Site

Kapelvej 2, 2200 Copenhagen N

Open

Saturday 10-14

Have you ever thought about what lies behind the doors of the only mausoleum in Copenhagen’s historic Assistens Cemetery? Now you have a unique opportunity to have a look inside the cemetery’s monumental burial site, the resting place of colonial-era Danish general Peter von Scholten and his wife, which is beautifully decorated with a chandelier and crucifix.

The facade of the yellow building in Assistens Cemetery in Copenhagen’s Nørrebro district is easily recognizable. It is the location of the only mausoleum in the cemetery, erected in 1811. Over the ages, it has served as the resting place for countless members of the noble von Scholten family, who may still be buried in the graves under the mausoleum. Today, however, the only coffins are those of Petervon Scholten, Governor-General of the Danish West Indies in the 1800s, and his wife Anne Elisabeth Thortsen, while only plaques remain marking the graves of the other family members.

Reserved for German Parishioners

The mausoleum was erected in the section of the cemetery previously reserved for parishioners of the German Reformed Church, of which the von Scholten family were members. Peter von Scholten’s father, Casimir, was the first to be entombed in the mausoleum, and his plaque can still be found there. In addition to the two coffins, the mausoleum also contains chairs, a chandelier and a crucifix. A trust established by Peter von Scholten ensured the maintenance of the burial site for many years, but since 1973, the City of Copenhagen has maintained the mausoleum as a historical grave.

Visit the Mausoleum During Open House

You are now invited to have a look inside a unique historical landmark in Copenhagen’s most well-known cemetery. Step back in history and see how members of a noble family were buried in the past.