CO'PENHA'GEN (Dan. Kjdbenharn, Mer chants' Raven, from kjabe, Ger. kaufcn, to buy ham?, (ier. Buten, haven). The capital and largest city of Denmark, situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, in latitude 55' 41' N., and longitude 12° 33' E. (Map: Denmark, F 3). The Kalvebod Strand, an inlet of the sound sepa rating .the two islands of Zealand and Amager, forms the excellent harbor of the city.
Copenhagen is divided into six parts, of which that lying within the former fortifications (now converted into boulevards) forms the nucleus of the city. The quarter situated on the island of Amager is called Christianshavn. The centre of the city is marked by the Kongens Nytory (New King's Market Place), an irregular square with an equestrian statue of Christian V. From this square the principal streets, the finest of which is Bredgade. leading to the esplanade of the citadel. The National Theatre and some of the more important commercial buildings are on this square. The most interesting of the nu merous churches of Copenhagen are the Vor Frue Kirke. the metropolitan cathedral, famous for its statues of Christ and the Twelve Apostles, and of a kneeling angel holding a shell for a font, designed and partly executed by Thorwaldsen; the I-Iolmen's Kirke, built in the seventeenth cen tury, and containing monuments to the naval heroes, Joel and Tordenskjold; Trinitatis Kirke, with a high round tower: the Vor Frelsers Kirke (Church of Our Redeemer), with a winding stair cast outside leading to the tower; and the hand some Frederiks Kirke, begun in 1749 and com pleted in 1894, its fine dome being one of the most conspicuous objects of the city. Christianshorg, the King's residence and a noted palace, was de stroyed by fire in 1884. The royal abode was then removed to Amalienhnrg, a palace made up of four palaces built in the style of Louis XV. The Rosenborg palace. built in the Renaissance style at the beginning of the seventeenth century. contains a remarkable collection of jewels, weapons. and regalia. The palace of Charlotten borg. situated on Kongens Nytorv, is now the seat of the Royal Academy of Art. Other nota ble public buildings are the Exchange, erected in 1619-40 in the Dutch Renaissance style; the handsome 11oyal Theatre; the University; the DPW city hall; the Glyptothek. containing one of the choicest collections of sculpture and other objects of art in Northern Europe; and the new Art Museum, with the Royal Picture Gallery, which ranks high among the minor collections of paintings, including choice specimens of the Dutch and Italian schools, and by modern Danish masters. The picture gallery of Count :Moltke is also quite noteworthy: but above all the world-renowned Thorwaldsen :Museum is of the highest artistic interest, comprising an extensive collection of that great sculptor's works and numerous other objects of art, ancient and mod ern, left by him to his native city. The museum
also contains Thorwaldsen's grave.
The University of Copenhagen (q.v.) occupies a place among European institu tions of learning. Other prominent educational institutions are the polytechnic institute affili ated with the university. the veterinary school, founded in 1773, the military and naval schools, and the Academy of Arts. Copenhagen has a number of scientific and art associations, the most prominent of which are the Royal Scientific Society. founded in 1742, and the Royal Northern Antiquarian Society, founded in 1825. The Royal Library contains upward of 500.000 volumes and about 20,000 MSS., and the National Museum, situated in the so-called Palace of the Princes, comprises the Danish and the Ethnographical collections as well as collections of antiquities, coins, medals, and engravings.
The city is administered by a board of magis trates, including the president, appointed by the and a municipal council of thirty-six members.
The chief manufactures of Copenhagen include sugar. machinery, textiles, and porcelain -ware. Ship-building is carried on extensively. Over one-half of commerce of Denmark passes through Copenhagen. and the chief financial institutions of the country are situated here. There is regular steam communication between Copenhagen and ports of Germany, Russia, England, France, and the United States. It is the seat of a United States consul. The population increased considerably during the last decades of the nineteenth century, partly owing to the annexation of adjacent suburbs. In IMO, the population was 234,580; in 1890, 312,859; and in 1901, 378,235.
Copenhagen was a fishing village until the middle of the twelfth century; it began to grow in importance after coming into the possession of Bishop Absalon, who fortified it in 1167. Owing to its good harbor. Copenhagen soon became a place of commercial importance and received from the Bishop of Roeskilde municipal rights about the middle of the thirteenth century. It was repeatedly attacked by the Hanseatic towns. It was chosen for the capital of the kingdom in 1443 by King Christopher, the Bavarian. Dur ing 165S-59 it withstood a severe siege by the Swedes under Charles N., by its resistance prob ably saying the Danish monarchy. In 1700 it was bombarded by the united fleets of England, Holland. and Sweden. It suffered heavily from cenflagrations during the eighteenth century. In 1801 the harbor of Copenhagen was the scene of the destruction of the Danish fleet by Nelson, and in 1807 the city was subjected to a bom bardment by the British, during which the uni versity and a number of public buildings were destroyed. Consult: ropenhagrn, the rapital of Dremark (Copenhagen. 1898) Seelig, Fiihrer durch 'Copenhagen (Hamburg, 1895).