COPENAGHEN CIVITAS

Copenaghen has been selected by Roberto Amati in relation to the real history of european integration, then enlisted in the CITY OR CIVITAS category, accompanied by own fact SHEET useful to the comprehension, completed of historical MAPS AND IMAGES or with a direct linking to the related Blog contents dedicated to the the aeternitas and the future of Europe.

Copenaghen is one of the most ancient cities of the history of European integration, signed in great part by Christianity. Founded probably by Sweyn I 'Forkbeard' king of Vikings in Denmark, Norway and England at the end of X century A.D., whose name reflects its origin as a harbour and a place of commerce in the original designation in Old Norse was Kaupmannahǫfn meaning merchants, cause of the good herring stocks that attracted fishermen and merchants to the area on a seasonal basis, along the strait of water that connects the North Sea with the Baltic Sea. The first habitations were probably sited on Gammel Strand (literally 'old shore'), revealed by the remains of a large merchant's mansion near today's Kongens Nytorv already in 1020 A.D. and of a contemporary church, near where Strøget meets Rådhuspladsen. However, the earliest written mention of Copenaghen was in 12th century A.D. in the 'Gesta Danorum' opera of Saxo Grammaticus referring to it as Portus Mercatorum. But traditionally, Copenhagen's founding has been referred to Bishop Absalon's construction of a modest fortress on the little island of Slotsholmen in 1167 A.D., right where Christiansborg Palace stands today, eventually destroyed by the marauders and replaced with the Copenhagen Castle.

In fact, a letter from Pope Urban III in 1186 A.D. states that the castle of Copenhagen and its surrounding lands, including the town of Hafn, were given as property to Absalon Bishop of Roskilde and Archbishop of Lund by King Valdemar I, so that the new Church of Our Lady constructed on an higher ground developed as city-centre. As the town became more prominent, Copenhagen was repeatedly attacked by the Hanseatic League and in 1368 A.D. was successfully invaded so that in XIII century A.D. it received a charter as a city under Bishop, who garnered support from the local fishing merchants against the king by granting them special privileges. With the establishment of the Union Kalmar between Denmark, Norway and Sweden, Copenhagen city emerged as capital of Kingdom of Denmark when Erik VII Duke of Pomerania moved his seat to the Copenhagen Castle. Later, the University was inaugurated in 1479 A.D. by King Christian I of the Oldenburg dinasty, who is still ruling Denmark today!

In disputes for the Reformation, Copenhagen was successfully besieged in 1523 A.D. by the forces of king Frederik I supporting Lutheranism, so that the city defences had been reinforced with a series of towers along the city wall (Fæstningsringen). During the second half of the century, the city prospered from increased trade across the Baltic supported by Dutch shipping, cause of the Netherlands had also become Protestant as the northern German states and the other danish possessions of Norway, Iceland and Greenland. During the reign of king Christian IV, Copenhagen had dramatic growth as a city and two important buildings were completed on Slotsholmen: the Tøjhus Arsenal and Børsen, the stock exchange, while on eastern side of the city (inspired by Dutch planning) the king developed the district of Christianshavn with canals and ramparts, and also sponsored an array of ambitious building projects including Rosenborg Slot and the Rundetårn. By 1661 A.D., Copenhagen had asserted its position as capital of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway and all the major institutions were located there, as was the fleet and most of the army, as consequence the defences were further enhanced with the completion of the Citadel and the extension of the bastions Christianshavns Vold, leading to the creation of a new base for the fleet at Nyholm.

As many other european civitas, Copenhagen lost most of its population cause of the plague and the city was also destroyed by two major fires, such as the famous Copenhagen Fire of 1728 A.D. when no less than 47% of the medieval section of the city was completely lost, so that just few traces of the old town can be found in the modern city. A huge rebuilding followed and it began on the royal residence of Christiansborg Palace and initiated the development of the prestigious district of Frederiksstaden in the Rococo style, whose centre contained mansions which now form Amalienborg Palace, major extensions to the naval base of Holmen and the city's cultural level was enhanced with the Royal Theatre and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. In that epoch many buildings in Copenhagen, such as the Moltke Mansion, Yellow Palace and the Vestindisk Pakhus were funded with profits made from the Danish slave trade with Asia and Africa, while thanks to Denmark's neutrality in the wars between Europe's main powers, allowed Copenaghen to play an important role in trade between the states around the Baltic Sea.

The growing age of Copenaghen finished cause of the alliance of Denmark to Napoleon, especially when brisith Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson led the main attack to the city and defeated the Dano-Norwegian fleet, while another naval bombardment of the city burned many structures including the Church of Our Lady afterthat a British landing force occupied Copenhagen and killed 3,000 citizens! Despite this facts, after 1815 A.D. Copenhagen soon experienced a period of intense cultural creativity known as the 'Danish Golden Age': painting prospered under C.W. Eckersberg and his students, while C.F. Hansen and Gottlieb Bindesbøll brought a Neoclassical look to the city's architecture. In middle XIX century A.D. the ramparts of the city were opened to allow new housing to be built around The Lakes (Søerne) that bordered the old defences at West, and the districts of Nørrebro and Vesterbro developed to accommodate those who came from countrysides to participate in the city's industrialization.

By the beginning of the XX century A.D., Copenhagen had become a thriving industrial and administrative city, with its new city hall and railway station, the centre drawn towards West and new housing developments in Brønshøj and Valby, while Frederiksberg became an enclave within the city and the northern part of Amager and Valby were also incorporated. As a result of Denmark's neutrality in the First World War, Copenhagen prospered from trade with both Britain and Germany, while until the Thirties that substantial housing developments ensued, with the demolition of one side of Christianhavn's Torvegade to build five large blocks of flats. But during the Second World War Copenaghen was occupied by Nazi troops, so that the RAF's bombed the city centre to help the Danish resistance movement to the liberation of Denmark.

Shortly after the end of the war, an innovative urban development project known as the 'Finger Plan' encouraged the creation of new housing and businesses interspersed with large green areas along '5 fingers' stretching out from the city centre along the S-train routes. With the expansion of the welfare state and the women entering the work force, schools, nurseries, sports facilities and hospitals were established across the city, so that in late Sixties the former Bådsmandsstræde Barracks in Christianshavn was occupied leading to the establishment of 'Freetown Christiania' in 1971 A.D.. As a consequence of being member states of European Union, since 2000 A.D. Copenhagen and the swedish city of Malmö have been connected by the Øresund Bridge, which carries rail and road traffic and the danish capital has become the centre of a larger metropolitan area spanning both nations, connected by the complex developed system of the Copenhagen Metro railway and Metro.

Nowadays, Copenaghen is the capital of Denmark, with a large urban area situated mainly on the island of Zealand (Sjælland) plus a smaller part on the island of Amager, a 2 km long artificial island with a total of 4.6 km of beaches located just 15 minutes by bicycle from the city centre. Since the turn of the XXI century A.D., Copenhagen has seen strong urban and cultural development facilitated by huge investment in its institutions and infrastructure and the city is the cultural, economic and governmental centre of Scandinavian region, thanks to the completion of the Øresund Bridge that increasingly integrated the Swedish province of Scania (the originary land of Danes...) and its largest city, Malmö, forming the Øresund Region (which consists of Zealand, Lolland-Falster and Bornholm in Denmark and Scania in Sweden). With several bridges connecting the various districts, the cityscape is characterised by parks, promenades, and waterfronts, landmarks, such as Tivoli Gardens, the Little Mermaid statue ('sirenetta'), the Amalienborg and Christiansborg palaces, Rosenborg Castle, Frederik's Church, Børsen, and many museums, restaurants, and nightclubs are significant tourist attractions. The city patron is Pope Lucius I whose, whose head is preserved in a reliquary in St. Ansgar's Cathedral, since his relic was brought to Roskilde around the year 1100 A.D. when had been declared patron saint of the Danish region Zealand.

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