Hirschholm Palace
| Hirschholm Palace | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Baroque |
| Town or city | Hørsholm |
| Country | Denmark |
| Construction started | 1733 |
| Completed | 1744 |
| Demolished | 1809-13 |
| Client | Sophia Magdalena of Denmark |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Lauritz de Thurah |
Hirschholm Palace,also known asHørsholm Palace,was a royal palace located in present-dayHørsholm municipalityjust north ofCopenhagen,Denmark.It was rebuilt in theBaroque stylein the 1740s and, one of the finest buildings of its time, it became known as the "Versaillesof the North ".
It developed a notorious reputation in connection with its role in the affair betweenJohann Friedrich Struenseeand QueenCaroline Mathildain the 1770s. After that it fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1809–1813.
The palace was designed byLauritz de Thurahfor KingChristian VIand his consort QueenSophie Magdalene,and was intended as their summer residence.
History[edit]
Early history[edit]
Hirschholm Palace was built on a site that had been used since theMiddle Ages.From around 1100 there was a fortification at site known as Hørningsholm. In 1391 the estate becamecrown landwhen QueenMargrete Itook possession of the property.[1]At the end of the 16th centuryFrederik IIandChristian IVbuilt a royal hunting lodge on the site. The estate, which covered a large area (the present-day municipalities ofHørsholm,Karlebo,Birkerødand a part ofAllerød) was called the Noble Estate of Hørsholm (adelsgodset Hørsholm), and was endowed to various noblemen and members of the royal court.[2]
By the middle of the 17th century a royal tradition had developed whereby the ruling king bestowed Hørsholm Palace to his consort, and it was used as a summer residence. The estate was now being managed directly by the royal house, and income went to the Queen.
Frederick IV’s consort QueenLouiseowned Hørsholm Palace between 1700 and 1721. She had it modernised and added a number of farm buildings to the estate.
The Baroque palace[edit]
Immediately after he became king in 1730,King Christian VIdonated Hirschholm to his queen consort,Sophie Magdalene,as alife estate.Thus began a new phase in the history of the site. The queen decided that the old castle should be converted into a decent summer residence for the king and queen. Until the takeover, conditions at the place had been modest, in fact it was a medieval facility where only a few modernizations had been made. The de Thurah-designedbaroquepalace was completed in 1744 and was one of the most impressive building works of that period. It was referred to as "TheVersaillesof the North ". When the king died in 1746 it became Sophie Magdalene's residence asQueen Dowager.She carried out a number of changes on the estate that pointed towards theagricultural reformsthat would come to play a big role in the country during the coming decades.[2]
Thurah's drawings of the palace were published inDen Danske Vitruviusin 1746–1749.
The Dowager Queen Sophie Magdalene died in 1770, and the palace was taken over byKing Christian VIIwho used it as a summer residence for his family and court. On 17 June 1771 the royal family and court took summer residence at the palace, and on 7 JulyQueen Caroline Mathildegave birth to her second child,Princess Louise Augusta,whose father was almost certainlyJohann Friedrich Struensee.That summer has come to be referred to as the "Hirschholm Summer" in Danish history.[1]
Neglect and demolition[edit]
After that summer, and after the arrest of Struensee and the Queen on 17 January 1772, and the subsequent execution of Struensee, and the banishment and imprisonment of the Queen, the palace stood empty until 1810. At that timeFrederik VIhad the now dilapidated palace torn down for use as build materials for the rebuilding ofChristiansborg Palace,which had burned to the ground in the fire of 1794.
The site today[edit]
In 1822-23 a small church designed by architectChristian Frederik Hansenwas built on the grounds of the demolished palace. The park surrounding the church, which is located on a small island in a lake, still bears some evidence of the original palace garden. A number of the farm buildingsLouisehad built in the early 18th century still exist. Some of them formerly housed theDanish Museum of Hunting and Forestry.
TheHørsholm Local History Museumhas a permanent exhibit about the palace, the royal affair and its consequences.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ab"Hirschholm Slot i Hørsholm. del. 3 - Slotshaven".Hørsholm Museum.Retrieved2010-01-08.
- ^ab"Hirschholm Slot".Gyldendal.Retrieved2010-01-08.
Bibliography[edit]
- Rosted, H.C. (1963).Hirschholm – et kongeslot og dets skæbne.Copenhagen: Gad.
- Thule Kristensen, Peter, ed. (2023).Lauritz de Thurah - Architecture and Worldviews in 18th Century Denmark.Copenhagen: Strandberg Publishing. p. 432.ISBN978-8794102704.
55°52′29″N12°30′1″E/ 55.87472°N 12.50028°E
External links[edit]
| Current |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Former (non-exhaustive list) | ||
1Not located in Denmark | ||
- Palaces in Denmark
- Royal residences in Denmark
- Houses in Hørsholm Municipality
- Former buildings and structures in Denmark
- Baroque architecture in Denmark
- Houses completed in 1744
- Buildings and structures in Hørsholm Municipality
- 1744 establishments in Denmark
- Buildings and structures demolished in 1813
- 1813 disestablishments in Denmark
- Demolished buildings and structures in Denmark
- Caroline Matilda of Great Britain
- Lauritz de Thurah buildings
- Christian VI of Denmark