A wooden bucket dating to the late medieval period was expertly excavated and removed from the trench at Lille Kongesgade, part of Kongens Nytorv excavations. The bucket lay in a sequence of deposits within a large refuse pit.

By Stuart Whatley Metro, Find coordinator and Duncan Alexander, Field leader at Kongens Nytorv

Common medieval bucket style

It measured 230mm high with a diameter of 240mm. The bucket was constructed by fixing a (now degraded) wooden base to upright staves, which formed the bucket sides. The side staves were joined together by separate bands of wood circling the artifact horizontally. The bucket follows a common bucket style tradition in medieval Scandinavia.

Diverse use and origin as refuse bin

The bucket contained four soil deposits relating to its use and purpose. It appears it was used firstly as a rubbish bin as it contained tar, fish bones, cat bones, hair, textiles, a broken brick and a near perfectly preserved  leather child’s boot. This rubbish deposit overlay a rotted and decayed wooden bucket base, which has now become mixed with the clay deposit the bucket originally rested upon.

End of use

Above the rubbish deposit was a thin clay layer, possibly placed to cover the smell of the tar and decaying food remains. The last and final fill was a silt rich layer containing plant material. It is unsure whether the plant material was purposely placed or sunk into the bucket after it went out of use.

Medieval everyday life

This find gives a great insight into everyday life of the medieval inhabitants of Lille Kongensgade from the style of their childrens boots and clothes to what type of fish they eat. Excavations are ongoing in Lille Kongensgade which should provide much more information on the people and activities in this street.

Read more about the excavations at Kongens Nytorv

A bone stylus was retrieved from outside Hviids Vinstue at Kongens Nytorv. The artefact was probably used for writing or decorating ceramic vessels.

By find coordinator Stuart Whatley

Each stylus has a pointed end to puncture (in this case for writing) the wax board and a flat end to make the tablets smooth again, when wanting to reuse the item. Less decorated styli were used in decorating and engraving pottery.

Medieval writing

This particular stylus is intact and comprises one pointed tip, polished shaft and rectangular flattened terminus which contains ring and dot decoration and indented decoration. Due to its fine manufacture and level of decoration it is believed to have been used for writing, and is dated to the medieval period due to the typology.

Lost, not trashed

It would probably have been used by one of the wealthy Copenhageners or member of the priesthood who were educated and could read and write.
The artefact is in good condition and appears to have been lost as it is not broken and so it hasn’t been thrown away.

A leather child’s shoe was recovered from a rubbish layer within a medieval wooden bucket from Lille Kongensgade. The shoe was in fantastic condition and survived due to the anaerobic soil conditions. The shoe probably dates from the 14^th Century, due its style and the fashion of the period. 

By curator Vivi Anderson

Style

This particular child’s shoe closes with 3 strings - each with a knot, which serves as buttons which go through the 3 matching holes on the opposite side of the opening. This means that the little child could easily “tie” the shoe her/himself. A very child-friendly construction! - The same way small children´s shoes today have velcro in stead of laces. This kind of closing is also seen on adult’s shoes, but for children it was extra practical.
The actual leather of the child shoe is very thick, which is an advantage, seeing that the children´s feet need more support - and the heel stiffener also has an important role here. 

 History of medieval children’s shoes and mystery of the Lille Kongensgade shoe

Children´s shoes were often handed down, seeing that they only fit the child in a short period of time. The shoes were therefore often mended in different ways. The shoe in question is worn on the lower part of the heel, but not on the sole, which means that, the original sole has been replaced by a new sole.
The new sole isn´t worn at all, and the shoe is all in all in a really good condition. It is therefore a mystery why the shoe was thrown away. It is possible that the shoe wasn´t thrown away but was accidentally lost (dropped) - which would have caused the little owner a lot of trouble back home as shoes were very expensive! Poor people didn´t even own shoes, and in a not so well off family it was normal to share the same pair of shoes.
Furthermore, the shoe wasn´t worn at all on the toe, which is extraordinary seeing that children often crawls or lie on the knees while playing, which leaves a very characteristic wear on the toe of the shoe. But not in this case. Perhaps this shoe was a special kind a shoe for the owner(s), and was only used for special (non playful) occasions (eg. going to church etc.). 

By find coordinator Stuart Whatley and field archaeologist Olle Heimer 

The axe-head is only slightly worn and was found in a gravel deposit, near the bottom of a trench just above the natural clay. The whitish grey flint axe-head has a rectangular cross section with a gentle posterior taper and slight chipping on the cutting edge. It measures 198mm x 62mm. Future study may reveal the flint source.

Original use

It has been dated to the middle Neolithic period (2800-2400BC) by style and the morphology of other similar dated flint axe-heads. Originally it may have been attached a wooden haft and used to fell trees. This particular artefact though is believed to be residual and found within a medieval period.

Good for much

It is possible that the axe may have been an heirloom and an example of the superstitious nature of medieval Copenhageners. In ethnological sources Falk suggests that flint axes are mentioned as “Stones of thunder”. They were believed to be the light within the lightning bolt. As lightning doesn’t strike twice on the same spot, these objects that were supposed to be created by the lightning itself, was a perfect protection against thunder. They were walled into foundations of the building, or placed somewhere else within the structure. The axes could also prevent milk from getting sour and if they were put into the child’s cradle, it would prevent the child from being exchanged by the trolls. (2008; 126)
Although the axe was not found within a structure, it may be linked to a structure that has since been destroyed by the constructions of new buildings along Lille Kongensgade in the early 1700s. As stated above, it may also just be residual within a medieval deposit and not noticed within the gravel.
References: Falk, N. (2008): En Grundlaggande handling, Byggnadsoffer och dayligt liv i medeltid. Nordic Academic Press.

By Sabina Lønskov, Curator, field archaeologist

The many buildings

The city castle normally referred to as the Castle of Absalon was built here in the early Medieval times. It is debated exactly when the founding stone was layed down, but it is for certain that the Lübeckers tore the Castle down to the ground in the mid 14th century. Very soon after this, a new medieval Castle was built on this side with at moat surrounding it. The new castle was called The Castle of Copenhagen and stood more or less redesigned up until the beginning of the 18th century. It was in this castle the famed daughter of King Christian 4th, Leonore Christina, was imprisoned for 22 years in Blaataarn (the Blue Tower).
In 1731 it was decided to tear down the Castle of Copenhagen. The castle did no longer meet the ideals of the day; simply, it was too old, too small and too out of fashion to be the King’s residence. The first Christiansborg - the Christiansborg Palace - with the belonging riding grounds was built instead. Unfortunately, the castle burned to the ground in 1794 and the second Christiansborg was then built in the same place. When this burned too in 1884, it took twenty years before the present and third Christiansborg was built. During the put up of the third Christiansborg, the ruins of the medieval castles of the islet were revealed in 1907. These ruins can be seen by the public below the present Christiansborg.

The Slotsholm in approximately 1400. 1: Slotsholmen 2: Store Skarnholm (the Great Dump Islet) 3: Lille Skarnholm (the Small Dump Islet). Map according to H.U. Ramsing’s reconstruction, the Museum of Copenhagen.

Detail from Peder Resens elevated map (1674). Here, it is visible that the Slotsholm has expanded so much, that it has grown into the sorounding Islets; it is now only Frederiksholms Kanal and Slotsholms Kanal, that separates the islet from the mainland.

Growing pains

The Slotsholmen did not always have its present size. Back when the first medieval castle was put here, the area consisted merely of several small islets placed off the Copenhagen coastline, which was then situated along Snaregade, Gammel Strand and Højbro Plads. In those days, you could see Amager from the mainland, as also Christianshavn between Zeeland and Amager is built on many layers of filling by Christian 4th in the 17th century. All in all, the Slotsholmen was considerably enlarged, transforming the original coastline into Frederiksholms Kanal and Slotsholmens Kanal. The archeologists from the Museum of Copenhagen are granted permission to make investigations in the grounds of Slotsholmen in connection with the district heating maintenance operation. Among other things, they will investigate the spreading and filling of the Islet, to hunt down answers to questions regarding the original size of the Slotsholm and to how the area has been made use of up through time. The archeologists hope to find older fieldwork, traces of torn down buildings and other exiting finds, that can cast more light upon the 900-year long history of the Slotsholm.

Copenhagen was the hometown of Hans Christian Andersen from 1819, when he arrived in town to become famous, till his death in 1875. Throughout his life he found inspiration in his surroundings. In his works one recognizes a Copenhagen in rapid development - from a small town hiding behind the ramparts to a sprawling modern city.
The exhibition took the shape of a walk through the capital following in the footsteps of Hans Christian Andersen. Along the way doors were opened and we were introduced to the Copenhageners he shared the city with. Original artefacts and pictures told the real fairytale of the author and the city for children and adults alike.

In connection to the Golden Days festival, this year bearing the title “1700s - Globalization, Gossip and Greed”, the Museum of Copenhagen relaunch the salon in a unique cooperation with the art group Ingen Frygt.

Get wise in an excentric tent-system

The old gilded Banquet Hall of the Museum of Copenhagen provide the backdrop when Ingen Frygt activate 9 years’ work in an excentric tent-system, mixed with artefacts from the museum’s own collection and flotsam from Copenhagen’s 18^th century subconscious.

In this room we continue some of the controversial dialogues from the Enlightenment. Not necessarily to reach an answer, but to get wiser trying. Experience learned presentations, unexpected angles, shocking allegations, touching singing and explosive flavours: it is the 1700s in 2010 in the middle of Copenhagen.

Tickets of 50 kr. can be bought at the Museum of Copenhagen.

Program

Terra Incognita

Wednesday September 8th 2010 at 6.30 - 9.00 pm

Utopias and Castles in the Air

Wednesday September 15th 2010 at 6.30 - 9.00 pm

Coquetry

Wednesday September 22th 2010 at 6.30 - 9.00 pm

Manliness

Wednesday September 29th 2010 at 6.30 - 9.00 pm

All Nights of Enlightenment are presented in Danish.
Only exception is the performance piece Let’s Get Personal, that will be performed in English on September 15th. The rest of Utopias and Castles in the Air will be presented in Danish.

Read more about Golden Days

Read more about Ingen Frygt

Pictures from the exhibition. From left to right: Still from the movie “My favorite Graffiti, Queen Louise’s Bridge around 1898, still from video of the eviction of the asylum seekers from Brorson Church in 2009.

Nørrebro is presented at the Museum of Copenhagen from June 25th to August 29th 2010, when we show the exhibition “Nørrebro - stories from a neighbourhood”. The exhibition is curated by young Nørrebroers who through their own productions and dips in the museum’s picture archives put words, pictures and sound to the before and now of Nørrebro.

Street riots and green parks

Violent street riots, small worker’s tenement apartments, crowds, Turkish greengrocers and the buzz of languages from all over the world. Those are some of the things coming to mind when the talk is about the most densely populated and most culturally diverse neighbourhood in Copenhagen - Nørrebro. The myths of Nørrebro are thriving and associations are to a restless neighbourhood with a turbulent history. But Nørrebro is also new and old communities, green parks, street art and cosy communal kitchens. With the exhibition “Nørrebro - stories from a neighbourhood” the Museum of Copenhagen wishes to break with any preconceived perceptions of Nørrebro. Therefore the museum passes the microphone to Nørrebro itself and lets its inhabitants tell their different stories about their neighbourhood and the people that lived and lives there.

17 young people tell about Nørrebro

In the exhibition the four themes “Meeting”, “Movement”, “Home” and “Out” present stories about present Nørrebro in dialogue with historical photographs and films from the picture archives of the Museum of Copenhagen. The contemporary material is created by young Nørrebroers, who for the last 1 ½ years have been working at the Museum of Copenhagen collecting and producing stories about Nørrebro as part of the Nørrebro Project.

Camping in the Nørrebro Park

Using cameras, microphones and laptops the young people have created first hand accounts from those parts of Nørrebro, they deem to need a bit of spotlight. Experience pictures from a 24 hour tent camping in the Nørrebro Park, meet the passengers of the 5A bus on a ride down Nørrebrogade or enter the cosy, smoky locales of the Café Viking. In the exhibition you can also go back to the times when horse drawn carriages filled Queen Louise’s Bridge towards the end of the 19^th century and view the dramatic photos of the clearing of the Allotria House in the 1980s.

Se videos from the Nørrebro Project.

From demolishing the ramparts to the eviction from the church

The exhibition is a journey through the history of Nørrebro from the demolition of the city’s ramparts and the following construction of the new “-bro” neighbourhoods to the eviction of the asylum seekers from the Brorson Church, the emerging of new street art and modern trash movements. In the exhibition one can experience the conflicts that have helped create Nørrebro and how the inhabitants’ attitudes to the city have changed over time.

Detours build new city

The art and architecture community Büro Detours are behind the exhibition’s architecture. The artists have donned their worker’s dungarees and reached for hammer, wood, nails and white paint bucket to recreate the museum’s exhibition rooms as a new city. In this city visitors can experience an array of art works consisting of wooden constructions especially created by the Detours artists for this exhibition. Detours work with an aspiration to create possibilities for randomness in the shaping of the city space. Therefore each artist has been given free reins to create the works that the material, the themes and the space inspire. As one of the artists, Cemilie explains, this approach means that the work is done based on a very loose plan, changing as the artists occupy the space. Excactly as cities themselves change their form and appearance according to the people inhabiting, using and creating them.

Tags change the exhibition

As Nørrebro has changed its appearance through time, so the exhibition will mirror this picture of the ever changing neighbourhood. At different events visitors and street artists are invited to take possession of the Detour city elements using tags, art and comments and thereby change the cityscape. The idea is to fill the white wooden surfaces with street art. When the exhibition opens the historic pictures and the productions of the Nørrebro Project will stand out clearly on the white background. But as the exhibition is gradually taken over by the street art and comments of visitors they will assume another role and change their meaning. Just as the real Nørrebro this city will become noisy and new meanings can be added to the four themes.

Read more about Büro Detours.

Press

Download high resolution photos from the exhibition.

The Søren Kierkegaard Collection at the Museum of Copenhagen contains items that have either been in the possesion of the world famous philosopher or things that can be related to this essential thinker. In the collection, you’ll find furniture, personal belongings and portraits depicting Kierkagaards parents and his fiancée Regine Olsen as well as chandeliers that used to light up Kierkegaards dwellings, his wallet, silver mounted meerschaum pipes and presentation copies of Kiekegaard’s works.

A true Copenhagener

Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was born, lived and died in Copenhagen. In his brief life he very rarely travelled abroad, and thus his world famous body of work was coming into existence within the ramparts defining the capital in the first half of the 19th century. Kierkegaard was a renowned figure in the streets of Copenhagen, as he took pleasure in strolling and observing his fellow human son lengthy walks. Meanwhile, the philosopher was himself an object of observation as well as satirical attacks on his person from among others the magazine the Corsar, from where the sketch to the right is taken from.

13 tempestuous months

Two months after his final university examination, Kierkegaard was engaged to Regine Olsen who was nine years his senior. The young woman was to play a defining role in Kierkegaards life and writings. He called the engagement of after 13 tempestuous months in 1841, but kept a keen interest in Regine Olsen for the rest of his life, which some of the items on display at the Museum of Copenhagen testify. In the Søren Kierkegaard Collection, the gold engagement ring that was given to Regine Olsen by Kierkegaard is exhibited. Regine Olsen gave Kierkegaard the ring back once he called of the engagement, and due to legend, the philosopher had the five diamonds of the ring mounted into a cross, which he bore to the day he died. After the break-up, Regine Olsen went on to marry Johan Frederik Schlegel who was later to become the governor of the Danish West Indies. The ring Kierkegaards successor gave Regine Olsen on their engagement day is also on display in the Søren Kierkegaard Collection.

A cupboard without shelves

Among the gems of the Collection is a unique Brazilian Rosewood pedestal cupboard that was made according to Kierkegaard’s instruction for a particularly moving reason. In the philosopher’s own choice of words, the cupboard was “...constructed according to my design and this because of something my beloved said in her agony: She said that she would willingly thank me all her life for my permission to remain with me, even if she had to live in a small cupboard. With an eye to this, this cupboard is constructed to be without shelves. - Everything is kept carefully in the cupboard, everything that reminds me of her and all that could remind her of me”.

Click the Time line to explore the life of Søren Kierkegaard (Danish). This online version of the Collection has been realized with the aid of a string of web components developed by the Heritage Agency of Denmark.

Learn more about Copenhagen in the time of Kierkegaard in the Power and autocracy exhibition, and order the guided tour of the exhibition.

By Stuart Whatley

The rectangular artefact was manufactured from sewing two pieces of leather together at their sides. The upper piece comprised a larger hole in the centre, probably for depositing coins or artefacts, and four smaller holes for leather straps to tighten and then close the purse. The holes would have been made by either using a bone or wooden small stake. 
It appears that the purse was then thrown away when the stitching from one corner of the purse had split. The leather straps were then taken away and used elsewhere. The purse was dated by the surrounding pottery and clay pipes to the mid to late 17th Century.

By Stuart Whatley

The brick is worn and poorly preserved with part of its sides and base missing. The ribbed brick would have been situated amongst the timber vaulting of a structure and was located at the end of one of the pieces of timber (ribs).
The brick probably came from either a large wealthy house from Copenhagen or from one of Copenhagen’s churches. These bricks or tiles were first produced in the late 12th Century in Denmark. This particular tile is either from a structure dating from the 17th Century or was thrown away whilst renevating a structure in the 17th Century. A better preserved ribbed brick can be seen in the exhibition Episcopal Town and Royal City of Medieval Copenhagen in the Copenhagen Museum.

The pictures from the Day & Night photo competition could be seen at the Museum of Copenhagen beween May 28th and June 7th 2010.

The Museum of Copenhagen and Copenhagen Photo Festival co-hosted the photo competition Day & Night. The competition was for anyone who like to photograph and document life in the city. Anyone could join with their own urban space images. To participate you simply had to upload two images representing two different worlds, states or situation from life in the city - one taken during the day, one taken in the night.

Competition photos uploadet to the WALL

A lot of people followed the call to capture their own personal Copenhagen in pictures taken by day and by night. The many pictures have been uploadet to the WALL and are now included in the picture collection of the Museum of Copenhagen. The three winners was chosen by a panel consisting of:

Thomas Borberg, Photo Editor, Politiken
Louise Holmgren, Art Photographer, Peter Lav Gallery
Sacha Maric, Fashion Photographer, Blink Productions

1st Prize

Nomis

2nd Prize

Filip

 


3rd Prize

Cecilia

Honorary Mention

JulieUmulie

More information about Copenhagen Photo Festival at www.copenhagenphotofestival.com

See the uploaded pictures.

Read more about the WALL.

Had you followed the route straight ahead and up and you would have arrived in Amager. Had you drawn out the 3^rd drawer to the right and, you would have found the police station. Occasioned by the 23rd International Conference on History of Cartography in Copenhagen in July 2009, the Museum of Copenhagen exhibited a number of strange representations of the Danish capital, in cooperation with the Danish Royal Library.

Read more about the Museum of Copenhagen’s previous special exhibitions.

The history of Copenhagen’s homosexuals, bisexuals and transpersons tells of a journey from secretive nightly meetings on the city ramparts to sequined Pride parades on the City Square.

The Museum of Copenhagen had a look at the many different aspects of Copenhagen’s LGBT history. Capital punishment and AIDS campaigns, invisible spinsters and proud rainbow mums, covert companionships and the world’s first same-sex legal unions.

Read more about the Museum of Copenhagen’s previous special exhibitions.

The keys of the city took centre stage in this exhibition about the life, treasures, power and entrances of Copenhagen. Keys are our access to the secret and closed, to the private and secure, to the prohibited and wondrous. They mark the difference between yours and mine, private and shared, but also possess memories, conflicts and repression. Keys can be traces of lost buildings and human destinies or markers of social and cultural divides. They also have a symbolic aspect, as when an honorary citizen or mayor is presented with the keys of the city and a controlling side, as with keys to prisons and hard labour plants.

See the exhibition “Keys to Copenhagen”.

Read more about the Museum of Copenhagen’s previous special exhibitions.

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 Section 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 Section 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 Section.

Please click here to see staff in Collections.