In addition to the main characters, Borgen (the Government) focuses on the palace from which the series takes its name: Christiansborg Slot, simply ‘Borgen’. The Danish parliament has been seated here for more than 150 years, but this location, the island of Slotsholmen, has been the center of power in the Old Kingdom for 800 years. Christiansborg Slot (Borgen) has a history of more than 800 years as the center of power in Denmark. Today, four important institutes are housed here. Most of it is used by the parliament (Folketinget), but the state ministry, the prime minister’s office, the supreme court and the royal audience rooms are also located in the palace. The current Christiansborg is the last in a long series of buildings that have stood on the island of Slotsholmen in Copenhagen. Bishop Absalon built the first castle here in the twelfth century, the third Christiansborg was built between 1907 and 1928.
Abalon’s Castle
The first castle on this site was built in 1167 by Bishop Absalon of Roskilde, known as the founder of Copenhagen. The castle consisted of a ring wall up to five meters high that enclosed a courtyard and several buildings. Absalon left the castle to the diocese of Roskilde, but after his death the building fell prey to a long power struggle between king and bishop. The castle was demolished in 1368, after the Hanseatic cities conquered the building. The remains of this first castle can still be seen in the cellars of Christiansborg Slot.
Copenhagen Palace / Source: Unknown, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Copenhagen Palace
A new castle was built on the remains of Absalon Castle in the second half of the fourteenth century, which over time became known as Københavns Slot (Copenhagen Castle). The bishops of Roskilde retained ownership of the castle until the then Danish king Erik of Pomerania appropriated the castle in 1417. This meant that the 200-year battle between the kings and bishops for control of Slotsholmen was finally settled in favor of the royal family. King Christopher of Bavaria, King of Denmark, who moved into the castle in 1443, began 350 years of royal occupation of Slotsholmen. In the following years the castle was further embellished and expanded until it was demolished in 1731 to make way for a full-fledged palace.
The first Christiansborg
The first ChristiansborgThe newly crowned Christian VI found Copenhagen Palace too small and too dark. He had it demolished to build a completely new palace: Christiansborg. From 1731 to 1733, people were busy demolishing the old castle, buying up surrounding land and preparing the wet ground for construction. On November 26, 1740, the royal family moved into the new palace. The Rokoko Palace, whose courtyard and surrounding stables have been preserved, cost a fortune; half of the state’s annual income.
Because the castle was poorly ventilated and the smoke pipes were improperly constructed, a relatively small fire on February 26, 1794 could destroy the entire palace. The royal family became homeless and moved into Amalienborg Palace a short time later. Temporary, that was the intention.
The second Christiansborg
The second Christiansborg with the still existing Castle Church in the middle. After the fire of 1794, various initiatives were taken to build a new palace. However, this process was difficult to get started and was further delayed by the great fire of 1795. In 1803, a committee was installed to prepare the construction of a new palace, which would also house the town hall and the court.
The new Christiansborg was designed by CF Hansen in the classicist style so typical of (parts of) Copenhagen, in which various remains of the burned down palace were incorporated. King Frederik VI showed little interest in the new castle and continued to live at Amalienborg after its completion, where his successor Christian VIII, who grew up on Amalienborg, also chose to stay. It was Frederick VII who used Christiansborg as a winter residence and established parts of the court there, followed by the parliament that moved into the palace in 1850. The new castle chapel was built right next to the palace, connected to the main building. This is the only recognizable element of the second Christiansborg, which, despite the many fire-retardant measures taken after the 1794 fire, burned down again on October 3, 1884. Precisely because the fire could not spread so quickly this time, a large part of the contents was saved.
The third Christiansborg under construction
The third Christiansborg
The design for the third palace emerged from a design competition, which after many discussions was decided in favor of architect Thorvald Jørgensen in April 1906. The building would initially retain the same functions, but when the newly crowned Christian X announced that he wanted to move into the palace again after completion, the plans had to be adjusted. However, the king changed his mind and continued to live at Amalienborg. Although work on the palace continued until 1928, parliament met for the first time in the new parliament hall on May 28, 1918.
Also in the third Christiansborg are royal apartments that are used for your annual New Year’s reception, state dinners, the reception of ambassadors and for audiences. In addition, it is tradition that a new king is proclaimed from the balcony of the throne room.
In the Borgen series, however, the viewer sees most of the Ministry of State and the corridors where politicians meet and speak to the press. Thanks to the many shots taken outside the building, the viewer gets to see the palace from all sides. Guided tours are given for interested visitors.
read more
- Borgen, the series
- Borgen, the cast of season 1
- Borgen, the cast of season 2
- From Christiansborg to Amalienborg
- Tivoli, a unique and attractive (amusement) park