Frederiksberg, Denmark
 |
|
Frederiksberg, Denmark is located on the island of Zealand (Sjælland), 3 km's west of Central Copenhagen. Historically Frederiksberg was its own fully independent town, however today it has been completely surrounded by the growth of Copenhagen, and while the town has retained its name and other forms of political independence, Frederiksberg is fundamentally a region within Copenhagen. Only with the help of a map can you determine that you are standing in Frederiksberg and not Copenhagen. That being said, the residences of Frederiksberg do take great pride in not being a part of Copenhagen, and not being caught up in the big city life.
Located away from the busy, hectic areas within central Copenhagen, Frederiksberg does offer some peace and quiet to tourists looking for a break from the big city. There are many fine tourist attractions within Frederiksberg. The town has many parks, gardens, as well as the very impressive Frederiksberg Palace (Frederiksberg Slot), which was once the summer residence of the Danish royal family. Copenhagen Zoo (Zoologisk Have) is also located in the town, and it is without question Denmark’s most impressive zoo. There are many fine walking streets and cafés, making Frederiksberg an excellent place for tourists and families to visit.
Frederiksberg is accessible with the Copenhagen Metro. There are multiple stops in Frederiksberg depending on your desired destination.
History of Frederiksberg
Archeological records show that people have been living in the Frederiksberg region since the Bronze Age, however it wasn't until the late Viking Age that a town came into existence. The first town was named Solbjerg and it first mentioned in documents dating back to 1186. The town of Solbjerg was located where the modern day Frederiksberg Garden (Frederiksberg Have) is located today. The town was a traditional agricultural town located on royal property, which meant that the town was mainly responsible for producing agricultural products for the Copenhagen Castle. During the same period the nearby town of Copenhagen was slowly growing in importance, though it would not become the capital until the middle of the 15th century.
Solbjerg remained a quiet farming community for the next four and a half centuries. It wasn’t until 1651 that events took place which would allow for Frederiksberg to develop. In 1651, King Frederik the III of Denmark gave 20 Danish and Dutch peasants the land around Solbjerg and the rights to build farms and manage the land. The town the peasants founded was named New Amager (Ny Amager). However, the farming proved to be very unsuccessful. With heavy tax demands to King Frederik the struggling farmers had difficulty getting by. Finally in 1697 a fire burned down the majority of the town, which sealed the fate of the struggling farmers. Unable to pay their taxes the land returned into the hands of King Frederik the III’s son, Christian V of Denmark.
In 1699, Christian V passed away, and the following year the new king, Frederik IV commissioned the building of a palace to serve as the Danish royal families’ summer residence. The palace took 3 years to build, and was named, Frederiksberg Place. Following the completion of the palace, Frederik continued with the rebuilding of the town, and changed the name of the town to Frederiksberg. Frederiksberg was very popular with the many rich families from Copenhagen who had purchased properties in the town. It was a quiet and peaceful place to get away from the crowded, filthy medieval city.
The palace remained the Royal families’ summer residence until the middle of the 19th century, and since 1869 it has been the Royal Danish Army Academy.In 1852, parliament removed a restriction which said that buildings had to be built within the walls of Copenhagen. This meant rapid expansion for all areas around Copenhagen, including Frederiksberg.
Frederiksberg continued to grow in population. In 1902, Frederiksberg was not included among towns which were going to be incorporated into Greater Copenhagen, and any attempt since has been met with strong opposition.
In 1917, Copenhagen Business School was founded in Frederiksberg, the school is considered to be one of Europe’s top business schools. Today there are over 17000 students and over 1300 staff. Frederiksberg also houses the University of Copenhagen - Faculty of Life Sciences, which is a special campus of Copenhagen University which focuses of health and science based education.
Today Frederiksberg essentially consists of residential buildings and large single family homes. Frederiksberg is considered to be one of the most desirable locations to live in Copenhagen, especially with affluent Copenhageners. Frederiksberg is one of the few areas in Copenhagen which has wide open spaces, and large green areas.
Frederiksberg - Things to See and Do -1
Frederiksberg - More Tourist Sites -2
LastUpdate: 2016-09-20 12:47:41