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Antiquarian department

The Antiquarian department of the Museum of Copenhagen is responsible for treating and securing Copenhagen's history through surveys, conservation and research. From traces dating from the Neolithic to the present day. Everything telling about cultural history has our interest.

On plans and assessments concerning the cultural heritage the section cooperates with the municipalities of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg.
With cultural heritage is meant both existing buildings, heritage milieux and ancient monuments as those that are hidden underground. The Antiquarian department perform the documentation of historically significant buildings, that are to be demolished, participate in the planning work of the municipalities through identifying environments and buildings of heritage value and perform archaeological surveys. Documentation and the archaeological finds are kept at the museum.

 

Antiquarian department is divided in two parts: Heritage and Archaeology.

 

Heritage

When Copenhagen and Frederiksberg Municipalities prepare local plans and municipal plans, the Museum of Copenhagen is responsible for identifying possible milieux and/or buildings of heritage value. The identification is made based on archival research and on site inspection. Furthermore the museum recieves lists of ongoing construction cases. The cases are reviewed before demolishion or restructuring of heritage buildings. When such a building is to be restructured or demolished the museum writes a documentation. This is made based on on site inspection and photo documentation and archival research. In this way the museum preserve information about the heritage buildings of the past.

Descriptions of buildings and heritage milieux

In the 1990s both municipalities had a municipal atlas made. The SAVE-method was used for this, placing buildings along a scale from 1 to 9. Both architectural and heritage assessments are included in the grading of buildings. In connection with a new registration in selected areas (due to urban regeneration), Center for Bydesign (Centre for City Design) and the Museum of Copenhagen embarked on a joint project, acknowleding the problems inherent in the original method, namely that the final grade of a building does not tell what about has significance as cultural heritage.

The new method has divided architecture and cultural history, which is then described separately. Furthermore, it is acknowledged that buildings can be interesting in themselves or as part of a cultural milieu. Important features are described and a historical sketch of the registred area is given. Registration is made based on archival research and on site inspection.

The method has proven particularly suitable as background information for the city planning of the municiplalities. The Museum of Copenhagen is happy to perform commisioned registration for other municipalities, institutions or private persons.

Questions and lectures

As a matter of course the museum answer queries concerning cultural heritage and historical topographical questions. It can furthermore be arranged that we give lectures or talks on these subjects.

Read more about Heritage.

Archaeology

The Museum of Copenhagen is responsible for archaeology in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg municipalities. This means that the museum is present at hearings concerning local planning and municipal planning. Here the museum assesses the current development in the municipalities and assesses the possibility that ancient monuments will be affected.

For builders

Private persons can also enjoy the museum's expertise. When buying real estate potential buyers can contact the museum for a clarification of whether planned buildings will affect ancient monuments. Thus it can be made clear early in the process whether archaeological excavations will be necessary and the builder in spe can plan the work accordingly.

All builders can contact the museum and ask the museum to give a statement about the possibility of the presence of ancient monuments on a piece of land. The museum bases its statement on an archival control of the area in question.

The museum can then recommend that a survey of the area is done. This is optional for the builder. The advantage for the builder is that the presence of ancient monuments is detected and that the risk of needing to stop working due to unexpected archaeological remains is lessened.

All in all an early dialogue between builder and the museum is an advantage. The builder finds out whether archaeological surveys are necessary and can choose either to change plans to avoid the ancient monuments or to ask the museum to launch archaeological surveys. This should be done well before the beginning of the building work, in order not to delay this. In that way archaeological remains are investigated and the builder's project can finish on time.

 

Read more about the Museum of Copenhagens current archaeological excavations.

Please cilick here to see staff in Antiquarian department.