The Danish War Museum

Christian IV’s old arsenal and cabinet of curiosities is now home to the Danish War Museum. The building speaks to the utility of architecture in war.

The old arsenal building between the Royal Library and the Lapidarium of Kings bears testimony how hawkish Christian IV also was, when he wasn’t transforming the city into a trade hub or deeply and personally involved in the details and craftsmanship of buildings like the Round Tower or Rosenborg Castle. His drive was unquestionable.

The Garden That Used to be a War-time Harbor

Equally unquestionable were his dreams of expansion, particularly in Scandinavia. Norway was already under Danish control, while Sweden remained an enemy of the King and the Kingdom. The arsenal is an example of military architecture, and it was constructed as part of the King’s war-time harbor that encircled an enormous basin where the fleet could seek refuge behind the large gables of mediaeval brick. Today we know the basin as the library garden, one of Copenhagen’s hidden gems.  However, at that time it was a harbor surrounded by buildings that provided the seafaring army with provisions, beer and weapons. The latter was the responsibility of the arsenal.

Europe’s Longest Arched Renaissance Hall

The building is 163 meters long, almost 24 meters wide and has two stories. The walls are 3.5 meters thick at the base of the building, and the arched structural design made the building even stronger. The ground floor is called the cannon hall and is one of Europe’s longest arched Renaissance halls. The roof was originally made of lead but, like many other buildings in Copenhagen, it eventually succumbed to a fire. After the fire in 1647, the roof was rebuilt with tile and the building gained the harmonious appearance it has to this day.

The King’s Cabinet of Curiosities

The arsenal housed the navy’s weaponry but it also quickly became a place for the king to store his private collection, which he acquired either as gifts or by other means.  He was very interested in weaponry, and the arsenal eventually became something of a cabinet of curiosities. In time, the arsenal basin was no longer needed, and it was filled in between 1867 and 1868.
The collection of weapons opened to the public in 1857, and in 1928 the entire building was converted into the Danish Arsenal Museum. It eventually changed its name to the Danish War Museum as the focus had changed from a display of weapons to a dissemination of war from various cultural and societal perspectives throughout history. But the weapons are still there, stored in the old arsenal that continues to impart its history through its well-preserved architecture.

Near the Danish War Museum

When visiting the Danish War Museum, why not also head over to the Lapidarium of Kings, once the royal brewery? The two buildings stem from the same period during which Christian IV was establishing his war-time harbor, and both are part of the Copenhagen Cultural District. In the same direction you’ll also find the National Museum of Denmark, the Museum of Copenhagen and BLOX, home of Danish Architecture Center.