Bispegården, Copenhagen
Encyclopedia
Bispegården in Copenhagen
, Denmark
, is the residence
and office of the Bishop of Copenhagen
. It is located across the street from Copenhagen Cathedral
and Vor Frue Plads, on the corner of Nørregade and Studiestræde, in the city centre. Bispetorv
, thesmall´square next to it, is named after the building.
was built in about 1400. It was a four-winged building in Gothic style
. In 1479, a new city hall was completed on nearby Gammeltorv
and the old building was taken over by thhe University of Copenhagen
which was founded the same year by King Christian I
with the approval of Pope Sixtus IV
.
At that time, the Roman-Catholic Bishop of Roskilde
had his bishop's palace
on Vor Frue Plads on the other side of the street, where it had been built after Bishop Henrik Gertsen gave up Absalon's Castle
on Slotsholmen
to King Valdemar IV
in 1350.
was given the university's building, while the university relocated to the dethroned Catholic bishop's bishop's palace. Still Roskilde Cathedral
remained the seat of the new Lutheran diocese, as it had been for its Catholic predecessor.
but rebuilt from 1731 to 1732, on the same site but smaller and to a new design by Lars Erichsen, a master builder, who also worked for the university.
In 1896, the building underwent a comprehensive renovation and alteration under the architect Martin Nyrop
, known for designing the new Copenhagen City Hall
completed in 1905.
A bay window
on the facade toward Studiestræde was added by Nyrop in the 1896 renovation. Below the window, there is a plaque
, also designed and written by Nyrop, which conmemorates the long history and former uses of the site: It reads:
Helt rædsomt man med mig i Tiden monne raade:
Som Raadhus først jeg stod vor By til Gavn og Baade. 1479.
Saa var jeg Studiegaard, men blev, da her i Landet Guds rene Ord fik Løb, til Bispegaard omdannet. 1537.
Det har jeg siden da igiennem Sekler været, skiønt Ild mig hærget har og Ild har paa mig tæret. 1728.
Nu er i stand jeg sat, Gud lad mig længe staa og skærm i Naade dem, som Bolig i mig faa. 1896
The seal and motto of Peder Palladius, the first protestant bishop to reside in the property, is placed above the gate.
Bishop Friedrich Münter
's collection of cultural artifacts is displayed in the gate and vestibule.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, is the residence
Bishop's palace
Bishop's Palace may refer to the official residence of any bishop, such as those listed in the :Category:Episcopal palaces.Specific residences called Bishop's Palace include:* Bishop's Palace, Castres, France...
and office of the Bishop of Copenhagen
Diocese of Copenhagen
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Copenhagen is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church named after its episcopal see, the Danish national capital, Copenhagen...
. It is located across the street from Copenhagen Cathedral
Church of Our Lady (Copenhagen)
The Church of Our Lady is the cathedral of Copenhagen and the National Cathedral of Denmark. It is situated on Vor Frue Plads and next to the main building of the University of Copenhagen....
and Vor Frue Plads, on the corner of Nørregade and Studiestræde, in the city centre. Bispetorv
Bispetorv, Copenhagen
Bispetorv is a small public square in central Copenhagen, Denmark, located on the corner of Nørregade and Studiestræde. 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...
, thesmall´square next to it, is named after the building.
Pre-Reformation situation
The Bishop's House stands on the site where Copenhagen's second city hallCopenhagen City Hall
Copenhagen City Hall is the headquarters of the Municipal Council as well as the Lord mayor of the City of Copenhagen, Denmark. The building is situated on The City Hall Square in central Copenhagen....
was built in about 1400. It was a four-winged building in Gothic style
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
. In 1479, a new city hall was completed on nearby Gammeltorv
Gammeltorv
Gammeltorv is the oldest square in Copenhagen, Denmark. With adjoining Nytorv it forms a common space along the Strøget pedestrian zone. While the square dates back to the foundation of the city in the 12th century, most of its buildings were constructed after the Great Fire of 1795 in...
and the old building was taken over by thhe University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
which was founded the same year by King Christian I
Christian I of Denmark
Christian I was a Danish monarch, king of Denmark , Norway and Sweden , under the Kalmar Union. In Sweden his short tenure as monarch was preceded by regents, Jöns Bengtsson Oxenstierna and Erik Axelsson Tott and succeeded by regent Kettil Karlsson Vasa...
with the approval of Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV
Pope Sixtus IV , born Francesco della Rovere, was Pope from 1471 to 1484. His accomplishments as Pope included the establishment of the Sistine Chapel; the group of artists that he brought together introduced the Early Renaissance into Rome with the first masterpiece of the city's new artistic age,...
.
At that time, the Roman-Catholic Bishop of Roskilde
Diocese of Roskilde (Roman-Catholic)
The Roman-Catholic Diocese of Roskilde was a diocese within the Roman-Catholic Church which was established in Denmark some time before 1022....
had his bishop's palace
Bishop's palace
Bishop's Palace may refer to the official residence of any bishop, such as those listed in the :Category:Episcopal palaces.Specific residences called Bishop's Palace include:* Bishop's Palace, Castres, France...
on Vor Frue Plads on the other side of the street, where it had been built after Bishop Henrik Gertsen gave up Absalon's Castle
Absalon's Castle
Absalon's Castle, was a fortification on the island of Slotsholmen in Copenhagen, located at the site of the later Copenhagen Castle and Christiansborg Palace. According to the chronicler Saxo Grammaticus, the castle was founded by Bishop Absalon in 1167 to protect the emerging city of Copenhagen...
on Slotsholmen
Slotsholmen
Slotsholmen is an island in the harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark, and part of Copenhagen Inner City. Bishop Absalon constructed the city's first castle on the island in 1166-67 at the site where Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament lies today...
to King Valdemar IV
Valdemar IV of Denmark
Valdemar IV of Denmark or Waldemar ; , was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375.-Ascension to the throne:...
in 1350.
After the Reformation
After the Reformation, the new Lutheran Bishop of ZealandDiocese of Zealand
The Diocese of Zealand was a protestant diocese in Denmark which existed from 1537 to 1922. Apart from the island of Zealand, from which it took its name, the diocese covered Møn, Amager and various smaller islands. The island of Bornholm was included in 1560. The Faroe Islands as well as some...
was given the university's building, while the university relocated to the dethroned Catholic bishop's bishop's palace. Still Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral , in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark. The first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick, it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe...
remained the seat of the new Lutheran diocese, as it had been for its Catholic predecessor.
After the Great Fire of 1728
The Bishop's House was destroyed in the Copenhagen Fire of 1728Copenhagen Fire of 1728
The Copenhagen Fire of 1728 was the largest fire in the history of Copenhagen, Denmark. It began on the evening of October 20, 1728, and continued to burn until the morning of October 23. It destroyed approximately 28% of the city , left 20% of the population homeless, and the reconstruction lasted...
but rebuilt from 1731 to 1732, on the same site but smaller and to a new design by Lars Erichsen, a master builder, who also worked for the university.
In 1896, the building underwent a comprehensive renovation and alteration under the architect Martin Nyrop
Martin Nyrop
Martin Nyrop was a Danish architect who designed the Copenhagen City Hall, the Vallekilde Højskole, and the majority of the buildings for the Nordic Industrial, Agricultural and Art Exhibition.-Selected buildings:...
, known for designing the new Copenhagen City Hall
Copenhagen City Hall
Copenhagen City Hall is the headquarters of the Municipal Council as well as the Lord mayor of the City of Copenhagen, Denmark. The building is situated on The City Hall Square in central Copenhagen....
completed in 1905.
Architecture and decorations
The Bishop's House consists of two wings and is built in warm red brick with a black tile roof. The building has timberframing toward the yard.A bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
on the facade toward Studiestræde was added by Nyrop in the 1896 renovation. Below the window, there is a plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
, also designed and written by Nyrop, which conmemorates the long history and former uses of the site: It reads:
Helt rædsomt man med mig i Tiden monne raade:
Som Raadhus først jeg stod vor By til Gavn og Baade. 1479.
Saa var jeg Studiegaard, men blev, da her i Landet Guds rene Ord fik Løb, til Bispegaard omdannet. 1537.
Det har jeg siden da igiennem Sekler været, skiønt Ild mig hærget har og Ild har paa mig tæret. 1728.
Nu er i stand jeg sat, Gud lad mig længe staa og skærm i Naade dem, som Bolig i mig faa. 1896
The seal and motto of Peder Palladius, the first protestant bishop to reside in the property, is placed above the gate.
Bishop Friedrich Münter
Friedrich Münter
Friedrich Christian Carl Heinrich Münter was a German-Danish scholar, professor of theology at the University of Copenhagen, orientalist, church historian, archaeologist, Danish bishop of Zealand, and freemason...
's collection of cultural artifacts is displayed in the gate and vestibule.
External links
- Official website of the Bishop of Copenhagen