Christian IV's Arsenal
Encyclopedia
Christian IV's Arsenal is a historic building on Slotsholmen
in central Copenhagen
, Denmark
. It was built by Christian IV of Denmark
in 1604 as part of a grand scheme for the construction of a new naval harbour. The arsenal
, along with several other buildings, surrounded the harbour basin which was connected to the main harbour by a narrow canal. Later, when ships became too large to enter the harbour, the fleet moved to Bremerholm and the decommissioned naval harbour was later filled in.
Today Christian IV's Arsenal houses the Tøjhus Museum
, a museum of weapons and military history, while the site of the former naval harbour has become the Royal Library Garden
.
was crowned, he decided to re-arm. The rivalry with Sweden
for control over the Baltic Sea
called for a strong fleet with a well protected base. He therefore decided to built a new naval harbour at Slotsholmen
next to Copenhagen Castle
which used to be located where Christiansborg Palace
stands today.
There had been an arsenal on the site for half a century but it was a fairly small, half-timbered
building, one of several such arsenals spread across the city, and it was now outdated. In 1598, the king charged Bernt Petersen who had just completed the large tower at Koldinghus
, with the commission. Six years later a huge new arsenal was completed, 163 metres (534.8 ft) long and 24 metres (78.7 ft) wide with walls 3 metres (9.8 ft) thick at the base. Next to it, a supply depot was built with the same length and design but a bit narrower.
It was between these two buildings that the new harbour was to be constructed. A local contractor, Melchior Spangenberg , was commissioned to dig out the harbour for a price of 1,800 thaler
, a load of rye
, a load of barley
and a barrel of butter. The harbour basin was to have an area of more than 0.5 hectares (1.2 acre) and a depth of 4 metres (13.1 ft). A canal, 125 metres (410.1 ft) long and also 4 metres (13.1 ft) deep, was to connect it to the coast.
To protect the mouth of the harbour, two more buildings, the Galley House and the Sulphor House, were constructed on either side of the canal, each serving other practical purposes relating to the new naval complex.
The entire complex was completed around 1610. Ships could berth along either the arsenal or the supply depot and be loded and unloaded through gates facing the water. The complex also had its own bakery and brewery today known as Christian IV's Brewhouse
even though the building outdates him and originally served defensive purposes. When the brewhouse was completed, the brewer was provided with a large number of discarded mail sleeve
s for the scrubbing of brew kettles. Mail armour was no longer of practical use in the event of war and might just as well find new applications.
Outside the entrance to the new harbour, a sculpture of Leda and the swan
was mounted on a tall column constructed on a sandbar
known as the Mermaid Bar because sightings of mermaid
s were supposed to be particularly common there. The sculpture served as a landmark
for the city until it was dismantled in 1795 to make more room for the increasing ship traffic in the harbour.
which was created in the 1680s by a series of land reclamation
s north of Christianshavn
on the other side of the main harbour.
Christian IV's Arsenal remained in use until the 19th century. In the 1880s a new arsenal was constructed on reclaimed land on the other side of the harbour at along the coast of Amager in what is now known as the Islands Brygge
district..
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...
in central Copenhagen
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...
. It was built by Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
in 1604 as part of a grand scheme for the construction of a new naval harbour. The arsenal
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
, along with several other buildings, surrounded the harbour basin which was connected to the main harbour by a narrow canal. Later, when ships became too large to enter the harbour, the fleet moved to Bremerholm and the decommissioned naval harbour was later filled in.
Today Christian IV's Arsenal houses the Tøjhus Museum
Tøjhus Museum
The Tøjhus Museum is a museum of military history and arms on Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located in Christian IVs arsenal Tøjhuset , from which it takes its name.-History:...
, a museum of weapons and military history, while the site of the former naval harbour has become the Royal Library Garden
Royal Library Garden, Copenhagen
The Royal Library Garden , often referred to simply as the Library Garden, is a small, somewhat hidden garden between the Royal Library, the Tøjhus Museum, ChristianIV's Supply Depot and Christiansborg Palace on Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark...
.
Construction of the new naval harbour
Shortly after King Christian IVChristian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
was crowned, he decided to re-arm. The rivalry with Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
for control over the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
called for a strong fleet with a well protected base. He therefore decided to built a new naval harbour at 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...
next to Copenhagen Castle
Copenhagen Castle
Copenhagen Castle was a castle on Slotsholmen in Copenhagen, Denmark, built in the late 14th century at the site of the current Christiansborg Palace....
which used to be located where Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...
stands today.
There had been an arsenal on the site for half a century but it was a fairly small, half-timbered
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
building, one of several such arsenals spread across the city, and it was now outdated. In 1598, the king charged Bernt Petersen who had just completed the large tower at Koldinghus
Koldinghus
Koldinghus is a Danish royal castle on the south central part of the Jutland peninsula in the town of Kolding. The castle was founded in the 11th century and was expanded since with many functions ranging from fortress, royal residency, ruin, museum, and the location of numerous wartime...
, with the commission. Six years later a huge new arsenal was completed, 163 metres (534.8 ft) long and 24 metres (78.7 ft) wide with walls 3 metres (9.8 ft) thick at the base. Next to it, a supply depot was built with the same length and design but a bit narrower.
It was between these two buildings that the new harbour was to be constructed. A local contractor, Melchior Spangenberg , was commissioned to dig out the harbour for a price of 1,800 thaler
Thaler
The Thaler was a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred years. Its name lives on in various currencies as the dollar or tolar. Etymologically, "Thaler" is an abbreviation of "Joachimsthaler", a coin type from the city of Joachimsthal in Bohemia, where some of the first such...
, a load of rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
, a load of barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
and a barrel of butter. The harbour basin was to have an area of more than 0.5 hectares (1.2 acre) and a depth of 4 metres (13.1 ft). A canal, 125 metres (410.1 ft) long and also 4 metres (13.1 ft) deep, was to connect it to the coast.
To protect the mouth of the harbour, two more buildings, the Galley House and the Sulphor House, were constructed on either side of the canal, each serving other practical purposes relating to the new naval complex.
The entire complex was completed around 1610. Ships could berth along either the arsenal or the supply depot and be loded and unloaded through gates facing the water. The complex also had its own bakery and brewery today known as Christian IV's Brewhouse
Christian IV's Brewhouse
Christian IV's Brewhouse is a building in Copenhagen, Denmark, dating from 1608. In spite of the name under which it is known today, the building was not originally built for the purpose of brewing beer...
even though the building outdates him and originally served defensive purposes. When the brewhouse was completed, the brewer was provided with a large number of discarded mail sleeve
Mail (armour)
Mail is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh.-History:Mail was a highly successful type of armour and was used by nearly every metalworking culture....
s for the scrubbing of brew kettles. Mail armour was no longer of practical use in the event of war and might just as well find new applications.
Outside the entrance to the new harbour, a sculpture of Leda and the swan
Leda and the Swan (Copenhagen)
A Leda and the Swan statue, depicting the classical myth of Leda and the Swan, was from 1611 to 1795 a major landmark in Copenhagen, Denmark. The statue topped a tall column located just off the entrance to the naval Arsenal Harbour harbour.-History:...
was mounted on a tall column constructed on a sandbar
Shoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
known as the Mermaid Bar because sightings of mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
s were supposed to be particularly common there. The sculpture served as a landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
for the city until it was dismantled in 1795 to make more room for the increasing ship traffic in the harbour.
Decommissioning of the harbour and later history
As ships grew larger, the Royal Fleet moved to Bremerholm and, in turn, to NyholmHolmen naval base
Naval Station Holmen is one of several naval stations of the Royal Danish Navy, supplementing the two Danish naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør....
which was created in the 1680s by a series of land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
s north of Christianshavn
Christianshavn
Christianshavn is an artificial island neighbourhood located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was founded in the early 17th century by Christian IV as part of his extension of the fortifications of Copenhagen. Originally it was laid out as an independent privileged merchant's town with inspiration from...
on the other side of the main harbour.
Christian IV's Arsenal remained in use until the 19th century. In the 1880s a new arsenal was constructed on reclaimed land on the other side of the harbour at along the coast of Amager in what is now known as the Islands Brygge
Islands Brygge
Islands Brygge is a harbourfront area in central Copenhagen, Denmark, located on the north-western coast of Amager. The neighbourhood is noted for its waterfront park Havneparken, which is one of the most popular areas along the Copenhagen harbourfront and the location of one of the Copenhagen...
district..