The Royal Library of Denmark


In 1648, the Danish King Frederick III founded the Royal Library of Denmark . It was he who became the first to fill it with a collection of works by the European author. It will not be superfluous to note that for today it is one of the largest libraries in Scandinavia. In addition, many historical documents are kept here, which are printed in Denmark since the 17th century.

Since 1793, public access has been opened, in other words, anyone who has reached the age of 18 could visit the library. And 1989 was a watershed for her: her foundation was merged with the funds of the University of Copenhagen, and 9 years ago - with the funds of the Danish National Library of Medicine and Natural Sciences.

Today it has the following official name: the Royal Library, the National Library of Denmark, and the Library of the Copenhagen University.

Architectural magic

Seeing this building for the first time, the first thing that comes to mind is an association with a black diamond. This modern building consists of two cubes that are slightly inclined forward. This beauty is made of black marble and glass. One of the parts of the building, which can be called the ancestor of the modern Royal Library, is in medieval style.

The modern "Black Diamond" was built in 1999 and designed by famous architects: Lassen, Schmidt and Hammer. In addition, the cube has an irregular shape: it extends from the bottom up and from the north to the south. The new building is connected to the old one by means of three glass transitions, which are located over the Christians Brygge street.

What to read and see in the library?

The Danish royal library is a treasure trove of such treasures as:

Going inside the "Black Diamond", you can not tear your eyes from the 8-story atrium, which has a wavy form. It is worth noting that its outer side is made of glass and it "looks" at the area and the Christianhown River. And at the entrance to the reading rooms visitors will be fascinated by the fresco performed by the Danish artist Per Kierkeby. It is worth noting that its size is 210 m 2 .

How to get there?

By Copenhagen it is easy to reach the library by metro. We leave at the station "Islands Brygge st.". Another way: by bus 9A. We go to the stop "Det Kongelige Bibliotek". If you are interested in art, we also recommend visiting the numerous museums of the Danish capital : the National Museum of Denmark , the world of G.Kh. Andersen , the Ripley Museum, the Thorvaldsen Museum , the State Museum of Art , the Museum of Erotica , etc.