HISTORY
Frederiksborg Castle was built in the early decades of the 17th century by King Christian IV. It is the largest Renaissance castle in Scandinavia, and it incorporates the very best of Renaissance architecture and craftsmanship. Throughout the 17th century, Frederiksborg Castle was often used as a royal residence, for instance by Frederik VII in the 1850s.
Due to improper maintenance, a fire broke out in 1859, and the greater part of the interior of the castle was destroyed. The fire was a disaster. Fortunately, the castle was rebuilt by J. C. Jacobsen, the owner of the Carlsberg Breweries. The castle chapel survived the fire and today stands as in Christian IV’s time. To this day, Danish kings and queens are anointed in the chapel at Frederiksborg Castle.
The estate originally known as Hillerødsholm near Hillerød had traditionally belonged to the Gøyes, one of the noble families of Denmark. In the 1520s and 1530s, Mogens Gøye (c.1470–1544), Steward of the Realm, had been instrumental in introducing the Danish Reformation. He lived in a half-timbered building on the most northerly of three adjoining islets on the estate's lake. The property was known as Hillerødsholm (literally islet of Hillerød). After his daughter, Birgitte, married the courtier and naval hero Herluf Trolle in 1544, the couple became its proprietors. In the 1540s, Trolle replaced the old building with a larger manor house.
In 1550, Frederick II who was king of Denmark and Norway from 1559 to 1588, concluded an exchange agreement with Herluf Trolle and his wife whereby Trolle received the manor of Skovkloster in the south of Zealand while the king acquired the Hillerødsholm Estate. As the old building with twin towers was too small for the king, in 1560 he arranged for extensions and additions under Trolle's supervision. At the king's request, Trolle remained on the premises until the work was completed.The king then renamed the estate Frederiksborg (literally Frederik's castle). Interested in deer hunting, he used the castle with the neighbouring Bath House as a royal hunting lodge, centred as it was in the fields and forests he owned in the north of Zealand. The additions included a gated wall to the south, separating the estate from the town. Still standing today is the quadrangular red-brick, tip-roofed house on Staldgade known as Herluf Trolle's Tower (c.1560). Adjoining this are two long, narrow red-brick stable buildings: the King's Stables to the west and the Hussars' Stables to the east. These in turn lead to a wall along the lake with two round towers completed in 1562 bearing the arms of Frederick II and his motto Mein Hoffnung zu Gott allein (My hope to God alone). On the central islet, the long pantry house with stepped gables (1575) can also be seen today. The most important building from Frederick II's times is the Bath House in the park northwest of the islets. Completed in 1581 in the Renaissance style with three protruding step-gabled wings, it served the king as a hunting lodge during the summer months.
Frederiksborg Castle was the first Danish castle to be built inland. All previous castles had been on the coast or close to ports as the sea had traditionally been the principal means of travel. It was also the first to be built for purely recreational purposes rather than for defence. Its location in Hillerød led to the development of vastly improved roads, initially reserved for the king. Kongevej (King's Way), linking Frederiksborg with Copenhagen, was completed in 1588.[6] James VI of Scotland visited on 13 March 1590 after his marriage to Anne of Denmark. He gave money to the poor, to the keeper of the park who lent the couple horses, to a woman who kept pheasants and "spruce fowls", and 100 Danish dalers to the Captain of Frederiksborg for his officers and servants.
The Chapel
The chapel, consecrated in 1617, is also part of the museum. It is the best preserved part of the Renaissance complex, having largely escaped damage in the 1859 fire. The chapel extends along the entire length of the west wing with a long nave and a two-storey gallery. The richly decorated six-vaulted stucco ceiling is borne by pillars rising from the galleries.
The pillars bear grisaille frescos of Biblical figures, painted in the 1690s. The galleries were decorated during the reign of Frederick III (1648–1670) as can be see from his arms.
The Chapel's most significant artifact is the organ, built by Esajas Compenius in 1610. It was installed by Compenius himself shortly before his death in Hillerød in 1617. The oldest organ in Denmark, it has 1,001 wooden pipes. Its original manually driven blower has been preserved. The instrument is richly decorated with ebony, ivory and silver.
The altarpiece and pulpit from the early 17th century are the work of the silversmith Jacob Mores from Hamburg. In the king's prayer chamber adjoining the Chapel, there is a small silver altar crafted by the goldsmith Matthäus Wallbaum from Augsburg in 1600.
The Great Hall
The Great Hall (Riddersalen) is situated above the Chapel and also extends over the length of the west wing. It was destroyed by fire in 1859 but was almost fully restored thanks to architectural paintings made by Heinrich Hansen and F.C. Lund. The restoration work, completed in 1880, was carried out by Ferdinand Meldahl who made use of preserved segments of the ornate gilded ceiling. The large chandelier in the centre of the room is the work of Meldahl's pupil, Carl Brummer. The original tapestries depicting important events in the life of Christian IV were woven in Karel van Mander's workshop in Delft. The copies decorating the walls of the hall today were created from Mander's sketches.
The Rose Room
The room on the ground floor in the King's Wing known as the Rose was originally a dining room for the king and his courtiers. It was also destroyed by the fire in 1859, but was reconstructed from old paintings.[26] The two series of six vaults rest on free-standing pillars. It is thought Mehldahl managed to reuse parts of the window decorations including the monograms of Christian IV and Queen Catherine.
The Audience Chamber
Extending into the middle islet, the Audience Chamber also escaped damage from the fire in 1859. It was decorated by Christian V's master builder Lambert van Haven in the 1680s, combining the Renaissance style with Baroque. He had himself brought the paintings in adjoining Privy Passage (Conseilgangen) back from Italy. His work was completed in 1688, making the Audience Chamber the oldest preserved Baroque room in Denmark. The sumptuous ceiling in the Privy Passage with flowering vines, creepers and rosettes is the work of the stucco artists Jan Wilckens van Verelt and Christian Nerger. The Audience Chamber itself was completed in 1689. The chandelier with a carved deer was crafted around 1625 by Hans Ocksen. The chair in the north-east corner allowed the king to be lifted up from the building's entrance. The central dome, designed by van Haven, bears the motto of Christian V, Pietate et Justitia (Piety and Justice) and is decorated with allegorical paintings of a Christian queen, a negro, a Turk, and an American Indian representing Europe, Africa, Asia and America. The paintings on the walls by the Christian V's court painter Jacob d'Agar depict the kings ancestors. They are surmounted by scenes from the king's glorious Scanian War (1675–1697) painted by Claus Møinchen and Christian Morholt, despite the fact that in the end, Denmark was defeated.
The picturesque barque garden
The symmetrical castle garden was created by architect J. C. Krieger in 1725. It was designed to follow the main axis of the castle with a long perspective extending into the landscape. In baroque style, it was complete with festive cascades and parterre flower beds. During the following centuries, the garden was altered, but in 1996 it was restored to its original design. Noteworthy are the royal monograms executed in boxwood.
Additionally, to the left of the baroque garden is a romantic English-inspired garden. This garden is home to the charming Bath House, which is occasionally used by the Royal Family for hunt lunches.
The Museum of National History
Since 1878, Frederiksborg Castle has housed the Museum of National History. Here, 500 years of Danish history is illustrated through portraits, paintings, furniture, sculptures and decorative art. Guests can encounter people and events which have shaped Denmark and Danish history from the Middle Ages to the 21st century.
For instance, at the museum you can find the portraits of Johan Friedrich Struensee and Queen Caroline Mathilde by artist Jens Juel, or wonder at paintings by artists Karel van Mander, Wilhelm Marstrand, P. S. Krøyer, Niels Strøbæk, and many more.
The permanent exhibition gives guests an insight into the castle, which was previously closed to the public. Here, you can see original decorations and sculptures from before the fire in 1859.
ARCHITECTURE
Frederik's son Christian, who was born there became very attached to the castle as a child. Nevertheless, when reigning as Christian IV (1588–1648) he decided to have it completely rebuilt in the Flemish and Dutch Renaissance style (Northern Mannerism). The old building was demolished in 1599 and the Flemish architect Hans van Steenwinckel the Elder was charged with planning the new building. After his death in 1601, his sons Hans and Lorenz completed the assignment. The main four-storey building with its three wings was completed around 1610 but work continued on the Chapel until 1618. The entire complex was finished around 1620, becoming the largest Renaissance building in Scandinavia. The main Renaissance building built by Christian IV was thus completed in under ten years, an astonishing accomplishment at the time, although there were additions until the early 1620s.
In 1659 during the Second Northern War, the castle was captured by the Swedes who took most of its artworks as war reparations. During the Swedish occupation, the queen of Sweden, Hedvig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, used the palace and hunted in the woods with the English envoy to Sweden.
After Christian IV's death in 1648, the castle was used mainly for ceremonial events. The Chapel was the scene of the coronations and anointments of all the Danish monarchs from 1671 to 1840 except for that of Christian VII.
CURRENT SITUATION
1860 - Today: The Brewer's Museum
Following the fire of 1859, the reconstruction of Frederiksborg Castle entailed both a nationwide collection and a lottery to raise funds for the Castle.
The Royal Family decided that they would no longer use the Castle as a residence, so the question of what the Castle should be used for was open. The founder of Carlsberg, brewer J. C. Jacobsen proposed the establishment of a museum of national history at the Castle and he offered to pay both for the reconstruction and for the Museum’s further expenses. Since its inauguration in 1878 the Museum of National History has been an independent department of the Carlsberg Foundation.
