COPENHAGEN (sMerr.hants' Haveni), Denrnark, the capital, situated on the shore of the island of Zealand, in the sound, which is here about 12 miles broad; an outlying portion, Christianshavn, stands at the north end of the island of Amager or Amak, which is sepa rated from Zealand by a narrow arm of the sea. The channel fortns a fine large harbor, which is bridged over at two points to connect Christianshavn and the main part of the city. The fortifications on the land side have been removed since 1863; so diat the city has now practically incorporated the suburbs Osterbro, Norrebro, Vesterbro and Frederiksberg and occupying an area of 31 square miles. To counterbalance the expected injury to the city's commerce from the opening of the Baltic Canal, a great free port, free from customs dues, was constructed in 1890-94 to the north of the harbor. The business quarter stretches from the harbor in a northeasterly direction toward the principal and central square, Kongens Nytory, which forms the focus of the life of the city. Farther north and east of this point lies the aristocratic quarter, with the handsome Amalienborg Square and its royal and minis« terial palaces; this distric-t is bounded on the extreme north by the citadel and the adjoining public gardens and walks on the shores of the sound.
Among its few buildings of historical in terest or intrinsic beauty, the Metropolitan cathedral church, known as Vor Frue Kirke, rebuilt after the bombardment in 1807, possesses statues of Christ and the apostles and a baptis mal font, designed and in part executed by Thorwaldsen. Trinitatis-kirke is remarkable for its round tower, which is ascended by a winding causeway instead of steps. Holmens' kirke contains interesting monuments to the great naval heroes, Juel and Tordenskj81d. An English church, built at a cost of $49,000, was consecrated in 1887. The royal palace, called Christiansborg, was rebuilt between 1794 and 1828, but was never remarkable for architectural beauty. The principal part of the vast build ing was destroyed by fire in 1884, when many precious works of art were destroyed. Happily most of the pictures in its great art pllery were saved. • The castle of Rosenborg (1610-24), where the regalia are kept, contains interesting collections of objects of art; and the palace of Charlottenborg (1624) is now used as an acad emy of arts. Copenhagen is the centre, not only
of Danish, but northern literature and art, and is the seat of a number of societies for the ad vancement of these in all their branches, among which are the Royal Society, founded in 1742; and the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries, founded in 1825. A magnificent national theatre was built in 1874: The royal library contains over 600,000 volumes, besides great treasures of Sanskrit and other MSS. The Museum of Northern Antiquities in Prindsens Palais is unrivaled in its kind, having been made what it is mainly by Worsaae. The Thorwaldsen Museum, opened in 1846, consists of works of art by that sculptor himself, and others left by him to the Danish nation, for which a sepa rate building has been erected. There are statues of several of the Danish kings, of Tycho Brahe and of the poets. The city is governed by a body of magistrates nominated by the king, and a municipal council of 42 members. About 50 per cent of the trade of Denmark passes through Copenhagen. The chief exports are grain, rage-seed, butter, ,cheese, beef, castle, wool, hides, bones and grain-spirit. Porcelain, pianos, clocks, watches, mathematical instruments, textiles, chemicals, sugar, beer and tobacco are manufactured. Copenhagen is the seat of a United States consul-general.
About the middle of the 12th century Copen hagen was but a fishing village, in the neighbor hood of which Bishop Axel, or Absalon, built a ,castle. In 1254 the village obtained the privi leges of a toxin, and in 1443 King Christopher triade it the capital of the kingdom. It was several times attacked by the Hanseatic League; ;eras besieged by the Swedes in the 17th century; was bombarded by the English, Dutch and 41tvedes in 1700; suffered grievously by fire in dna 1794 and 1795; witnessed a great sea-fight 'nuns roads on 2 April 1801, when the English, under Sir Hyde Parker, with Nelson as his tecond in' command, deitroyed the Danish fleet; and (to prevent the Danish fleet from falling into the power of Napoleon), was bombarded by the English from the 2nd to the 5th of Sep tember 1807, when great destruction was wrought, both in houses and public buildings, and hundreds of persons lost their lives. Pop. with suburbs, 559,398. Consult 'Copenhagen, the Capital of Denmark> (1898); Nielsen, AKobenhavns Historic og Beskrivelse> (6 vols., 1887-92).