinhold Timm, Riding at the Ring by Reinhold Timm, A Boys School by Francis Cleyn, A Wedding in a Church by Francis Cleyn, An Academy for Noblemen by Reinhold Timm, A Banquet (1622) by Isaac Isaacsz . The present floor and the fireplaces are from the rebuilding in 1924–38.
Little Hall
The walls of the Little Hall are furnished with seven tapestries originally from a series of forty tapestries portraying one hundred Danish kings. The masterpieces include Tapestry depicting Oluf (1376-1387) and Tapestry depicting Knud VI (1182-1202).[11] The tapestries were commissioned by Frederick II around 1580. Seven more tapestries are at the National Museum of Denmark, while the rest have been lost.
Chapel
The
hall and the furniture stored away. The chapel was refurnished with the original furniture in 1838 and reinaugurated in 1843.Cultural significance
Hamlet
Kronborg is depicted as "Elsinore", the setting of William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, though "Elsinore" is actually the anglicised name of the surrounding town of Helsingør. Hamlet was performed in the castle for the first time to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, with a cast consisting of soldiers from the castle garrison. The stage was in the telegraph tower in the southwest corner of the castle.
The play has since been performed several times in the courtyard and at various locations on the fortifications. Later performers to play Hamlet at the castle included Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Christopher Plummer, Derek Jacobi, David Tennant, and in 2009 Jude Law.[12] In 2017, Hamletscenen presented a production of Hamlet at Kronborg, directed by Lars Romann Engel; the role of Hamlet was played by Cyron Melville and music for the production was composed by Mike Sheridan.[13]
Ogier the Dane
According to a legend linked to Arthurian myth, a Danish king known as Ogier the Dane (Danish: Holger Danske), was taken to Avalon by the enchantress Morgan le Fay. Ogier returned to rescue France from danger, then travelled to Kronborg castle, where he sleeps until he is needed to save his homeland. His beard has grown to extend along the ground. A statue of the sleeping Ogier (right) has been placed in the castle casemates.[14]
Culture Harbour Kronborg
Other
The castle was the setting of the televised holiday series Jul på Kronborg (English: Christmas at Kronborg), which featured both Hamlet and Holger the Dane. 'Elsinore Beer' is named for the castle in the 1983 comedy Strange Brew, starring Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas.
See also
References
- Notes
- ^ "Kronborg Castle". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 19 Jun 2021.
- ^ Nielsen, Heidi Maria Møller (2008). "Krogen: The Medieval Predecessor of Kronborg" (PDF). Château Gaillard: Études de castellologie médiévale. 23: 315–328. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09.[dead link]
- ^ Donnelly 1984, p. 328
- ^ "Kronborg", Den Store Danske. (in Danish) Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- ^ "Gert van Groningen", Dansk Biografish Leksikon, Den Store Danske. (in Danish) Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- ^ Miles Kerr-Peterson & Michael Pearce, 'James VI's English Subsidy and Danish Dowry Accounts, 1588-1596', Scottish History Society, Miscellany XVI (Woodbridge, 2020), pp. 38-9.
- ^ Lundh-Eriksson, Nanna (1947). Hedvig Eleonora (in Swedish). Wahlström & Widstrand.
- ^ "Hamlet's Elsinore: Kronberg Castle". The Forgotten Places. 2014-09-03. Archived from the original on 2017-09-28. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
- .
- ^ "Kronborg Elevation and Location". Archived from the original on 2016-10-07. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
- ^ a b "Photographs of the city of Helsingør, November 2016". Independent Travellers. independent-travellers.com. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ Hamletscenen at Kronborg Castle. "Shakespeare at Hamlet's Castle - Prince of Denmark". Shakespeare by HamletScenen. Archived from the original on 2014-07-26. Retrieved 2015-01-08.
- ^ "The Copenhagen Post - Danish News in English". cphpost.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 2018-11-30. Retrieved 2018-11-30.
- ^ The article Holger Danske in Nordisk familjebok (1909).
- ^ Culture Harbour Kronborg Archived 2014-03-22 at the Wayback Machine
- Bibliography
- Donnelly, Marian C. (December 1984). "Theaters in the Courts of Denmark and Sweden from Frederik II to Gustav III". Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. 43 (4): 328–340. JSTOR 990041.
- Mikkelsen, Birger (1997). Kronborg. Elsinore: Nordisk Forlag for Videnskab og Teknik. ISBN 978-87-980466-2-2.