Yellow Mansion, Copenhagen
Encyclopedia
The Yellow Palace or Bergum's Mansion, is a mansion
in Amaliegade
next to Amalienborg Palace
in the Frederiksstaden
district of Copenhagen
, Denmark
. It is considered the first example of Neoclassical architecture
in Copenhagen.
The mansion was built as a burgher's house but was acquired by the Danish Royal Family
. Prince Christian of Glücksborg, later to become Christian IX of Denmark
, took up residence in it when he first arrived in Copenhagen. With him, due to the prominent lives of his offspring, the fairly modest mansion became the birthplace of such European royalty as Frederick VIII of Denmark
, Alexandra, Queen of the United Kingdom
, George I of Greece
and Maria Feodorovna, Empress of Russia.
Today the building is owned by the Danish Palaces and Properties Agency and houses the Lord Chamberlain's Office.
was laid around 1748, it was envisioned as a uniform Rococo district. All new buildings had to comply with certain guidelines stipulated by Nicolai Eigtved
, the district's masterplanner. After Eigtved's death in 1754 they were in principle upheld but as fashions changed they were somewhat relaxed. The Yellow Mansion was built built from 1759 to 1764 for the timber merchant H. F. Bargum.. The architect was Nicolas-Henri Jardin
and he designed it in the Neoclassical style
as the first building in Copenhagen.
King Frederick VI
purchased the mansion in 1810 to use it as a guest residence for relatives visiting the royal family. In 1837, King Frederik VII
handed the property over to his nephew Prince Christian of Glücksborg who had just arrived in Copenhagen from Germany. At this stage no one knew that he was later to become Christian IX
as the first Glücksburg king of Denmark. Prince Christian took up residence in the mansion and lived there until 1865 when he had become king and moved into Amalienborg Palace.
Later Prince Valdemar
lived in the Yellow Palace until his death in 1939 as its last royal resident.
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
in Amaliegade
Amaliegade
Amaliegade is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark, which makes up the longer of the two axes on which the Rococo district Frederiksstaden is centred...
next to Amalienborg Palace
Amalienborg Palace
Amalienborg Palace is the winter home of the Danish royal family, and is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It consists of four identical classicizing palace façades with rococo interiors around an octagonal courtyard ; in the centre of the square is a monumental equestrian statue of Amalienborg's...
in the Frederiksstaden
Frederiksstaden
Frederiksstaden is a district in Copenhagen, Denmark. Constructed during the reign of Frederick V in the second half of the 18th century and it is considered to be one of the most important rococo complexes in Europe....
district of 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 is considered the first example of Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
in Copenhagen.
The mansion was built as a burgher's house but was acquired by the Danish Royal Family
Danish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
. Prince Christian of Glücksborg, later to become Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX was King of Denmark from 16 November 1863 to 29 January 1906.Growing up as a prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg which had ruled Denmark since 1448, Christian was originally not in the immediate line of succession to the Danish...
, took up residence in it when he first arrived in Copenhagen. With him, due to the prominent lives of his offspring, the fairly modest mansion became the birthplace of such European royalty as Frederick VIII of Denmark
Frederick VIII of Denmark
Frederick VIII was King of Denmark from 1906 to 1912.-Early life:Frederick was born on 3 June 1843 in the Yellow Palace in Copenhagen as Prince Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior male line of the House of Oldenburg descended from Christian III of Denmark and who had...
, Alexandra, Queen of the United Kingdom
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
, George I of Greece
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
and Maria Feodorovna, Empress of Russia.
Today the building is owned by the Danish Palaces and Properties Agency and houses the Lord Chamberlain's Office.
History
When FrederiksstadenFrederiksstaden
Frederiksstaden is a district in Copenhagen, Denmark. Constructed during the reign of Frederick V in the second half of the 18th century and it is considered to be one of the most important rococo complexes in Europe....
was laid around 1748, it was envisioned as a uniform Rococo district. All new buildings had to comply with certain guidelines stipulated by Nicolai Eigtved
Nicolai Eigtved
Nicolai Eigtved, also known as Niels Eigtved, , Danish architect, introduced and was the leading proponent of the French rococo style in Danish architecture during the 1730s-1740s. He designed and built some of the most prominent buildings of his time, a number of which still stand to this day...
, the district's masterplanner. After Eigtved's death in 1754 they were in principle upheld but as fashions changed they were somewhat relaxed. The Yellow Mansion was built built from 1759 to 1764 for the timber merchant H. F. Bargum.. The architect was Nicolas-Henri Jardin
Nicolas-Henri Jardin
Nicolas-Henri Jardin , neoclassical architect, was born in St. Germain des Noyers, Dept. Seine-et-Marne, France, and worked seventeen years in Denmark as an architect to the royal court...
and he designed it in the Neoclassical style
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
as the first building in Copenhagen.
King Frederick VI
Frederick VI of Denmark
Frederick VI reigned as King of Denmark , and as king of Norway .-Regent of Denmark:Frederick's parents were King Christian VII and Caroline Matilda of Wales...
purchased the mansion in 1810 to use it as a guest residence for relatives visiting the royal family. In 1837, King Frederik VII
Frederick VII of Denmark
Frederick VII was a King of Denmark. He reigned from 1848 until his death. He was the last Danish monarch of the older Royal branch of the House of Oldenburg and also the last king of Denmark to rule as an absolute monarch...
handed the property over to his nephew Prince Christian of Glücksborg who had just arrived in Copenhagen from Germany. At this stage no one knew that he was later to become Christian IX
Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX was King of Denmark from 16 November 1863 to 29 January 1906.Growing up as a prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg which had ruled Denmark since 1448, Christian was originally not in the immediate line of succession to the Danish...
as the first Glücksburg king of Denmark. Prince Christian took up residence in the mansion and lived there until 1865 when he had become king and moved into Amalienborg Palace.
Later Prince Valdemar
Prince Valdemar of Denmark
Prince Valdemar of Denmark, GCTE was a member of the Danish Royal Family, the youngest son of Christian IX of Denmark and his wife Luise of Hesse-Kassel...
lived in the Yellow Palace until his death in 1939 as its last royal resident.